Richard Gauthier Collection Huntingdon Racecourse |
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The earliest record of racing in the vicinity of Huntingdon was in 1602 at Sapley, while in 1773 Flat race meetings were staged at Port Holme. Indeed, race meetings which also included Galloway pony races, were held in the early part of the 18th century as evidenced by the Stamford Mercury extract shown below. Racing continued in this area until meetings transferred to nearby Water Meadows, the site of the present course, in 1886. The inaugural steeplechase meeting at the Brampton course took place on Easter Monday in 1886, opening with a three mile chase which was won by Catherine the Great. In 1920 the Huntingdon Steeplechase Group was formed, with Huntingdon racecourse managed successfully by Bob Lenton for 25 years, after which Hugo Bevan took over from 1974. The principal race is the Peterborough Chase (full results shown below), a Grade 2 National Hunt Chase over 2 miles 4 1/2 furlongs and 16 fences. It was introduced on Tuesday 2nd December 1969, but at that time, and until the 1977 running, it was over 3 miles. Currently the course hosts 17 fixtures annually. |
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1987 Peterborough Chase was won by Very Promising trained by David Nicholson and ridden by Richard Dunwoody |
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