Earliest meeting: Monday 5th October 1840
Final meeting: Monday 5th October 1840
The West Midlands suburban village of Pelsall is located close to Walsall and pre-dates the Domesday Book where it was described as a waste area. Nearby Walsall held races for over 120 years, but Pelsall staged a solitary meeting on Monday 5th October 1840 on a one mile course on the edge of the village. The meeting opened with the Free Handicap which was won by Mr Robinson’s Sampson, beating Nabob and Miss Reay. The Norton Stakes which followed went to Mr Friend’s Protegee, as did the Pelsall Handicap. Such was the success of the meeting that plans were afoot to hold a meeting the following year over an extended 2 mile course. In the end the meeting does not appear to have materialised. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr Friend, Mr Eccles |
| Principal Races |
Pelsall Free Handicap, Norton Stakes, Pelsall Handicap |
Monday 5th October 1840
Norton Stakes
1. Protegee, bay mare owned by Mr Friend
2. Miss Reay, bay mare owned by Mr Eccles
3. Sampson, chestnut mare owned by Mr Robinson
4. Joe Leedham, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Chawner |
| The final meeting took place on Monday 5th October 1840. |
| Course today |
A one mile course on the edge of the village. |
| 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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