Earliest meeting: Monday 4th November 1833
Final meeting: Tuesday 18th April 1854
The County Durham area of Seaham was once a prominent parliamentary constituency, coal mining area and site of Seaham Hall. The Hall was formerly owned by George Vane-Tempest, the 5th Marquess of Londonderry, and it is known that Benjamin Disraeli visited the Hall in 1861. In the middle of the 19th century it boasted its own race meetings, billed as ‘Seaham Harbour Races’, which were contested annually on the sands each Easter Monday and Tuesday. The first record of a 2 day meeting was on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th November 1833. On the opening day the All-Aged Stakes over 1 ½ miles was won by Mr Prosser’s brown gelding, beating Laurel Leaf and Maid of Oaks, while the Sweepstakes fell to Prince Charley. On the second day the feature race, the Lord Seaham Plate, was again won by Mr Prosser’s brown gelding who got the better of Canteen and Maid of Oaks. The final record of a 2 day meeting was on Easter Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th April 1854. Although this was the last record of thoroughbred racing in Seaham a trotting race, in the form of a match over 26 miles, did take place on Monday 3rd May 1886. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Seaham, Mr Prosser |
| Principal Races |
Lord Seaham Plate, Seaham Sweepstakes, All-Aged Stakes |
Monday 4th November 1833
Seaham Sweepstakes over 2 miles
1. Prince Charley, grey gelding owned by Mr Williamson
2. Ploughboy, aged horse owned by Mr Adamson
3. Pilot, aged horse owned by Mr Prosser |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 18th April 1854. |
| Course today |
On the Harbour sands. |
| If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com |
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 |
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ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3
652 pages
774 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0
352 pages
400 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7
180 pages
140 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4
264 pages
235 former courses |
| Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent. |
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