Richard Gauthier Collection

Wincanton Racecourse

The earliest record of racing in Wincanton was advertised as the ‘newest meeting’ in Bell’s Life and the Sporting Chronicle and took place on Thursday 25th August 1870 when Mr J Fry acted as Clerk of the Course, H Waters was judge and Mr C Symes was the starter. The meeting was held in a field at Hatherleigh, about a mile from the town centre, and results were published in the Western Times. The meeting opened with the Hatherleigh Stakes over 2 miles which was won by Mr J Card’s bay filly Edna, ridden by Mr H M Rudd, winning by a length from Robert Laundrie and Duchess. The Blackmore Vale Hurdle over 2 ½ miles followed and saw Mr W D Tabor’s Brown Slug get the better of Jassy, also owned by Mr Tabor, with Bonnie Katie in third. The later Wincanton Stakes went to Deh Con Te owned by Mr J Evans. More widely advertised meetings followed in 1871 and 1872, with results from the meeting on Thursday 29th August 1872 shown below. Meetings moved towards the current course on Saturday 28th February 1891 when a point to point meeting was staged on the old course south-east of Anchor Hill at Hatherleigh Farm. Two years later the Wincanton Hunt Steeplechase Committee was formed, with a meeting held on Easter Monday 1893 when the Cheriton Stakes was won by Princess, ridden by J. Martin Richards, the Grandfather of Sir Gordon Richards. However, the first meeting organised by the newly formed Committee to take place on Hatherleigh Farm was on Wednesday 3rd April 1895, although at this stage the prize money was very small. Just before the War began the company running the course today, Wincanton Races Co. Ltd, was formed, but the War held up their progress, racing ceasing between 1914 and 1919. The first meeting after the War took place in 1920 when prize money started to increase. The Secretary of the Wincanton Race Company was Reginald Hutchings, who had his offices in Church Street, and the Chairman was Lord Stalbridge. The lease on Hatherleigh Farm ran out in 1925 so racing ceased at that venue while an alternative was sought. Shortly afterwards Kingwell Farm, its current home, was purchased. The first meeting to take place on the Kingwell Farm course was on Thursday 18th August 1927. The course had been bought by the Wincanton Race Company after being persuaded to do so by Hugh Grosvenor, formerly a 14th Hussar during the War. Racing ceased during the Second World War during which time the course was used by the military. The owner of the farm, Lord Stalbridge became ill and decided to sell the farm, threatening the very future of racing in the town. A committee of 10 local farmers purchased Kingwell Farm in 1945 and the October meeting was the first to be held after the War. In 1966 the Racecourse Holdings Trust purchased the racecourse and its future was secure. Currently the course hosts 7 fixtures annually.

Thursday 25th August 1870
Hatherleigh Stakes over 2 miles
1. Edna, bay filly owned by Mr J Card and ridden by Mr H M Rudd
2. Robert Laundrie, 4 year old owned by Mr G Clement and ridden by Huntley
3. Duchess, bay mare owned by Mr Antell and ridden by Harding

