Earliest meeting: Monday 1st April 1889
Final meeting: Tuesday 4th May 1897
The county Westmeath town of Moate is named after the motte-and-bailey castle built by the Normans, nothing of which remains apart from the earthwork mound adjacent to Main Street. One of the earliest meetings in the town took place a mile from the centre and was described as an unpretentious gathering. The day began with the Moate Harriers’ Handicap, restricted to hunters, which was won by Mr S Gaynor’s even money favourite Jack The Ripper by a comfortable 10 lengths; the same combination doubled up later in the afternoon in the Aughafen Plate. The principal race, the Moate Plate over 2 miles saw Mr Bell’s Sir Richard get the better of Subpoena, while the day concluded with a pony race. By 1897 the fixture on Tuesday 4th May was organised under the Irish Racing Association Rules, opening with the Drapers’ Plate which was won by Mr M O’Donnell’s Castleknock. The Banogue Hurdle Plate went to Mr B P McDonnell’s Hazlewood, while the Westmeath Plate saw Mr Geary’s Half and Half defeat Woodbine. Although minor meetings were staged after this date, they increasingly involved non-thoroughbreds. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr Bell, Mr Gaynor, Mr O’Sullevan |
| Principal Races |
Moate Plate, Moate Harriers’ Handicap, Banogue Hurdle Plate |
Monday 1st April 1889
Moate Harriers’ Handicap over 2 miles
1. Jack the Ripper, 5 year old owned by Mr S Gaynor
2. Bustle, 5 year old owned by Mr Ben
3. Dick, aged horse owned by Mr Murtagh
Betting: Evens Jack the Ripper, 2/1 Dick, 3/1 Bustle |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 4th May 1897. |
| Course today |
An unpretentious course a mile from the town centre. |
| 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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