Earliest meeting: Friday 7th April 1865
Final meeting: Friday 9th April 1869
The Suffolk village of Alpheton, in the Babergh district of the county, lies just 6 miles north of Sudbury. The village can trace its roots back to 991 when founded by Aefflead, the sister-in-law of Edmund The Elder, a Saxon King. The most distinguished building in the village in those times was Alpheton Hall. In the latter part of the 1800s the village organised its own series of race meetings, the first of which took place on Friday 7th April 1865 near the Lion Inn, racing under the banner of West Suffolk Steeplechases when the first Hunter’s Stakes fell to Frank owned by Mr A King. Meetings continued annually and on Friday 3rd April 1868 a 3 mile racecourse was formed across four meadows adjacent to the Lion Inn. The farmland was owned by Mr Clements, Mr Bear and Mr Crown, and the course provided fair hunting ground and a fair test for steeplechasers. In the opening Hunters’ Stakes Mr Freestone’s King Tom beat Menagerie. The feature West Suffolk Stakes also went to King Tom. The meeting on Friday 9th April 1869 was the last meeting before the National Hunt Committee introduced new rules regarding enclosed meetings. The concluding Innkeeper’s Plate was won by Old Squire, owned by Mr A R Jay. Meetings continued into the early part of the 20th century but by then were point to point meetings. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr Crown, Mr Clements, Mr Bear |
| Principal Races |
West Suffolk Stakes, Alpheton Hurdle |
Friday 3rd April 1868
West Suffolk Stakes over 3 miles
1. King Tom, bay horse owned by Mr Freestone
2. Breechloader, chestnut horse owned by Mr Clements
3. Bad Luck, bay gelding owned by Mr White |
The final meeting took place on Friday 9th April 1869. |
| Course today |
A 3 mile course across 4 fields adjacent to the Lion Inn. |
| 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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