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I remember I went to Hurst Park had 2/6 on a 10/1 winner bus from Hammersmith and boat across the Thames think it was the only time.
Ally Pally lived in Muswell Hill so would walk down to the course always seem to win there.
Folkstone.
Cant think of any where else.
Ally Pally lived in Muswell Hill so would walk down to the course always seem to win there.
Folkstone.
Cant think of any where else.
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Stockton or it might have been Teeside park then on to Cleveland Park dogs.
Great days sad to say gone forever.
Hope you are all well.
Ronnie
Great days sad to say gone forever.
Hope you are all well.
Ronnie
LANARK, took a half shift off work to bet a horse, saw another one being bet so switched to the other one, you can probably guess the rest, so naive in those days. cheers.
Worked in Tote at Towcester and had horse run there and Folkestone and walked the dogs round whats left of Wye racecourse in Kent .
Lanark and Bogside where Scottish National was run.
Tralee , Phoenix Park, Baldoyle, Dundalk Turf, not old enough to have done Mullingar
Was at the late lamented Towcester for McCoy's 4000th.
Towcester 08 Jun 2007
Toy Boy unseated first, Thommo called it as Metal Detector. Metal Detector scooted clear approaching 2 out, jumped right last, won.
1000/1. Thank yooo Riccooooo.
Toy Boy unseated first, Thommo called it as Metal Detector. Metal Detector scooted clear approaching 2 out, jumped right last, won.
1000/1. Thank yooo Riccooooo.
Lanark, Towcester and Folkstone.
Whilst all 3 would be regarded as low grade tracks I once saw a St James Palace Stakes winner and a dual Ascot Gold Cup winner run at Lanark.
Whilst all 3 would be regarded as low grade tracks I once saw a St James Palace Stakes winner and a dual Ascot Gold Cup winner run at Lanark.
had a walk round what was lanark racecourse last year . not been built upon and you can still sort of get the feel of the place if you use your imagination !
Great leighs,towcester,Folkestone
Where is baldoyle mr c /punchestown ?
Where is baldoyle mr c /punchestown ?
https://www.rte.ie/radio/doconone/647106-documentary-podcast-baldoyle-racecourse-horse-racing
rte podcast
rte podcast
Does Hackney, Harringey, Walthamstow, White City, Rye House etc etc etc count?
The old turf-only Wolverhampton, Southwell and Newcastle before they went all-weather in part or whole, and Towcester. I’ve driven past the still standing Lincoln grandstand if that counts!
will it google jim, "rte podcast baldoyle racecourse" ?
Got it thank you both
Amazing picture how tight a track was that I’d never heard of the place and if I was to go on mastermind my specialist subject would be racecourses
Amazing picture how tight a track was that I’d never heard of the place and if I was to go on mastermind my specialist subject would be racecourses
I recommend a trip to Lincoln.
On the main road in you can stop and see the old stands stables etc
Look across the road and you can make out the track where many joggers etc use today.
Then visit the amazing Cathedral.
On the main road in you can stop and see the old stands stables etc
Look across the road and you can make out the track where many joggers etc use today.
Then visit the amazing Cathedral.
I remember the Rothbury Race course but sadly never attended.
Earliest meeting: April 1759
Final meeting: Saturday 10th April 1965
The Northumbrian town of Rothbury, on the River Coquet, is located 14 miles north west of Morpeth and 26 miles north north west of Newcastle. The earliest record of racing in the vicinity of the town was a three day meeting on Rothbury Haugh in April 1759 sponsored primarily by Lord Northumberland. Just a year later, on Monday 14th April 1760, a meeting was organised but only three horses were present. Races were held intermittently for the next century, seldom more than one day a year and often in conjunction with a town festival or fair. The first occasion racing received wider recognition was in 1869 when results were included in the Racing Calendar. The principal race was the Rothbury Hunt Cup over 2 ½ miles which went to Mr Dale’s Rebecca. The next year the Rothbury Hunt Cup went to Mr T Forster’s Cornustibij. The course, close to the River, was always prone to flooding, which was more of a problem when they only raced once a year and relied on the profit from that meeting. Furthermore, the course lacked basic facilities, including sufficient stabling for the horses. In the early 20th century the meetings were billed as ‘County of Northumberland Hunt meetings’, although this interchanged with ‘Rothbury races’ regulary. Racing ceased between 1915 and 1919 in line with the majority of courses, and again between 1939 and 1945, returning after the war had ended on Saturday 27th April 1946. The situation became dire in the early 1960s when racing was abandoned in consecutive years between 1962 and 1963 due to flooding, so it was no surprise when the course was listed amongst those which the Levy Board stated they would no longer support financially after 1966. In the end the final meeting was staged on Saturday 10th April 1965.
