Earliest meeting: Monday 15th January 1844
Final meeting: Tuesday 4th February 1845
The Herefordshire hamlet of Winchbrooke lies close to the village of Clifford and is a short distance from Hay-on-Wye. In the middle of the 19th century it held a couple of steeplechase meetings, although both were low key and had little interest outside of the hamlet. The inaugural meeting took place on Monday 15th January 1844 when a planned 4 race card had to be reduced to 2 races because two of the Sweepstakes did not fill. The feature 3 mile Steeplechase was restricted to horses belonging to people residing within 12 miles of the Lion Inn where entries were taken. It was won in a canter by Mr Parker’s Defaulter from Grimaldi. The concluding race on the card was the Stewards Flat Sweepstake over 1 ½ miles which saw Mr J Harding’s Ellen beat Sceptic. A second, and final, meeting was staged on Tuesday 4th February 1845. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr J Harding, Mr Parker, Mr Greaves |
| Principal Races |
Winchbrooke Steeplechase, Stewards Flat Sweepstakes |
Monday 15th January 1844
Winchbrooke Steeplechase Sweepstake over 3 miles
1. Defaulter, brown horse owned by Mr Parker
2. Grimaldi, grey gelding owned by Mr Greaves
3. Clara, black mare owned by Mr Storey
4. St Patrick, brown gelding owned by Mr Lamb |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 4th February 1845. |
| Course today |
A 3 mile course over good hunting country within walking distance of the hamlet. |
| 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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