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26 Aug 24
11:01
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10 Jan 07
I went to Wolverhampton racecourse for the 2nd time the other week. I can't say I'm a great fan of a/w racing but I must admit the close resemblance to an American dirt-track is somewhat fascinating.
I am very much old enough to remember that there was a dual-purpose turf course at Wolverhampton until the 90s but I never went there. I gather it was on the same site but presumably the track itself took up a great deal more room.
Does anybody have memories of the old track and of the alterations that were made from those days. ?
I am very much old enough to remember that there was a dual-purpose turf course at Wolverhampton until the 90s but I never went there. I gather it was on the same site but presumably the track itself took up a great deal more room.
Does anybody have memories of the old track and of the alterations that were made from those days. ?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OGS6fkiEsI
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Someone was enquiring about your wellbeing the other day Salmon, don't recall who, sorry.
Your old adversary Saucy Kit won the National Hunt hurdle cup at Wolverhampton on the way to winning the Champion Hurdle in 67. Sure i've seen a picture of Night Nurse running there also but may be wrong, i know old Billy Bow ran there a few times for Barry Brogan, think NH stopped there in 2002. |
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Not been since they got rid of the jumps, not that I hold a grudge! Not been to Southwell since they got rid of the fibresand either, so perhaps I do hold grudges!
Hope you are well SS. |
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Hi all,
Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I'm just not posting as much as I used to. Thanks for the clip HH. That race would have been described as carnage on here. The a/w track was already there. Apparently they widened it later but there still looked a vast amount more space than there is now. The onsite hotel is quite new but I didn't notice much in the way of further development. |
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Apparently Wolver had the highest percentage of fallers in the 70s and 80s over its fences.
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no probs salmon...
looked to me like they chopped off the ends and widened the sand... popped in a few trees and that's how it looks today... should've kept the jumps track imv... no doubt it was an economical decision. |
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I went a few times in the mid to late 80s and there hardly seemed to be anyone there. I've got recollections that for one meeting when the ground was firm and there was a shortage that it made the news on the racing pages for paying customers only being in double figures.
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Used to go regularly to Wolverhampton as a turf track regularly raced on a Monday so it was convenient for me.....if you were on the course enclosure you could still get to the paddock,which was excellent for me....a bit like Market Rasen now...
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Windsor is bringing back jumps racing starting in December
Looking at the map I don't think it's gonna be a figure of 8 like the longer flat races Anyway, don't know if Wolverhampton has the capacity or willingness to do something similar in the future , but never say never |
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Ignore my last post
I've just realised that Wolverhampton hasn't got any grass left to do such a thing Southwell reintroduced jumps racing but I assume they hadn't sanded over all the grass previously |
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I certainly don't think there is room for a turf track at Wolverhampton. The a/w is only 8f round and if you did develop a turf track it would have to be inside. That would make Chester look like a galloping track.
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ive not been since the turf / jumps went but i do recall a legendary wolverhamton day . 13 nov 1985; 6 races . field sizes ; 9 in the opener then 2,1,2,4 and 1 !!!!!!....
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Even I could have got 2 winners
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They resumed jump racing at Wolverhampton in 1997, outside the AW track. It ended five years later, when they replaced the Fibresand with Polytrack, and widened the course at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OGS6fkiEsI When you walk through the housing estate into Dunstall Park these days, you're walking across the old turf track. I remember the first time I was walking towards the new track and thinking, I'm standing exactly where John Manners' Pearly White fell at the last when in clear second place in a selling hurdle in 1993 (£2,500 to £50 each way  ). The mare never did win a race.The old track had its charms. It had a ramshackle Baluchi Bar somewhere along the home straight, commemorating Bill Preece's course specialist, who won 25 races around the Midlands. |
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part of the old track charm was its unstaffed cloakroom . i had my burberry raincoat nicked from there !
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Did they have flat turf at Wolverhampton?
I have an old memory of my aunty and uncle, who used to live by the track, taking me down to look at the horses through the fence. Similar to what you see at Redcar and other tracks, non paying passers by looking in through the fence. This would have been late 80s/ early 90s, probably more likely early 90s. I know I went down to look at the horses, that definitely happened. In my mind though, I have a vision of seeing Willie Carson, who I would have recognised from the tv, down at the start on a horse. However, I am unsure if this actually happened, or if my scrambled memory is playing tricks on me. Would Willie Carson have ridden on the turf at Wolverhampton, or was it jumps only? |
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salmon spray • August 27, 2024 9:34 AM BST
I certainly don't think there is room for a turf track at Wolverhampton. The a/w is only 8f round and if you did develop a turf track it would have to be inside. That would make Chester look like a galloping track. on similar, what happened to the turf track plans at Chelmsford City? I thought it was ready to do a couple of years back. |
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for us oldies , some wolver jumping winners that were a bit tasty ; west tip, seagram, royal athlete, viking flagship, granville again ...
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I'm sure Wolves did flat turf racing. May have ended when they put down the a/w track
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1.01 they did salmon…..
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I remember it well,Alan Bailey had a horse named Finmental owned by a well known Glasgow punter….
He won a right few quid….first time out…. |
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3:15
Wolverhampton 11 May 1992 EBF Penkridge Maiden Stakes Class F (Class 6) (2yo) 5f Good To Firm 1st £2,678.40 2nd £742.40 3rd £355.20 Result Analysis My Ratings Past Winners POS. HORSE / SP JOCKEY TRAINER AGE WGT OR TS RPR MR 1 (7) Runner Jacket 0. Finmental (IRE) 6/1 Allan Mackay Alan Bailey 2 90 – 20 83 – Always prominent, ridden over 1f out, quickened to lead inside final furlong |
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Another porkie from Qiaxall, the horse was owned by his Mrs and did not win first time out!! HTH
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I’ll give you that Einstein…..I knew it was Wolverhampton….
He watched the race in the tote shop at Hamilton Park…..6 figures return |
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Big Shug he was well known……
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If you know how to search on here Quixall you will find I have forgotten more about Hugh and his family than you will ever know!!
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Jim Delahunt rode for him one day in an amateur race, was it Ayr or Hamilton?
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Could have been the Saints & Sinners dealer
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You should know Adrian Macpherson Cag….
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CagliariG 27 Aug 24 19:51
If you know how to search on here Quixall you will find I have forgotten more about Hugh and his family than you will ever know!! Doubtful tbf What happened at York racecourse ? |
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Why?
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You said you knew him well,what happened I ask….? Every man and his dog seem to know….
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All quiet on the western front….ffs
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What has that to do with him and his family Quixall? Presumably you read something you now claim personal knowledge about, similar to Dave Nevison but could not confirm something obvious when asked?
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Perhaps your connection is the horse he named after you and your alter ego.......Mentalasaythin?
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Mentalasanythin even!!
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I backed the horse a few times….Hamilton 3 clear and nailed on the line…
Ayr ……I played it won….his mates were running around with plenty,and making plenty of noise…… |