This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below.
Local Patrons Lord Northumberland
Principal Races Rothbury Hunt Cup
Tuesday 28th April 1870
Rothbury Hunt Cup over 2 ½ miles
1. Cornustibij, bay mare owned by Mr T Forster
2. Primrose, brown mare owned by Mr G Turnbull
3. Independent, bay horse owned by Mr C Robson
The final meeting took place on Saturday 10th April 1965.
Course today Near the banks of the River Coquet.(see the googlemap shown below)
Earliest meeting: April 1759
Final meeting: Saturday 10th April 1965
The Northumbrian town of Rothbury, on the River Coquet, is located 14 miles north west of Morpeth and 26 miles north north west of Newcastle. The earliest record of racing in the vicinity of the town was a three day meeting on Rothbury Haugh in April 1759 sponsored primarily by Lord Northumberland. Just a year later, on Monday 14th April 1760, a meeting was organised but only three horses were present. Races were held intermittently for the next century, seldom more than one day a year and often in conjunction with a town festival or fair. The first occasion racing received wider recognition was in 1869 when results were included in the Racing Calendar. The principal race was the Rothbury Hunt Cup over 2 ½ miles which went to Mr Dale’s Rebecca. The next year the Rothbury Hunt Cup went to Mr T Forster’s Cornustibij. The course, close to the River, was always prone to flooding, which was more of a problem when they only raced once a year and relied on the profit from that meeting. Furthermore, the course lacked basic facilities, including sufficient stabling for the horses. In the early 20th century the meetings were billed as ‘County of Northumberland Hunt meetings’, although this interchanged with ‘Rothbury races’ regulary. Racing ceased between 1915 and 1919 in line with the majority of courses, and again between 1939 and 1945, returning after the war had ended on Saturday 27th April 1946. The situation became dire in the early 1960s when racing was abandoned in consecutive years between 1962 and 1963 due to flooding, so it was no surprise when the course was listed amongst those which the Levy Board stated they would no longer support financially after 1966. In the end the final meeting was staged on Saturday 10th April 1965.
This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below.
Local Patrons Lord Northumberland
Principal Races Rothbury Hunt Cup
Tuesday 28th April 1870
Rothbury Hunt Cup over 2 ½ miles
1. Cornustibij, bay mare owned by Mr T Forster
2. Primrose, brown mare owned by Mr G Turnbull
3. Independent, bay horse owned by Mr C Robson
The final meeting took place on Saturday 10th April 1965.
Course today Near the banks of the River Coquet.(see the googlemap shown below)
Used to love Towcester(was there when Peter Scudamore was the first to ride 200 winners in a season) and I don't know if this will count but I enjoyed the jump racing at Wolverhampton.
ive just looked it up, 3 runner race, collier bay, relkeel, escartefigue
Same as Go to War .Towcester was always well attended i thought ,grueling finishes in heavy ground ,the Ascot of midlands ! Remember backing a chaser at Wolves that slipped up on the tight bottom bend , i think it was ridden by Scudamore .Shame they closed Towcester for horse racing .Pitman used to send some good ones there ,seem to remember Egypt Mill Prince running there .
Hobnobbing with the Hobnobs..
Hollywood Park, and very nice it was too.
Hollywood Park, and very nice it was too.
Went to last meeting at Bromford Bridge in June 65. Poured down all evening.
1970 Nottingham NH ....Orient war/Persian War ..thick fog , freezing ,braziers .
I forgot a lot of those tracks cant understand why they closed Ally Pally they would get very large attendances they would race mainly in the evenings.
