Earliest meeting: Wednesday 23rd March 1836
Final meeting: Friday 14th March 1851
The area of Scotland known as West Lothian is one of 32 council areas in the country. It once had the county name of Linlithgowshire, but today borders such areas as the City of Edinburgh, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire. Racing took place in a range of places in the vicinity of the area, including at Uphall in the middle of the 19th century when the West Lothian Steeplechase was held on Wednesday 23rd March 1836. The race, widely advertised and well supported, started in a grass field a mile north of Uphall and after 2 fields turned west straight up the hill to West Binny and on to the winning post positioned at Binny Craig. The race finished in controversy when Blue Ruin was declared the winner solely because all other horses had taken a wrong course. Some 15 years later the final meeting took place on Friday 14th March 1851 at the steeplechase course at Carnwath over a testing 4 mile circuit. The winner was Mr Redfern’s The Gent who got the better of Beddington Park and The Douglas. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 3 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Rothes |
| Principal Races |
West Lothian Steeplechase |
Wednesday 23rd March 1836
West Lothian Steeplechase over 4 miles
1. Blue Ruin, brown gelding owned by Mr Forbes
Also The Alderman, chestnut gelding owned by Mr P York
Also Haphazard, brown gelding owned by Lord Rothes |
| The final meeting took place on Friday 14th March 1851. |
| Course today |
On a 4 mile course starting a mile from Uphill and finishing at Binny Craig. |
| 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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