Earliest meeting: Monday 5th April 1847
Final meeting: Monday 9th April 1849
Although it is much better known today for its Test cricket ground, and for Nottingham’s two Football League Clubs, Forest and County, in the middle of the 19th century races were held at Trent Bridge. They were the brainchild of Mr John Chapman, landlord of the Trent Bridge Inn, and Mr Cressy of the Poultry Hotel, and were first staged on Easter Monday 5th April 1847 when the opening Sweepstake was won by Mr Bland’s Lady Vane, while the Handicap Stakes went to Toby for Mr Marriott, beating Mr Bucklow’s Locomotive. The next year a Silver Cup Handicap race was introduced which was won by Miss Fanny despite odds of two to one on being laid on Flora MacDonald. The later one mile match saw Mr Woodruffe’s Rough-and-Ready successfully see off the challenge of Mr Barratt’s Miss Tickle. Although a meeting was held on Easter Monday 9th April 1849, the card consisted entirely of pony races.

Monday 24th April 1848
Trent Bridge Silver Cup Handicap
1. Miss Fanny, 4 year old owned by Mr Chapman
2. Flora MacDonald, aged horse owned by Mr C J Goodwin
3. Go-a-Head, 6 year old owned by Mr Ware
Betting: 2/1 On Flora MacDonald, 2/1 Miss Fanny, 4/1 Go-a-Head

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