Mondays popular at Ally Pally as I recall. I remember a horse winning a seller there called Street Bookmaker in the 60s for some unknow reason.
i'd have money on you remembering horses running round the colosseum sparrow lol
I've got great memories of going to the "Rose of Tralee " festivals back in the 80's. They were great fun times to be sure.
Rothbury is a lovely little town, but the Raoul Moat incident caused tourism to crash. I'd imagine that it would have been a scenic track
Chris Pitt wrote a good book about lost racecourses a while back.
Chris Pitt wrote a good book about lost racecourses a while back.
Sherston was the venue for a meeting called Beaufort Hunt which was a full NH rules meeting with professional riders and not a PTP. I went there many years ago, probably 1960ish. The only other would be Wolverhampton turf flat and jumping which it used to be. I went there a couple of times. I still have never attended an AW race meeting.
Oh I forgot that Nottingham had jumps. I did have a runner there once but it pulled up!
a thread on here a few years ago (?) had a lot of info on manchester i think
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32796143
that's from a different thread so some of you may have seen it
that's from a different thread so some of you may have seen it
Lanark obviously.
iamajambo- The Ascot Gold Cup winner would have been Fighting Charlie. St James Palace Stakes winner may have been Track Spare not sure. There was a valuable 1m 2f handicap run during the Scottish Circit mid sixties which I think Track Spare ran in. I believe an Irish horse which had won the big mile race at Hamilton the Friday before won this race too. I seem to recall that a rich business man originally from Lanark but based in Florida had put up the money. The name Donn comes to mind along with Tommy Gosling the jockey turned trainer also from Lanark I think. I've tried for years to find details of the Lanark race without success.
windsor knot- I still get the same feeling when driving past Lanark even yet. I look down to the 5f start and expect to see the runners and riders coming up the straight.
Never managed to attend Bogside but playing golf at Irvine Bogside about 10 years ago, you could still see some of the concrete posts as well as starting gates and running rails on holes adjacent to the race course. I got the feeling there also that horses and riders were going to appear.
sparrow-I was well into racing by 1965 but I don't remember Rothbury at all, probably due to the several call offs for flooding.
Surprised that Wye and Lewes are not mentioned.
Great memories thanks to all.
iamajambo- The Ascot Gold Cup winner would have been Fighting Charlie. St James Palace Stakes winner may have been Track Spare not sure. There was a valuable 1m 2f handicap run during the Scottish Circit mid sixties which I think Track Spare ran in. I believe an Irish horse which had won the big mile race at Hamilton the Friday before won this race too. I seem to recall that a rich business man originally from Lanark but based in Florida had put up the money. The name Donn comes to mind along with Tommy Gosling the jockey turned trainer also from Lanark I think. I've tried for years to find details of the Lanark race without success.
windsor knot- I still get the same feeling when driving past Lanark even yet. I look down to the 5f start and expect to see the runners and riders coming up the straight.
Never managed to attend Bogside but playing golf at Irvine Bogside about 10 years ago, you could still see some of the concrete posts as well as starting gates and running rails on holes adjacent to the race course. I got the feeling there also that horses and riders were going to appear.
sparrow-I was well into racing by 1965 but I don't remember Rothbury at all, probably due to the several call offs for flooding.
Surprised that Wye and Lewes are not mentioned.
Great memories thanks to all.
Not certain at all, but I think Rothbury only raced a few times a year, so might not be easy to recall the venue.
if you scroll past the text lower down there are some really good pics of rothbury
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Rothbury.htm
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Rothbury.htm
iswearitsoath - "Not certain at all, but I think Rothbury only raced a few times a year, so might not be easy to recall the venue".
Only ONE meeting a year in early April, at least in the early sixties, closed in 1965.
Only ONE meeting a year in early April, at least in the early sixties, closed in 1965.
Re missing ones. I went to both Wye and Lewes. Don't remember the first at all except went on a Southdown bus from Lewes funny enough. Went to Lewes a couple of times.
Thanks for the links and information, Elise and blackbarn.
The area around Rothbury and thropton makes for a great walk, especially by the river.
