Earliest meeting: Wednesday 4th April 1877
Final meeting: Wednesday 11th April 1883
The Buckinghamshire town of Princes Risborough lies 9 miles south of Aylesbury and is just 8 miles north-west of High Wycombe. In the 1086 Domesday Book the town is recorded just as Risborough and was a royal manor owned by the King. In the latter part of the 19th century the town organised its own series of race meetings, the first of which took place on Wednesday 4th April 1877. The opening Stewards’ Plate was won by Mr J Williams Fugleman, while the feature race, the Berkhampstead Buckhounds Hunt Cup, fell to Dragon. The course was a short distance from the town centre at Saunderton and unusually the finishing post was on a hill. Racing continued in the town until a final meeting on Wednesday 11th April 1883. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr S Williams & Mr A James (Stewards) |
| Principal Races |
Risborough Stewards’ Plate, Berkhampstead Buckhounds Hunt Cup |
Wednesday 4th April 1877
Berkhampstead Buckhounds Hunt Cup over 4 miles
1. Dragon, aged horse owned by Mr S Williams
2. Mallard, 8 year old owned by Mr B Holt
3. Lilliputian, aged horse owned by Mr Rawle |
The final meeting took place on Wednesday 11th April 1883. |
| Course today |
At Saunderton with the winning post placed on a hill. |
| 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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