Earliest meeting: Monday 11th October 1773
Final meeting: Monday 3rd September 1900
The County Carlow village of Tullow, on the River Slaney, first staged races in 1773. The Racing Calendar provided results from the five day meeting which stretched over six days starting on Monday 11th October 1773. The card opened with a Purse which was won by Lord Clanwilliam’s Prussia who beat Lightfoot and Grizelda. The Purse on Tuesday went to Mr Byrne’s Trimbush and, after a day off for hunting, racing resumed on Thursday with a win for Whiskey Lass. On the concluding day the keenly fought Purse saw Leinster Lass get the better of Sportsman and Ratler. Meetings continued to be staged on a regular basis, with a particularly fruitful period during the 1840s ad 1850s. A typical three day meeting was held on the Mount Wolseley course from Tuesday 5th to Thursday 7th May 1846 when a packed festival of racing included the Mount Wolseley Stakes, the Tullow Handicap Stakes, the Tullow Stewards Hurdle and the Freeholders Challenge Cup. Although there was a brief period when racing lapsed in the 19th century, towards the end of the century a particular feature was the support and generousity shown by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company. They transported horses free of charge, offered return tickets at single ticket prices, and at the meeting on Monday 18th October 1897 sponsored the Railway Plate, for half-bred horses over 2 miles, to the tune of 20 Sovereigns. The final meeting took place on Monday 3rd September 1900. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Clanwilliams, Colonel Wolseley |
| Principal Races |
Tullow Handicap, Tullow Sweepstake |
Monday 11th October 1773
Tullow Purse
1. Prussia, bay horse owned by Lord Clanwilliams
2. Lightfoot, bay gelding owned by Mr George Eager
3. Grizelda, chestnut mare owned by Colonel Wolseley |
| The final meeting took place on Monday 3rd September 1900. |
| Course today |
On the Mount Wolseley 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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