Richard Gauthier Collection

Wolverhampton Racecourse

Racing first took place in the Wolverhampton area on the Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th August 1825 at Broad Meadows with full results shown below. It had previously been a marshy area but after significant drainage it became an ideal location for racing. It boasted both a grandstand and sufficient outbuildings so that, whatever your position in society, you had shelter from the elements. The main race of that first meeting was the Darlington Cup over 3 miles, although Lord Darlington only managed the runners-up spot when beaten by Euphrates. In 1853 the Wolverhampton Hurdle took place and saw huge wagers on a horse called Doubt, although there was little doubt he would reward his supporters. Racing ceased in 1878 when the owner of the course, the Duke of Cleveland, sold it to the Corporation. Locals bought some of the land and renamed the course West Park. However, the search began for a more suitable site for a racecourse to serve the people of Wolverhampton. The Dunstall Park Club Company was formed in 1887 and worked towards re-establishing a meeting at Wolverhampton on a 130 acre site it purchased. Robert Herman-Hodge became the first Director of the racecourse, a position he held, on and off, for the next 43 years, overseeing the first meeting at Dunstall Park on Monday 13th August 1888. In 1968 Wolverhampton nearly lost its fight to remain one of the 59 courses in the UK when a group of business men, led by a number of bookmakers, sought to buy the course for development purposes. Fortunately they failed and Wolverhampton goes from strength to strength. In 1993 the final National Hunt meeting took place on the course, while the same year the first all-weather meeting was staged on Monday 27th December. Currently the course hosts 75 fixtures annually.
Monday 15th August 1825
Wolverhampton 100 Sovereigns Tradesmen’s Cup over 3 miles
1. Hajii, owned by Sir T Stanley and ridden by Spring
2. Sir Gray
3. Grenadier
4. Sir Edward, owned by Mr Eykes
5. The Agent
6. Mazamd, owned by Mr Whitegreave