Earliest meeting: April 1875
Final meeting: Monday 22nd April 1878
The Lincolnshire market town of Holbeach is set amongst the fenland countryside of South Holland. Holbeach is located just 8 miles from the tulip capital of Spalding and only 17 miles from Boston. In the latter part of the 1800s the fenland town was the setting for a series of races organised by the South Lincs Hunt Committee, the initial meeting taking place in April 1875. The meeting was deemed to be sufficiently successful for future meetings to be held for each of the next 3 years. The final meeting took place on Monday 22nd April 1878 when the card opened with the Holbeach Steeplechase Plate over 3 miles, which saw Mr J W T Richardson’s Don Pedro beat Rawden Crawley and Coxall. Later in the day the Harriers Steeplechase Plate went to Wingland, who beat Willingham, while the feature Open Steeplechase was won by Mr H Brook’s Lunatic. After racing a firework display, given by Mr Mitchell, was enjoyed by all.

Monday 22nd April 1878
Holbeach Open Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Lunatic, chestnut gelding owned by Mr H Brook
2. Lady Clearwell, bay mare owned by Mr J J Clarke
3. Don Pedro, chestnut gelding owned by Mr J W T Richardson

The final meeting took place on Monday 22nd April 1878.

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