Earliest meeting: 1731
Final meeting: 1731
The Bedfordshire town of Potton lies just 10 miles from Bedford and can trace its history back before the 1086 Domesday Book when it was known as Potone, although in 960 it was recorded as Pottun. In 1783 a calamitous ‘Great Fire of Potton’ destroyed a significant part of the town. The ‘County History of Bedfordshire’ recorded that Potton established a race meeting in 1731, although it did not prove to be successful. The card consisted of 3 races, two Plates for £50 and £20 and a ‘Give and Take’ restricted to galloways. Given that the £50 Plate was won by Poor Robin, owned by Sir Arthur Hazelrigg who walked over, and the £20 Plate was won by Sweet Maidenhead in the same ownership, who also walked over, it is not surprising that there were no further meetings in the future. Even the Galloway race only had 3 runners and was sponsored for £10 by Sir Roger Burgam.

Sir Arthur Hazelrigg, Sir Roger Burgam

Potton £50 Plate, Potton £20 Plate, Potton £10 Give and Take

The final meeting took place in 1731.

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

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