Earliest meeting: Monday 18th October 1756
Final meeting: Friday 22nd October 1756
The County Mayo hamlet of Minola, 10 miles from Kilcolman, is located north of Claremorris and south west of Knock. Despite being very small, it was surrounded by beautiful countryside which made it ideal for hunting and horse racing. It held an extended five day meeting from Monday 18th to Friday 22nd October 1756 which was deemed to be sufficiently important for results to be included in the ‘Historical List of Horse Races & Matches’ of 1756. The opening two days proved to be most disappointing. The Independent Hanoverian Club Plate resulted in a walk over for Mr Brown’s Tamerlane on the first day, and a similar situation for the same owners with Black Prince on day two. However, the meeting livened up on Wednesday 20th October with the running of the Minola Stakes, which Robin Red Breast won in competitive style for Mr Plunkett. The final day of the meeting was on Friday 22nd October when Mr Brown crowned a magnificent meeting by landing the Hunters Plate. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Hanoverian Club, Mr Brown |
| Principal Races |
The Independent Hanoverian Club Plate, Minola Hunters Plate |
18th October 1756 |
The Independent Hanoverian Club Plate
1. Tamerlane, horse owned by Mr Brown (walked over) |
19th October 1756 |
Second Independent Hanoverian Club Plate
1. Black Prince, horse owned by Mr Brown (walked over) |
20th October 1756 |
Minola Stakes
1. Robin Red Breast, horse owned by Mr Plunkett
2. Smoaker (sic), horse owned by Mr Brown
3. Unnamed horse owned by Mr Willis |
21st October 1756 |
Minola 20 Guineas 4 year old Stakes
1. Calista, bay filly owned by Mr Bourk
2. Unnamed colt owned by Mr Dillon
3. Unnamed colt owned by Mr Donnall
4. Cupid, colt owned by Mr Blake |
22nd October 1756 |
Minola Hunters Plate
1. Unnamed bay horse owned by Mr Brown
2. Unnamed bay horse owned by Mr Palmer |
| The final meeting took place on Friday 22nd October 1756. |
| Course today |
Across farmland on the edge of the hamlet. |
| 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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