Earliest meeting: Wednesday 28th October 1832
Final meeting: Wednesday 26th October 1870
The Yorkshire Union Hunt Club was established in the early 1830s at a meeting in October. It sought to organise race meetings which provided a way to combine hunting and racing; the inaugural meeting was held on Wednesday 28th October 1832. The principal race was the Champagne Stakes in which the winner had to provide the Club’s evening diners with champagne. The meetings proved to be successful and were extended to 2 days a year on York racecourse. After the racing there was a dinner, a meet and a Hunt Ball which was held at the Assembly rooms which are now part of York University in the city centre, rather than on their Heslington Campus. The meetings continued for 38 years before a final card was staged on Wednesday 26th October 1870. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Earl Fitzwilliam, Earl of Zetland, Earl Feversham, Colonel Thompson, Captain Smith |
| Principal Races |
Champagne Stakes, York Union Gold Cup, Hack Stakes, Scurry Stakes |
Wednesday 28th October 1832 |
The Champagne Stakes over 2 miles
1. Confederate owned by Mr H S Thompson
2. Mr Merryman owned by Colonel Thompson
The winner had to donate 24 bottles of Champagne to the Club.
The York Union Gold Cup over 2 miles
1. Finesse owned by Captain W C Smith
He beat a field of 5 other runners.
The Hack Stakes over 4 furlongs
1. Algiers owned by Mr Foulis
2. Everilda owned by Colonel Thompson |
Tuesday 18th October 1836 |
The Scurry Stakes over 4 furlongs
1. Lydia Languish owned by Mr G Salvin
2. Barsac owned by Mr C A Darley
3. Epicure owned by Mr H S Thompson
York Union Gold Cup over 2 miles
1. Bridegroom owned by Mr Ibbottson
2. Rembrandt owned by Captain W C Smith
3. Unnamed gelding out of M’Orville owned by Mr J Bell
The Champagne Stakes over 2 miles
1. The Baron owned by Mr H S Thompson (Walked over)
The Union Club Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Algiers owned by Colonel G H Thomson
2. Unnamed colt by Figaro owned by Mr Ibbotson |
| The final meeting took place on Wednesday 26th October 1870. |
| Course today |
York racecourse |
| 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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