Earliest meeting: June 1807
Final meeting: Tuesday 23rd July 1844
Although James Whyte’s History of the British Turf noted that two days of racing first took place in the Worcestershire town of Dudley & Tipton in June 1807, little more was heard until a meeting at Dudley Port on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th July 1826. Meetings were then held intermittently until a two day affair billed as ‘Dudley, Tipton and West Bromwich races’ took place on the Earl of Dudley’s estate at Tipton on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th July 1837. The one mile course was situated between Castle Hill and Tipton Road. The card opened with the Dudley Castle Stakes over 2 miles which went to Mr Walmsley’s Catamaran, while the Tipton Stakes was won by Filho da Puta, owned by Mr James. On the second day the West Bromwich Stakes saw Mr Ongley’s Donnington beat Miss Gwynne. Meetings continued to be billed under all 3 places until the 1841 meeting reverted to ‘Dudley and Tipton Races’. The final time Tipton was included was in 1844 when a hurdle race over a mile and a half, with six 4 feet high leaps, was introduced onto the card. That two day meeting took place on Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd July 1844, opening with the Ladies Purse which was won by Glideaway for Mr Emery. The Tipton Stakes went to Filby for Mr Fowler; the Dudley Castle stakes to Fama for Mr G Ongley; and that hurdle race, the Ashwood Hurdle Stakes, to Mudlark. Dudley races continued for two more years, with one meeting at this course and three more at a new course on the Tipton Road. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Right Hon. Lord Ward, Sir F L H Goodrick |
| Principal Races |
Dudley Castle Stakes, Worcestershire Stakes, West Bromwich Stakes, Tipton Stakes |
Tuesday 23rd July 1844
The Ashwood Hurdle Stakes over 1 ½ miles and 6 leaps
1. Mudlark, brown gelding owned by Mr Shepherd
2. Victoria, bay mare owned by Mr Webb
3. Sweetheart, bay mare owned by Mr Bradley |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 23rd July 1844. |
| Course today |
Initially in Dudley, then at Dudley Port, then on the Earl of Dudley’s property, and finally near Tipton Road. |
| 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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