Earliest meeting: April 1664
Final meeting: Wednesday 13th July 1887
The earliest record of racing in Winchester was in April 1664, although no further details were provided. Records then lapse until a two-day meeting was held in August 1676, starting on Wednesday 26th August with the Winchester Plate over 4 miles, whilst on the Thursday 27th August there was a Contributors Plate. In September 1683 Winchester races became Royal Winchester when King Charles II attended, and by the latter part of the 17th Century races were held annually towards the end of August. In 1699 the meeting had certainly extended over two days, on Wednesday 26th August 1699 there was an £80 Selling Plate and a £20 Selling Plate, while the next day, Thursday 27th August 1699, the Winchester Town plate was held. Baily’s Racing Register first provided detailed results from races held at Winchester on Friday 15th August 1727 with the prestigious His Majesty’s 100 Guineas Plate falling to Bald Charlotte, owned by Mr Henley, who beat the unfortunately named Hobbler. The Historical List of Horse Races and Matches of 1751 recorded the 4-Day meeting which took place from Friday 11th to Monday 14th June 1751 when the prestigious Fifth King’s One Hundred Guineas of the season was won by Mr Robinson’s Sampson. The extensive course of 2 miles in length with a 6 furlong straight, much of it uphill, was located four miles north of the city, near the village of South Wonston close to Worthy Down army camp. Races continued to be popular and well supported for a further 130 years. A particularly impotant race was staged on Tuesday 6th July 1824 featuring Milto who had come third in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket when beaten by Cobweb and Rebecca. In the Winchester Yearling Stakes over a mile Milto won as she pleased from Mr Fellowes Colossus filly. Although the final meeting took place on Wednesday 13th July 1887, the grandstand still existed until 1917 when the wood was used to build some racecourse cottages in the village.
This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below.
Lord Palmerston who in 1824 was Secretary at war but later became Foreign Secretary and was twice Prime Minister, Duke of Richmond, Colonel Lautour, Duke of Bolton, Sir F Poole, Sir William Howe, Captain Bertie, Captain Champreaux, Lord Craven, Lord Baltimore, Lord Grosvenor
Friday 15th August 1727
His Majesty’s 100 Guineas Plate
1. Bald Charlotte owned by Mr Henley
2. Hobbler owned by Mr Waters
The King’s Plates, valued at 100 guineas, were a series of annual races which date from the time of Charles II and continued in some form or other up to 1887. From the publication of the first Racing Calendar in 1727 by John Cheny, up to 1751, the Plates were restricted to 6 year olds each carrying 12 stone and were run over three 4 mile heats. In 1751 they were staged at Guildford, Hambleton, Ipswich, Lewes, Lincoln, 3 at Newmarket, Nottingham, Winchester and York. After 1751 younger horses were permitted to run in King’s Plates, with 5 year olds allocated 10 stone and four year olds 9 stone.
Friday 11th June to Monday 14th June 1751
Fifth Kings One Hundred Guineas of the Season
1. Sampson owned by Mr Robinson walked over
Winchester £50 Purse
1. Little Driver owned by Mr Josiah Marshall
2. Cornwall owned by Sir John Phillips
3. Gift owned by Lord Craven
Winchester £50 Hunters Plate over 4 miles
1. Cumberland owned by Mr Churchill
2. Unnamed grey horse by Fearnought owned by Lord Eglington
3. Whipper-In owned by Mr Anthony Langley Swymmer
The Country Subscription Plate over 4 miles
1. Little Janus owned by Mr Anthony Langley Swymmer
2. Snip owned by Lord March
3. Spinner owned by Mr Stephens
Winchester Kings Guineas over 4 miles
1. Leeds owned by Mr Wildman walked over
Winchester 2 mile Purse
1. Valiant owned by Lord Craven
2. Harmony owned by Lord Baltimore
3. Belford owned by Lord Grosvenor
Tuesday 16th to Friday 19th July 1782
Winchester City Purse run over 4 miles
1. Warwick owned by Mr Boyce
2. Crop owned by Mr Pittman
3. Jockey owned by Mr Clarke
Winchester Noblemen & Gentlemens’ Purse over 2 miles
1. Cottager owned by Mr Compton
2. Courser owned by Mr Smith
3. Shag owned by Captain Bertie
The trophy shown opposite was awarded to Mr Whiteside when his horse Incantator won His Majesty’s Plate at Winchester on Wednesday 24th July 1822. The Silver Gilt Cup had a height of 18 inches and was a richly deserved trophy for Incantator who won both heats of the 4 mile Plate. By modern day standards, not too many horses would be required to run 8 miles in a day, but what is even more remarkable is that, on the same day, he had already contested the Five Guineas Sweepstake over ‘the new straight mile’, finishing third behind Escape owned by Mr Fellowes.
Tuesday 6th to Thursday 8th July 1824
Winchester Yearling Stakes over a mile
1. Milto owned by Mr Fulwar Craven
2. Unnamed filly by Colossus owned by Mr Fellowes
Earlier in the year Milto had come third in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket when beaten by Cobweb abd Rebecca.
Winchester Majesty’s Plate over 4 miles
1. Codicil owned by Mr Shard
2. Langtonian owned by Colonel Lautour
3. Unnamed colt by Clucher owned by Mr F Craven
Winchester St Leger Stakes over a mile and a half
1. Longwaist owned by Mr F Craven
2. Anticipation owned by Mr Dundas
Earlier in the year Anticipation had finished 16 in the Epsom Derby won by Cedric
Winchester Hampshire Stakes over 2 miles
1. Lozborough owned by Lord Palmerston
2. Longwaist owned by Mr F Craven
3. Black and all Black owned by Mr Farquharson
Winchester Drayton Stakes over 6 furlongs
1. Masquerader owned by Mr Radclyffe
2. Swindon owned by the Duke of Richmond
3. Blandford owned by Mr Fleming
The picture below, from 1831, is one of a series of racehorse paintings by famous sporting artists, including Abraham Cooper, John Ferneley, John Frederick Herring, James Seymour, John Wootton and, perhaps most famous of them all, George Stubbs.
I am grateful to Richard Hall for the photo shown above, taken in January 2021, which shows the current state of the home straight of the former racecourse. It went on to be used as an aerodrome from 1917 onwards, and a visit to Richard's site about the aerodrome is well worth a visit
https://www.airshowspresent.com/worthy-down-airfield.html
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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Although the final meeting took place on 13th July 1887 the grandstand still existed until 1917 when the wood was used to build some racecourse cottages in the village.
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below and to John Hodges for drawing attention to it:-
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:-
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
