Earliest meeting: Saturday 25th March 1967
Final meeting: Thursday 8th November 1979
The first recorded meeting in the County Durham town of Stockton was at The Carrs in 1724. From that date to the final closing of the course in 1981 the names have interchanged between Teesside Park and Stockton Racecourse. Teesside Park racecourse was situated at Mandale Bottom Marshes and races were first billed as ‘Teesside Park Races’ on Saturday 25th March 1967. The 1 ¾ mile course enjoyed two grandstands and at the inaugural meeting the opening Carlton Stakes was won by Hodhard ridden by northern specialist Brian Connorton. It looked as though the course had a future when the National Hunt course was opened on Saturday 14th October 1967 by the Duchess of Kent. The euphoria was short-lived because the weather that winter was some of the worst in living memory, with racing cancelled for 6 weeks. While the northern racing fanatics were enjoying their National Hunt racing, crowds at Flat meetings decreased so much that Teesside began cancelling valuable slots it had been allocated in the racing calendar. The meetings continued to be known as Teesside for 12 years until a final card on Thursday 8th November 1979, whence it reverted to Stockton Races for its final 2 years of existence. After racing under rules had ceased the track was used by the South Durham, Hurworth and Cleveland Hunt Groups in 1985 and 1986 when, once again, the Teesside name was used.
Duchess of Kent, Lord Surrey, Sir Thomas Dundas, General Lambton, Sir R Winn
Wednesday 11th September to Friday 13th September 1782
Stockton 10 Guineas Sweepstake over 2 miles
1. Mayfly owned by Sir Thomas Dundas
2. Priscilla owned by Mr Sleigh
3. Unnamed colt by Goldfinder owned by General Lambton
The winner was 2/5 favourite and wore White with Scarlet spots.
Saturday 9th February 1974
Great Teesside Handicap Chase
1. Interview II
2. Dorlesa ridden by Michael Dickenson
A 1 ¾ mile course on Mandale Bottom Marsh.
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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
