Earliest meeting: Wednesday 27th March 1839
Final meeting: Friday 19th April 1861
The Cambridgeshire town of St Neots was historically part of the picturesque county of Huntingdonshire and lies on the Great Ouse some 15 miles west of Cambridge and less than 50 miles north of London. Amazingly, the town was the subject of pilgrimages due to the fact that the bones of the Cornish monk Saint Neot were moved to the Priory of St Neots. It also benefited from being on a key stagecoach route and from the railways. On Wednesday 27th March 1839 a 3 race steeplechase card was staged on the edge of the town. The opening chase was won by Mr F Day’s chestnut mare, defeating Mr Peppercorn’s black mare. Two further chases were then held. Race meetings continued intermittently until a final card was organised by the local Hunt and volunteer group on Friday 19th April 1861 at Putnoe. A meeting in the vicinity of St Neots, at Little Barford, was held just a week later when the Open Handicap Steeplechase was won by Mr H Allington’s Willoughby.

St Neots Chase, St Neots Handicap Steeplechase

Wednesday 27th March 1839
St Neots Chase
1. Unnamed brown mare owned by Mr S Day and ridden by F Day
2. Unnamed bay horse owned by Mr Arnold
3. Unnamed black horse owned by Mr Pryme

The only meeting took place on Friday 19th April 1861.

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