Earliest meeting: Friday 8th October 1824
Final meeting: Wednesday 21st September 1864
The Welsh town of Montgomery now lies in Powys but was historically in the county of Montgomeryshire. The town is just inside the Welsh border and boasts a splendid castle dating back to 1223. Also to the north-west of the town and castle is the Iron Age fort of Ffridd Faldwyn. In the middle of the 19th century the town held its inaugural two day race meeting on the Newton Course on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th October 1824. The meeting opened with the Union Stakes over a mile and a half which went to Mr B Williams’s Satellite. Later in the afternoon the Newton Purse, also over a mile and a half, was won by Mr E Williams’s bay by Young Pretender, while the main race on the second day, the Hunters’ Stakes, was won by Mr W Jones’s bay gelding by Young Pretender. Meetings continued to be held intermittently and on Tuesday 27th July 1847 the County Stakes saw Mr Salter’s Lucy Neale defeat Creeping Jane and Countess. The principal race, the Montgomery Stakes over a mile, was won by Mr Holmes’s Jack, beating Lucy Neale and Fanny, while the meeting concluded with the Flos Stakes which went to Mr R Jones’s Countess. By then the meeting had moved to the Flos, close to the Railway Station, where it continued to be held for a number of years, including the event on Wednesday 23rd September 1863. The next year the meeting, which turned out to be the last noteworthy meeting held in the town, was staged on Wednesday 21st September 1864, opening with the Borough Stakes over 1 ½ miles which went to Mr Davies’ Queen Bertha, defeating Maid of the Mill into second place. The main race, the County Stakes over a mile and a quarter, was won by Mr Mytton’s 4 year old Dingle Lass.
Wednesday 21st September 1864
County Stakes over 1 ¼ miles
1. Dingle Lass, 4 year old owned by Mr Mytton
2. Crinoline, 4 year old owned by Mr Mickleburgh
3. Queen Bertha, 4 year old owned by Mr C Davies
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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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
