Earliest meeting: Friday 20th April 1872
Final meeting: Thursday 16th April 1874
The Hampshire Hunt has a long history and came into being in 1745 when Squire Evelyn introduced his pack of hounds into the county. He lived in the village of Armsworth and the Hunt operated in the area called Alresford. In the latter part of the 1800s the South Hampshire Hunt Committee organised racing under rules, with the inaugural meeting staged on Friday 20th April 1872 near Emsworth Station. The feature race that day was the South Hampshire Open Handicap which was won by Baron Oppenheim’s The Lamb, beating Harmony and Dybbol. The later Portsmouth Plate went to Mr A Yates’ Crawler. The next year the meeting on Monday 21st April 1873 moved to Waterloo race ground, just below the old racecourse, on 7 grass and 4 ploughed fields with 16 challenging fences. The principal Waterloo Plate was claimed by Mr Dundas’ Chance at the expense of Fritz and Breach of Promise. The final card billed as South Hampshire Hunt Steeplechases took place on Thursday 16th April 1874 at Waterloo when the South Hampshire Handicap was won by Mr South’s Scout, the Cosham Stakes saw Mr Nesbit’s Honor beat David Copperfield, and the Waterloo Plate was won by Captain Whyte’s Outpost. The meetings did continue in subsequent years, although they were advertised as Hambledon Hunt races. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Poulett, Baron Oppenheim, Lord Torphichen, Major Schrieber |
| Principal Races |
Waterloo Plate, South Hampshire Open Handicap, Cosham Stakes |
Thursday 16th April 1874
South Hampshire Handicap over 2 ½ miles
1. Scout, aged horse owned by Mr South
2. Eurotas, 6 year old owned by Mr Chaston
3. Sir Robert, aged horse owned by Mr Bracher
Betting: 2/1 Scout, 3/1 Young Fenton, 4/1 Eurotas |
The final meeting took place on Thursday 16th April 1874. |
| Course today |
Initially near Emsworth Station and then on the Waterloo Course. |
| 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. |
| ORDER FORM |
| Download an order form |
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Quantity |
Cost |
| Volume 1 North of Hatfield £19.99 + £4 postage |
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| Volume 2 South of Hatfield £14.99 + £3 postage |
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| Volume 3 Wales & Scotland £9.99 + £3 postage |
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| Volume 4 Ireland £9.99 + £3 postage |
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| Volumes 1 - 4 £54.96 + £5 postage |
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| Email order form to johnwslusar@gmail.com |
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