Earliest meeting: April 1875
Final meeting: Saturday 23rd March 1940
The Leicestershire university town of Loughborough, on the River Soar, lies on the edge of the Charnwood Forest. It is well known for its links with sporting excellence, but back in the latter part of the 19th century racing played an important part in the town’s life. Initially the meetings were entitled ‘The Quorn and Donnington Hunt Steeplechases’ and continued to be a popular meeting well into the 1890s. In time for the 1879 meeting a grandstand was built offering two separate enclosures. After the end of the First World War the Quorn Hunt once again organised steeplechase meetings in the town, the first of which was planned for the 18th April 1921, although it failed to materialise because of a coal strike. Therefore, the first meeting actually took place in April 1922 when over 20,000 people attended. Meetings continued annually, with one taking place on Wednesday 12th April 1939, although the Second World War broke out later that year. The final meeting was staged on Saturday 23rd March 1940.
Loughborough Open Handicap Chase, Loughborough Open Chase
Wednesday 19th March 1879
Loughborough Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Goldfinder, bay gelding owned by Mr W Wilson
2. Gazelle, bay mare owned by Mr Cecil Gilliat
3. Lightheart, bay gelding owned by Captain Mottram
Betting: Evens Goldfinder, 5/1 Vengeance, 6/1 Lightheart
There is little evidence of the previous existence of the racecourse because after the 1940 meeting the land was used as an aerodrome throughout the War years, and racing did not return after the war. However, the Quorn Hunt still stage point to point meetings, although these are now staged at Garthorpe.
The front cover/ principal races from this rare racecard are provided courtesy of the Robert Shaw collection.
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
