Earliest meeting: Tuesday 6th October 1840
Final meeting: Tuesday 5th October 1841
Yarnborough Castle in Wiltshire was located close to the small village of Fisherton Delamare and nearby Salisbury. It was famous for its annual fairs, particularly sheep fairs, but in the middle of the 19th century it hosted race meetings billed as ‘Yarnborough Castle Diversions’. The first meeting of note took place on Tuesday 6th October 1840 when the Deptford Stakes was won by Mr Reek’s Vale of Blackmore, while the Yarnborough Castle Cup went to Little Flyer for Mr Patient. The next year the meeting was staged on Tuesday 5th October 1841, opening with the Deptford Stakes over 1 ½ miles which went to Mr Carlile’s Single Peeper. Although the Yarnborough Castle Cup was reserved for ponies, it was won by Mr Russel’s Brownlock, and the Galloway Stakes which followed went to Honest Lass. The meeting then concluded with the Hunters Stakes which saw Tom Moony defeat Pennyweights and Maid-of-all-Works. Annual Fairs continued in the future, but any races which were held were only of minor significance.

Tuesday 5th October 1841
Deptford Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Single Peeper, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Carlile
2. Profit, brown gelding owned by Mr Hopkin
3. Maid of the Vale, chestnut mare owned by Mr Richard

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