Earliest meeting: Saturday 9th April 1881
Final meeting: Saturday 18th April 1896
The Cheshire village of Parkgate, on the River Dee, lies in the north west of the county on the Wirral Peninsula. Along with its near neighbour Neston, Parkgate was the setting for a number of race meetings organised by the famous Wirral Hunt in the latter part of the 1800s. The first meeting to take place under the Wirral Hunt administration was on an oval course on the estate of Mr J J Houghton on Saturday 9th April 1881. Such was the success of the meeting that further meetings took place for the next 15 years. The meeting on Saturday 22nd April 1882 was a particularly successful one for Mr T Johnson who won the Wirral Hunt Steeplechase and Wirral Chase, both over 3 miles, with his 5 year old Sir Harry, and then occupied all 3 places with his horses in the Farmer’s Chase. The Wirral Open Steeplechase on the same card was won by Mr E J Thornewill’s even money favourite Bouncer, who got the better of Surprise and Rancherro. Meetings continued at Parkgate until Saturday 18th April 1896 when unruly behaviour caused the Group to switch their attention to Hooton Park racecourse for their April 1897 meeting. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr J J Houghton, Mr H Nicholson, Mr W Downs (Stewards) |
| Principal Races |
Wirral Hunt Steeplechase, Wirral Hunt Members Chase, Farmers Chase |
Saturday 22nd April 1882
Wirral Hunt Members Cup Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Vanessa, aged horse owned by Mr J J Houghton
2. The Peer, 6 year old owned by Mr K Byrne
3. Kilcommon, aged horse owned by Mr A Comerford |
The final meeting took place on Saturday 18th April 1896. |
| Course today |
An oval course on the Parkgate estate of Mr J J Houghton. |
| 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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