Earliest meeting: Tuesday 22nd July 1845
Final meeting: Thursday 13th January 1848
The London area of Shepherd’s Bush is in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and can trace its roots back to Iron Age settlements. It is first recorded as early as 704 when purchased by the then Bishop of London. It is difficult to believe, given the built up nature of the area today, that Shepherd’s Bush once enjoyed open countryside and gets its name from ‘common land on which shepherds grazed their sheep on their journey to Smithfield’s Market’. The first Shepherd’s Bush race meeting, part of a 3 day rural fair, was on Tuesday 22nd July 1845 on Mr Pain’s Old Oak Farm. It was very successful and a second 2 day meeting was held later that year on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th September 1845. Meetings continued for the next 3 years until a final card was staged on Thursday 13th January 1848.

Tuesday 22nd July 1845
Old Oak Stakes
1. Star, bay gelding owned by Mr A Dixon
2. Castledine, bay gelding owned by Mr Powell
3. Little Dan, bay gelding owned by Mr Hardy

The only recorded meeting took place on Thursday 13th January 1848.

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

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