Earliest meeting: Wednesday 24th July 1839
Final meeting: Monday 1st August 1881
The Worcestershire spa town of Malvern has a rich history, with evidence that Bronze Age people settled in the area. The town gets its name from ‘moel-bryn’ which means bare hill, and this later became Malferna, Malverne and Much Malvern. It also benefits from glorious open countryside and the wonderful Malvern Hills, making full use of its countryside in the latter part of the 19th century when the town held its own race meetings, starting with a revival meeting on Monday 5th August 1878. The meeting hadn’t been held for 7 years, but it remained on the same ‘old course’, which contained dangerous bends that placed horses in jeopardy. Prior to this meeting races had been held intermittently on a course a mile east of Malvern Link Station on ground owned by Mr Hornyold. However, typical cards on Wednesday 24th July 1839 and Monday 26th July 1841 mixed pony racing and Galloway racing with thoroughbred races.The opening race in August 1878 was the Brompton Hunters’ 2 mile race which was won by Mr T Calder’s Lady Emily, defeating Lady Ethel and Gala. The principal Malvern Stakes was won by Rocket in the same ownership as Lady Emily. Such was the popularity of the meeting that it was held for the next 3 years, until a final card was staged on Monday 1st August 1881. Although meetings continued annually after this date, the races were either of an inferior quality or the cards included a majority of pony and Galloway races. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Earl of Coventry, Captain Boyd Rochfort |
| Principal Races |
Malvern Stakes, Brompton Hunters Flat Race |
Monday 5th August 1878
The Palace Handicap over 2 miles
1. Rocket, aged horse owned by Mr T Calder
2. Harmonia, 5 year old owned by Mr T M Hopkins
3. Bonnybrook, 5 year old owned by Mr C Hill |
The final meeting took place on Monday 1st August 1881. |
| Course today |
On ground owned by Mr Hornyold a mile to the east of Malvern Link Station. |
| If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com |
Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-
London Illustrated News
Racing Illustrated 1895-1899
The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated
Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough
The Sporting Magazine
A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8
Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727 |
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ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3
652 pages
774 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0
352 pages
400 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7
180 pages
140 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4
264 pages
235 former courses |
| Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent. |
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