The area around Rothbury and thropton makes for a great walk, especially by the river.
I surely can not be the only one on the forum who went to Buckfastleigh .
I never went to Bogside, but I would like to have been there on 19th July 1957. It was a Frankie Dettori kind of day.
Wimbledon dogs, Wembley dogs, Walthamstow dogs. All the horse racing tracks still there. The main difference between horse racing and greyhound racing is prolly money and prestige.
Shalimah I've never been to Buckfastleigh but been too many a buckfast bottle 
Tommy - that race at Lanark was run on July 20, 1966. The Irish horse, trained by Charlie Weld (father of Dermot), was Bowzen. He'd won at Hamilton the previous Friday as you remembered (the Hamilton Champagne Stakes over a mile, worth around £1,500) - Magnet Cup day at York. However, he was unplaced at Lanark the followinmg Wednesday, as was Track Spare. The race was the Donn Gulf Stream Handicap, worth around £4,500. (Other races on the card were all around £400 or less). It was won by Lucaya, trained by Bill Elsey, from Colonel Blimp and Parcel Post. Tommy Gosling trained the unplaced fav, Excel. Lucaya was the only other 3yo in the race apart from Track Spare, who carried top weight.
Under Rules the obvious two, Folkestone and Towcester.
Pointing rather a few more, as ones I rode at which I know have gone are Tweseldown , Barbury Castle , Mollington , Hackwood Park, which is rather sad as all were good courses.
Pointing rather a few more, as ones I rode at which I know have gone are Tweseldown , Barbury Castle , Mollington , Hackwood Park, which is rather sad as all were good courses.
Ged-Thanks once again for jogging my memory.Those two races have been troubling me for about 30 years. When the Irish horse won at Hamilton (easily as I recall) the big holiday crowd were silent.The Lanark race is a bit cloudy due probably to alcohol,but £4.500 wow, what would that work out at today? A time served tradesman in the building trade would be on about £11 and 10 shillings at that time.
Yes of course Towcester. The most recent to close completely. I went there many times and Jefferies, a horse I owned a leg in, won there.
god , forgot all about going to towcester . on tv didnt the uphill finish look like the horses were about to fall over backwards out of the bottom of the telly !...wonder which will be the next course to shut its doors ? i've never been to fakenham but cant help thinking due to the field sizes and its geographical position a full time caravan site might be likely . may be totally wrong and somewhere like kempton goes for expensive housing .
Fakenham is a bit like Ludlow in that it attracts a loyal crowd and seems to keep going OK.
Might be the newest course to stage NH, but I've always wondered if Ffos Las might be vulnerable. They were quite bullish when they opened, seemingly wanting to stage quality racing and attracting Irish runners, but it hasn't happened. I hope not as I've been there and it's a nice spot, but it's very far for many stables to get to (though obviously good for the Welsh racing scene).
I've also wondered if one of those tracks in the west midlands/Welsh Marches might be vulnerable as there seems an awful lot of them quite close together - Stratford, Ludlow, Worcester, Hereford, Warwick.
Who knows though? Many courses that have closed have done so almost overnight, with little warning.
Strange thing is, when Hereford and Folkestone both closed, the common consensus appeared to be that the former was doomed, while Folkestone was thought to have a good chance of reopening.
I've also wondered if one of those tracks in the west midlands/Welsh Marches might be vulnerable as there seems an awful lot of them quite close together - Stratford, Ludlow, Worcester, Hereford, Warwick.
Who knows though? Many courses that have closed have done so almost overnight, with little warning.
Strange thing is, when Hereford and Folkestone both closed, the common consensus appeared to be that the former was doomed, while Folkestone was thought to have a good chance of reopening.
2060 ? i will be 101 then and just moving up from junior to full membership at ludlow so hope you are wrong.
Windsor
Kempton won’t be closing for expensive houses the green mob objected when it was proposed a few years ago since then a third runway at Heathrow has been given the go ahead that will make kempton safe.
Kempton won’t be closing for expensive houses the green mob objected when it was proposed a few years ago since then a third runway at Heathrow has been given the go ahead that will make kempton safe.
However I do think the next to go will be a jcr racecourse.
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