Earliest meeting: 1700
Final meeting: Friday 4th August 1854
Warrington, a large town standing on the banks of the River Mersey, is in the unitary authority of Cheshire, although historically it was part of Lancashire. It is known that racing took place in the vicinity of Warrington from 1700 until 1761 at Latchford, a village one mile south of the town centre. Warrington Race Course was indeed situated on Latchford Heath between Knutsford Road and Thelwall Lane. The Manchester Magazine published an article on 12th June 1750 advertising races on Latchford Heath on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th July 1750. Mr Thomas Jolly was the Clerk of the Course and oversaw a Purse of Gold contested on each of the days, with Assemblies after racing. A member’s token, possibly the oldest still in existence, has survived from the 1761 season, the last to have taken place on Latchford Heath. Just as racing was being wound up in Warrington in 1761, a horse called Billy was born. He was to become famous because in 1819 Old Billy retired to the Victoria Park Estate in Warrington having previously worked for the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company until 1819. The remarkable fact is that he died on 27th November 1822 aged 62. Although racing was staged in the middle of the 19th century, cards were like the one which took place on Tuesday 26th July 1842, invariably involving non-thoroughbreds and ponies. One of the last to include thoroughbreds took place on Friday 4th August 1854 when the Brighton Club Stakes was won by Garforth, the Sweepstake by Habena, and the Claret Stakes by Dandy. Towards the end of the century meetings did take place in the vicinity of Warrington and were billed as 'Warrington & Fearnhead Races'. One such meeting, held on Monday 10th June 1878 is shown below.
Friday 4th August 1854
Claret Stakes
1. Dandy
2. Henrietta
The final official meeting took place on Friday 4th August 1854.
Shown below is one of the oldest racecourse members badges still in existence.
I am grateful to the Warrington Museum for providing an article from 'The Manchester Magazine' which was published on 12th June 1750, confirming that Warrington Race Course was indeed situated on Latchford Heath between Knutsford Road and Thelwall Lane. The article is reproduced below:-
Warrington & Fearnhead races were held in a field about 300 yards from Ditton Railway Station on Monday 10th June 1878, watched by almost 5,000 people. The principal race was the Culcheth Hall Cup:-
Monday 10th June 1878
Culcheth Hall Cup over 1 ½ miles
1. Dick, a 6 year old owned by Mr J Turner
2. National, an aged gelding owned by Mr Flaver
3. Blackstock, an aged gelding owned by Mr T Johnson
In the race itself Dick beat National by 30 yards, with Blackstock a distance behind in third.
The large silver presentation trophy, Charles Stuart Harris, London 1875, engraved with presentation inscription "Warrington & Fearnhead Races, The Culcheth Hall Cup Won by Mr Isaac Turners "Dick" 10th June 1878" and verso an engraving of a horse, all within engraved ivy leaf swag and interspersed by two butterflies, with single knop stem and circular beaded foot. Height 27.5 cm, 20 ozs auctioned by Mitchells of Cockermouth, Cumbria in March 2018.
The image opposite is shown courtesy of Mitchells Auctioneers, Cockermouth, Cumbria
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
