Earliest meeting: Tuesday 28th September 1824
Final meeting: Wednesday 28th September 1853
The Cheshire market town of Sandbach is a parish in Cheshire East which also includes Elworth, Eltiley Heath and Wheelock. Although it is better known today as a busy M6 motorway service station, back in the 19th century it was busy for a more pleasureable reason for almost 30 years as a thriving racecourse. A.lthough it is known that racing did take place in the town as early as 1818, as evidenced by the 1818 Races poster shown below, those races did involve ponies, hacks and cart horses, and were not confined to thoroughbreds. Furthermore, no results from that early meeting have survived the test of time. One of the earliest records of thoroughbred races was a two day meeting from Tuesday 28th to Wednesday 29th September 1824 when the feature race was the Silver Cup valued at 20 Guineas, with £50 added. It was restricted to horses belonging to the 2nd Cheshire Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry, and was won by Mr Joynson’s Trap, who beat the Mr Buckley pair of Mouse and Fanny. The Sporting Magazine of 1839 recorded that a 3 day steeplechase meeting took place from Monday 10th September to Wednesday 12th September 1839. At that meeting the Somerford Park Stakes saw Mr Walmsley’s Catamaran beat Valentine and Aimwell, claiming the Sandbach Town Plate 2 days later with the same horse. The Betchton Cup was won by Duenna for Mr Godwin, with the Betchton Hurdle going to Lady for Mr Hodgson. Remarkably, Mr Walmesly captured the same two races in September 1840, although this time it was with Query. The final meeting took place on Wednesday 28th September 1853.
Although this site normally confines itself to meetings involving thoroughbreds, the poster below clearly shows that a meeting was held in the town as early as 1818. The meeting did involve ponies, hacks and cart horses, but was nevertheless a forerunner of the thoroughbred meetings which were to follow some years later.
Monday 10th to Wednesday 12th September 1839
The Crewe Park Stakes over 2 ¼ miles
1. Sarah owned by Mr Blake
The Cocked-Hat Hurdles Stakes over 1 ½ miles and hurdles
1. Defence owned by Mr Hoxley
The Somerford Park Stakes over 2 ¼ miles
1. Catamaran owned by Mr Walmsley
2. Valentine owned by Mr Hornby
3. Aimwell owned by Mr Knaresborough
4. Gardham owned by Captain Lamb
5. The Member owned by Mr Knight
6. Normanby owned by Mr Blake
7. Volusia owned by Mr Roberts
The Wide-Awake Stakes over 1 ½ miles and hurdles
1. True Blue owned by Mr Stevenson
2. Gamecock owned by Mr W.R.Court
3. Sarah owned by Mr Blake
4. Miss Fanny owned by Mr W.R.Court
5. Duenna owned by Mr Godwin
The Congleton Stakes over 2 ¼ miles
1. Columbine owned by Mr Barker
2. Ludford owned by Mr Kieran
The Betchton Cup over 1 ½ miles and hurdles
1. Duenna owned by Mr Godwin
2. True Blue owned by Mr Stevenson
3. Sarah owned by Mr Blake
4. Lansquenet owned by Mr James
The Sandbach Town Plate over 2 ½ miles
1. Catamaran owned by Mr Walmsley
2. Columbine owned by Mr Barker
3. Normanby owned by Mr Blake
The Betchton Hurdles Stakes over 3 miles
1. Lady owned by Mr Hodgson
2. True Blue owned by Mr Stevenson
3. General owned by Mr W R Court
The winner was ridden by Temple
Tuesday 15th & Wednesday 16th September 1840
The Middlewick Hurdle Stakes over 2 miles
1. Mary Wood owned by Mr Wadlow
2. Lansquinet
3. Spring Flower
The Somerford Park Stakes over 3 miles
1. Query owned by Mr Walmesley
2. Accident
The Pottery Stakes over 2 miles
1. St Leonard owned by Mr Ogden
2. Defence owned by Mr Peace
3. Judy Callaghan
The Wide-Awake Hurdle Stakes over 2 miles
1. Defence owned by Mr Peace
2. Duenna owned by Mr Parker
The Congleton Stakes over 3 miles
1. Duenna owned by Mr Parker
2. Sir Edward owned by Mr Boote
Sandbach Town Plate over 3 miles
1. Query owned by Mr Walmesley
2. St Leonard owned by Mr Ogden
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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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
