Earliest meeting: Tuesday 7th September 1852
Final meeting: Monday 26th May 1890
The Cumbrian port and coastal town of Whitehaven is located equidistant from Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness. In the middle of the 19th century it held its own race meetings on the Harras Moor Race Ground, beginning in 1852. The inaugural two day meeting from Tuesday 7th to Wednesday 8th September opened with the Whitehaven Castle Stakes over a mile and a half which was won by Mr J J Henderson’s Needle. On the same day the West Cumberland Stakes went to Mr Jackson’s Augean, while the Whitehaven Plate was won by Morgan Rattler. The Cockermouth Stakes was the most exciting race on the second day, when The Judge got the better of Needle and Harker. Meetings continued on an annual basis until 1864, although mysteriously results were not included in the Racing Calendar in 1855. Nevertheless, a meeting was staged on Tuesday 25th September 1855 when the Whitehaven Castle Stakes was won by Mr Jopson’s Rifleman. At the meeting on Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th October 1864 the Whitehaven Volunteers Plate went to Mr Lindsay’s Measure for Measure, while the Cockermouth Hunters Stakes was won by Mr Fearons’s Mountain Boy, but after that meeting racing ceased for 5 years. By the 1870s meetings were billed as ‘Whitehaven and Cumberland races’, offering steeplechase racing as well as flat meetings, yet they were still held on Harras Moor. The West Cumberland Meeting moved to a new steeplechase course at Whitehaven on Tuesday 23rd April 1878 when the Open Hunters' Flat Race was won by Golden Pippin, owned by the Duke of Hamilton. A famous horse of the time was Lord of the Harem who won on 21 occasions but at Whitehaven on Saturday 18th April 1885 he suffered such a bad injury that he had to be put down. The final meeting took place on Monday 26th May 1890.
Tuesday 7th September 1852
Whitehaven Plate over 2 miles
1. Morgan Rattler, bay gelding owned by Mr Lowe
2. Crabbs, aged horse owned by Mr J Henderson
3. Little Davie, brown colt owned by Mr J Osborne
The front cover/ principal races from this rare racecard are provided courtesy of the Robert Shaw collection.
I am grateful to Paul Waldron for the 1889 racecard shown below:-
Friday 12th April 1889
1.30 Lonsdale Open Hunters Steeplechase over 2 1/2 miles
1. FERSEN (evens) owned by Mr M Young and ridden by M J Masterman
2. MAYFAIR (4/5 fav) owned by Mr A Johnstone and ridden by J McKie
2.15 Border Counties Cup over 3 1/2 miles
1. THE COOTE (evens) owned and ridden by Mr W Lawson
2. CHESHIRE CAT (4/5 fav) owned by Mr A W Cornwallis and ridden by J McKie
2.45 Open Selling Hunters Hurdle over 2 miles
1. FERSEN (2/1) owned by Mr M Young and ridden by M J Masterman
2. DORINCOURT (10/1) owned and ridden by Mr J F Dalzell
3. STOURSIDE (evens fav) owned by Mr W Bell and ridden by G Allerdice
4. WAR PAINT (10/1) owned and ridden by Mr R Jefferson
5. AMAZEMENT (3/1) owned and ridden by Mr E J Percy
3.30 Ladies Plate over 2 miles
1. UXBRIDGE (4/1) owned by Mr M Young and ridden by R Jefferson
2. IOLAIR (2/5 fav) owned by Mr R W Armstrong and ridden by Brocklehurst
3. FLOWER OF THE FOREST (12/1) owned and ridden by Mr W F Charters
4.0 Whitehaven Hunt Cup over 3 miles
1. KILLALOE (1/2 fav) owned by Mr A J S Dixon and ridden by M J Masterman
2. VIC (5/2) owned and ridden by Mr T R Ramsey
3. RALLY (10/1) owned by Mr A J S Dixon and ridden by W F Charters
4.30 Maiden Hunters Hurdle over 2 miles and 8 flights
1. UXBRIDGE (4/6 fav) owned by Mr M Young and ridden by S Herbert
2. REWARD (9/1) owned by Mr E Lawson and ridden by G Allerdice
3. FLOWER OF THE FOREST (10/1) owned and ridden by Mr W F Charters
4. SWEET KATE (10/1) owned and ridden by Mr J V Longrigg
5. FAIRY QUEEN (5/2) owned by Mr R W Armstrong and ridden by G Williamson
With grateful thanks to Nick Redman for the rare Luncheon Ticket shown below.
Monday 26th May 1890
Open Hunters Hurdle Race Plate over 2 miles and 8 hurdles
1. FLOWER OF THE FOREST (3/1) owned and ridden by Mr W Charters
2. NAPPERTANDY (2/1) owned by Mr G Steel and ridden by G Steel junior
3. WEATHERWITCH (4/7 fav) owned by the Duke of Hamilton and ridden by R Clark
Border Counties Plate over 3 miles
1. MARJORIE (3/1) owned and ridden by Mr J Dalzell
2. BRAYTON (3/1) owned by Mr M Bell and ridden by G Allerdyce
3. CORNET (4/5 fav) owned by Mr C Wilson and ridden by J McKie
4. EMPRESS (10/1) owned by Mr M Wright and ridden by J Briscoe
Ladies Plate over 2 miles
1. COME AGAIN (4/1) owned and ridden by Mr J Rogerson
2. MATADOR (evens fav) owned and ridden by Mr Jefferson
3. DORINCOURT (6/4) owned and ridden by Mr W Charters
Lonsdale Open Hunters Chase over 3 1/4 miles
1. RINGLET (6/4) owned by the Duke of Hamilton and ridden by R Clark
2. FLOWER OF THE FOREST (evens fav) owned and ridden by Mr W Charters
3. STATESMAN (5/1) owned by Lord Lonsdale and ridden by G Williamson
Whitehaven Hunt Plate over 3 miles
1. MARJORIE (5/4 jt fav) owned and ridden by Mr J Dalzell
2. COUNTESS (10/1) owned by Mr A Dixon and ridden by G Allerdyce
3. DORINCOURT (10/1) owned and ridden by Mr W Charters
4. ACREWALLS (5/4 jt fav) owned by Mr J Young and ridden by S Herbert
Selling Hunters Hurdle over 2 miles and 8 flights
1. NUTTIE (6/4) owned by Mr J Graham and ridden by G Allerdyce
2. CHERRY RIPE (evens fav) owned by Mr Lorups and ridden by S Herbert
3. MATADOR (6/1) owned by Mr Jefferson and ridden by R Clark
The winner, Nuttie, was objected to for insufficient description, and the question was referred by the local stewards to the National Committee.
I am grateful to Steve Lilly and his brother-in-law Peter for the map of the former racecourse shown below. The course contained an oval Flat race course and an extensive steeplechase course which is now part covered by the golf course. Later on the racecourse became an open-cast mine which ceased production a long time ago, although there are now plans to build up to 300 houses over the mine workings, which does not get the vote of everyone in the local area.
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
