Earliest meeting: Wednesday 25th July 1826
Final meeting: Tuesday 30th September 1828
The Gloucestershire market town of Stroud is surrounded by Cotswold’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and certainly made use of the wonderful, open countryside in the early part of the 19th century when hosting race meetings. The Sporting Magazine recorded that the first meeting took place in Stroud on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th July 1826 with the opening Maiden Plate won by Topsy Turvey who beat Sprite and Hyacinth. The concluding Hack Stakes went to Mr Bartley’s Congeon. The next year a 2 day meeting, entitled Stroud & Minchinhampton, took place on Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th September 1827 when Mr Sadler had a very good day winning the prestigious Stroud Stakes with Popinjay and the Hampton Stakes with Tears. The meetings were staged in Minchinhampton, an ancient town 4 miles south east of Stroud. The final meeting took place on Tuesday 30th September 1828 when the principal Handicap saw Mr Day’s Manes beat Wary and Lady Jane. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Major Ormsby Gore, Mr Sadler, Mr Dilly, Mr Griffiths |
| Principal Races |
Stroud Stakes, Hampton Stakes, Cherrington Stakes, Tetbury Stakes, Hack Stakes |
Wednesday 25th & Thursday 26th July 1826 |
Stroud Maiden Plate over 2 miles
1. Topsy Turvey owned by Mr J Day
2. Sprite owned by Mr J Bodenham
3. Hyacinth owned by Major Ormsby Gore
Stroud Hunters Stakes over a mile and a half
1. Lottery owned by Mr Sadler
2. Trooper owned by Mr Hickes
3. Viscount owned by Mr Smith
The Hack Stakes over 2 miles
1. Congeon owned by Mr Bartley
2. All-Fours owned by Mr Hickes
3. Lydia owned by Mr Kember |
Wednesday 26th & Thursday 27th September 1827 |
The Stroud Stakes over 2 miles
1. Popinjay owned by Mr Sadler
2. Escape owned by Mr Dilly
3. Shylock owned by Mr Watt
The Hampton Stakes over 2 miles
1. Tears owned by Mr Sadler
2. Palatine owned by Mr Griffiths
The Cherrington Stakes over 2 miles
1. Tartar owned by Mr Huke
2. Lady Jane owned by Mr Leversage
3. Polyanthus owned by Mr Richards
The Tetbury Stakes over a mile
1. Escape owned by Mr Dilly
2. Cymon owned by Mr Davis |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 30th September 1828 |
| Course today |
The course was at Minchinhampton which now has 3 well established golf courses called The Old Course, The Avening Course and The Cherington 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. |
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