Earliest meeting: Thursday 14th April 1864
Final meeting: Thursday 29th April 1875
The Essex settlement of Childerditch, in the borough of Brentwood, was the host area for race meetings under the direction of the South Essex Hunt. The Hunt dates back to at least 1820 and the first Master was Charles Newman. The meetings were held in the mid to late 1800s, with an inaugural meeting staged on Thursday 14th April 1864. The course at Childerditch had a grandstand covered by an awning and very severe fences, including an 8 foot wide ‘ugly’ brook and several stiff fences. The principal race, the Essex Hunters’ Steeplechase over 3 miles, was claimed by Mr Dawson’s Croydon at the expense of The Vicar. The next year, on Thursday 20th April 1865, the 3rd Essex Rifle Volunteers Band entertained the crowd between races, when the opening Farmers’ Stakes was won by Mr G Gosling’s Sailor, beating Fairlop and Ploughboy. The Hunters’ Stakes over 3 miles which followed went to Mr J S Gale’s Confidence, while the feature race, the Essex Stakes, was won by Mr Cassidy’s Harkaway. Meetings were well received and continued for the next 11 years until the final card was staged on Thursday 29th April 1875. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Sir T B Lennard, Sir C C Smith, Mr H Lawrence (Clerk) |
| Principal Races |
Essex Stakes, Whalebone Stakes, Essex Farmers’ Stakes |
Thursday 20th April 1865
Essex Stakes over 3 miles
1. Harkaway, bay gelding owned by Mr Cassidy
2. Ploughboy, bay gelding owned by Mr B Gooch
3. Croydon, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Dawson |
The final meeting took place on Thursday 29th April 1875. |
| Course today |
In fields on the outskirts of Childerditch complete with a grandstand covered by an awning. |
| 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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