Earliest meeting: Sunday 29th August 1728
Final meeting: Thursday 2nd June 1864
The Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray is steeped in hunting history, as well as pork pies, and first held race meetings in the early part of the 18th century. Baily’s Racing Register provided detailed results from races held on Sunday 29th August 1728 when the feature race, the Melton £20 Selling Plate, was won by Bay Motte, but only just! In those days Selling races were held in much higher esteem than they are today, and in this race both horses fell, and the jockey on Bay Motte was unable to continue. However, his groom who was nearby, mounted the horse and rode it to victory. Stewards Enquiry or what? Meetings continued on a regular basis for over a century. The Sporting Magazine of 1839 recorded that a steeplechase meeting took place from Monday 18th to Saturday 23rd March 1839 on the course from Shangton to the Rams Head. The meeting opened with the Melton Sweepstake on the Monday when won by the Hon John Villiers MPs bay mare, beating the strongly fancied Sweet William owned by Lord Desart, and five days later Sweet William suffered the same fate behind the Marquis of Waterford’s gelding in the 4 mile Steeplechase. The final meeting took place on Thursday 2nd June 1864. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Marquis of Waterford, Earl of Desart, Lord Suffield |
| Principal Races |
Melton Sweepstake, Melton Steeplechase |
Sunday 29th August 1728 |
Melton £20 Selling Plate
1. Bay Motte owned by Lord Essex
2. Whitestockings owned by Mr Bertie
In this race both horses fell, and the jockey on Bay Motte was unable to continue. However, his groom, who was nearby, mounted the horse and rode it to victory. Stewards Enquiry or what? |
Monday 18th March 1839 |
Melton Sweepstake
1. Unnamed bay mare owned by Honorable John Villiers
2. Sweet William owned by Lord Desart
3. Unnamed bay gelding owned by Lord Suffield |
Saturday 23rd March 1839 |
Steeplechase over 4 miles
1. Unnamed horse owned by the Marquis of Waterford
2. Sweet William owned by Lord Desart |
| The final meeting took place on Thursday 2nd June 1864. |
| Course today |
A course was marked out between Shangton and the Rams Head. |
| 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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