Earliest meeting: Tuesday 17th June 1817
Final meeting: Tuesday 29th May 1849
Portsea, a parish within the naval city of Portsmouth, was the birthplace of the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The nearby Portsmouth Town & Garrison Regiment organised a two day meeting on Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th June 1817 on Portsdown Hill, which acted as a natural viewing area. Meetings were so popular and well supported that they were staged for the next 32 years. On Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th September 1819 the Plate was won by Non Conductor and the 10 Guineas Sweepstakes by Mr Dilly’s Elsie Deans. Eight years later at the meeting on Tuesday 28th August and Wednesday 29th August 1827 the opening Ladies Plate was won by Lord G Lennox with Laburn, although he had to settle for the runners-up spot the next day in the Handicap Purse behind Logic. The final meeting took place on Tuesday 29th May 1849 when the last Garrison Cup over a mile was captured by Mr Kennedy’s Traitress, seeing off the determined challenge of both Fusileer and Nell Gwynne. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord G Lennox, Captain Patten, Mr Scriven |
| Principal Races |
Portsmouth Town Purse, Garrison Cup, Portsmouth Handicap Purse |
Tuesday 28th & Wednesday 29th August 1827 |
The Ladies Plate over 2 miles
1. Laburn owned by Lord G Lennox
2. Lady Jane owned by Mr Boldero
3. Popinjay owned by Mr Scriven
Portsmouth Town Purse over a mile
1. Edith owned by Mr A Berkeley
2. Laburn owned by Lord G Lennox
3. Little Mab owned by Mr Chaproniere
Portsmouth Handicap Purse over a mile
1. Logic owned by Mr A Berkeley
2. Laburn owned by Lord G Lennox
3. Little Mab owned by Mr Chaproniere |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 29th May 1849. |
| Course today |
On Portsdown Hill in the Portsea area of the city. |
| 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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