1984 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Beau Ranger, trained by John Thorne and ridden by J Hurst
1984 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Desert Orchid, trained by David Elsworth and ridden by Colin Brown
1985 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Oyster Pond, trained by Matt McCourt and ridden by Graham McCourt
1985 The Kingwell Hurdle was not contested due to snow
1986 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Von Trappe, trained by Jenny Pitman and ridden by Ben de Haan
1986 The Kingwell Hurdle was not contested due to frost
1987 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Sun Rising, trained by Fulke Walwyn and ridden by Kevin Mooney
1987 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Hypnosis, trained by David Elsworth and ridden by Peter Scudamore
1988 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Farmlea Boy, trained by Toby Balding and ridden by Richard Guest
1988 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Floyd, trained by David Elsworth and ridden by Colin Brown
1989 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Tonights The Night, trained by Oliver Sherwood and ridden by Jamie Osborne
1989 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Floyd, trained by David Elsworth and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1990 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Panto Prince, trained by Chris Popham and ridden by Brendan Powell snr
1990 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Kribensis, trained by Michael Stoute and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1991 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Foyle Fisherman, trained by Josh Gifford and ridden by Eamon Murphy
1991 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Welsh Bard, trained by Charlie Brooks and ridden by Peter Scudamore
1992 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Captain Dibble, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and ridden by Carl Llewellyn
1992 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Fidway, trained by Tim Thomson Jones and ridden by Peter Scudamore
1993 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Panto Prince, trained by Chris Popham and ridden by Brendan Powell snr
1993 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Valfinet, trained by Martin Pipe and ridden by Peter Scudamore
1994 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Lusty Light, trained by Jenny Pitman and ridden by Warren Marston
1994 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Valfinet, trained by Martin Pipe and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1995 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Tug of Peace, trained by Toby Balding and ridden by Barney Clifford
1995 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Alderbrook, trained by Kim Bailey and ridden by Norman Williamson
1996 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Coome Hill, trained by Walter Dennis and ridden by Jimmy Frost
1996 The Kingwell Hurdle was not contested due to frost and snow
1997 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Lively Knight, trained by Josh Gifford and ridden by Leighton Aspell
1997 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Dreams End, trained by Peter Bowen and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1998 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Teeton Mill, trained by Venetia Williams and ridden by Norman Williamson
1998 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by I’m Supposin, trained by Richard Rowe and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1999 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Flaked Oats, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Robert Widger
1999 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Grey Shot, trained by Ian Balding and ridden by Jamie Osborne
2000 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Flaked Oats, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Timmy Murphy
2000 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Hors La Loi III, trained by Francois Doumen and ridden by Dean Gallagher
2001 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Montifault, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Timmy Murphy
2001 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Azertyuiop, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Adrian Maguire
2002 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Swansea Bay, trained by Peter Bowen and ridden by Andrew Thornton
2002 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Hors La Loi III, trained by James Fanshawe and ridden by Dean Gallagher
2003 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Swansea Bay, trained by Peter Bowen and ridden by Andrew Thornton
2003 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Rhinestone Cowby, trained by Jonjo O’Neill and ridden by Norman Williamson
2004 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Royal Auclair, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Christian Williams
2004 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Rigmarole, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh
2005 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Iris Bleu, trained by Martin Pipe and ridden by Timmy Murphy
2005 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Inglis Drever, trained by Howard Johnson and ridden by Tony McCoy
2006 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Parsons Legacy, trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson
2006 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Briareus, trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by Mr Tom Greenall
2007 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Abragante, trained by David Pipe and ridden by Timmy Murphy
2007 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Straw Bear, trained by Nick Gifford and ridden by Tony McCoy
2008 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Cornish Sett, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Nick Schofield
2008 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Katchit, trained by Alan King and ridden by Robert Thornton
2009 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Ellerslie George, trained by Nick Mitchell and ridden by Mr Robbie Henderson
2009 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Ashkazar, trained by David Pipe and ridden by Timmy Murphy
2010 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Meanus Dandy, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ian Popham
2010 The Kingwell Hurdle was not contested due to frost
2011 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by The Minack, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Daryl Jacob
2011 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Mille Chief, trained by Alan King and ridden by Robert Thornton
2012 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by The Package, trained by David Pipe and ridden by Timmy Murphy
2012 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Binocular, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Tony McCoy
2013 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Standing Ovation, trained by David Pipe and ridden by Conor O’Farrell
2013 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Zarkandar, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Daryl Jacob
2014 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Court By Surprise, trained by Emma Lavelle and ridden by Daryl Jacob
2014 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Melodic Rendezvous, trained by Jeremy Scott and ridden by Nick Schofield
2015 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Drop Out Joe, trained by Charlie Longsdon and ridden by Aidan Coleman
2015 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Blue Heron, trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by Harry Skelton
2016 The Badger Ales Trophy was won by Gentleman Jon, trained by Colin Tizzard and ridden by Tom O’Brien
2016 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Rayvin Black, trained by Oliver Sherwood and ridden by Tom Garner
2017 The Kingwell Hurdle was won by Yanworth, trained by Alan King and ridden by Barry Geraghty