Earliest meeting: Wednesday 26th August 1835
Final meeting: Thursday 29th September 1853
The large, popular seaside town of Southport lies in the Merseyside borough of Sefton. However, historically Southport was a part of Lancashire and first came to prominence in 1792 when a local innkeeper, William Sutton, built a bathing house in Lord Street, launching tourism in the town. Nearly forty years after this date the town held a 2 day race meeting overseen by Peter Hesketh on Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th August 1835, when the main races were the Southport Stakes and the North Meols Stakes. After racing a Concert was held in the Assembly Rooms. Racing then lapsed before a prolonged period of regular meetings started again on Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th October 1850 when the Promenade Stakes went to Archeress for Mr Bond. On the second day the Lancashire Hussars’ Purse fell to Ahna, who beat Master Downs to secure victory for Mr Smith. The final 2 day meeting took place on Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th September 1853, with Fanny Gray beating Hearts in the Hurdle Stakes, while the concluding Promenade Stakes went to Mr Heyes’s Who’s Afraid. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Sir Thomas Hesketh, Peter Hesketh, R de Trafford |
| Principal Races |
Promenade Stakes, Railway Stakes, Southport Stakes |
Wednesday 16th October 1850
Railway Stakes
1. Latitat, bay gelding owned by Mr Walker
2. Maid of Disley, bay mare owned by Mr Clarke
3. Repulse, bay mare owned by Mr Peace |
The final meeting took place on Thursday 29th September 1853. |
| Course today |
Close to the main promenade, within walking distance of the town. |
| 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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