Earliest meeting: Friday 28th July 1769
Final meeting: Friday 28th July 1769
The Northamptonshire village of Whittlebury borders Buckinghamshire, and is due south of Towcester. In the past, Whittlebury was described as a ‘gentry village’, with hunting as a particular favourite pastime. The Duke of Grafton held the nearby seat of Wakefield Lodge, and racing was staged in the vicinity of the village as early as 1769. Today the village boasts Whittlebury Hall and a golf course on Whittlebury Park, but back in the 18th century the vast open countryside was used to hold a race meeting on Friday 28th July 1769. The event opened with a 4 mile Sweepstake which was won by the Duke of Grafton’s Goblin, beating Coquet and Truepenny, while a later Purse was captured by Mr Vernon’s Guardian at the expense of Matchless and Goblin. The next year the meeting was billed as Wakefield Lawn races, with meetings continuing for a further 17 years.

Duke of Grafton, Lord March, Lord Grosvenor, Mr Shaftoe

Friday 28th July 1769
Whittlebury Sweepstake over 4 miles
1. Goblin, bay colt owned by the Duke of Grafton
2. Coquet, bay filly owned by Mr Vernon
3. Truepenny, brown colt owned by Mr Shaftoe
4. Mongo, black colt owned by Lord Grosvenor

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