Earliest meeting: Monday 21st August 1732
Final meeting: Monday 10th March 1862
Today Wimbledon is a busy suburban district of south west London which has been inhabited since the Iron Age and was mentioned in the Domesday Book as being part of the manor of Mortlake. Known worldwide for its famous Lawn Tennis Championships, back in the mid-1700s it held its own race meeting on Wimbledon Common. John Cheny first recorded a meeting on Monday 21st August 1732, while the Historical List of Races and Matches of 1755 noted racing taking place on Tuesday 25th November when Wimbledon was in Surrey. The race was a Match for £50 between the victor, Mr Lane’s dun grey horse, and the vanquished Chance owned by Mr Watson. Races were run infrequently, and it was over a century later that a further meeting was noted on Wednesday 10th July 1861 featuring the Queen’s Cup won by Jopling. A year later the final meeting brought together Wimbledon, Kingston and Cheam to stage a meeting on Monday 10th March 1862. It was held at West Barnes Park and celebrated the efforts of the Volunteer Officers, with all of the races adopting a military theme. The opening Trial Cup saw Mr Urry’s Nancy beat Nelly and Billy The Norman, while the concluding Volunteer Hurdle went to Mr Harman’s Lottery. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lieut. Allen, Mr W Paxton and Mr E F Rayne (Stewards) |
| Principal races |
Queen’s Cup, Wimbledon Hunters Stakes, Trial Cup |
Monday 21st August 1732
Wimbledon 10 Guineas Purse
1. SWALLOW, brown horse owned by Mr Selby
2. UNNAMED chestnut mare owned by Mr Goe
2 ran |
| Tuesday 25th November 1755 |
Tuesday 25th November 1755 Match for Fifty Pounds
1. Dun grey horse owned by Mr Lane
2. Chance owned by Mr Watson |
Monday 10th March 1862
Wimbledon Hunters Stakes over 2 ½ miles
1. Lottery, aged horse owned by Mr Reynolds
2. Bandy Legs, aged horse owned by Mr C M Baker
3. Harry, aged horse owned by Mr Rayne
Betting: 4/6 Lottery, 3/1 Bandy Legs, 3/1 Harry |
| The final meeting took place on Monday 10th March 1862. |
| Course today |
Initially on Wimbledon Common and then at West Barnes Park. |
| 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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