Earliest meeting: June 1839
Final meeting: Wednesday 13th June 1860
The Lancashire hamlet of Merton was a chapelry 6 miles from St Helens and 2 miles from Poulton on the Liverpool Road. Despite being a tiny community, John Etty acted as Clerk of the Course and organised a two day meeting in June 1839 on a one mile triangular course with excellent viewing stands. The 4 race programme was varied, including the Merton St Leger Stakes over a mile and three quarters. It was a further 21 years before the next meeting on Wednesday 13th June 1860 received press coverage. That meeting started with a Maiden Plate won by Skelton, while the Newton Handicap saw Master Bagot defeat Bird Cage. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr John Etty |
| Principal Races |
Merton St Leger Stakes, Produce Stakes, Trial Stakes, Golborne Stakes. |
Wednesday 13th June 1860
Golborne Park Stakes
1. Lady Clifton
2. Glen Stuart |
| The final meeting took place on Wednesday 13th June 1860. |
| Course today |
An unusual triangular course of a mile complete with excellent viewing stands. |
| 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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