Earliest meeting: Monday 26th July 1830
Final meeting: Saturday 17th April 1875
The Shropshire village of Albrighton is steeped in hunting history with its famous Albrighton Hunt meetings. However, it also organised race meetings under rules, with the first of these taking place on Monday 26th July 1830. The next year, on Monday 25th July 1831 the Hunters’ Stakes was contested over three demanding heats, with Hebe only coming third in the first heat, beaten by Miss Oakley. However, in the next two heats Hebe defeated Miss Oakley to claim the stakes. In all future meetings the organisers could call on steeplechasers and hunters from across all of the Shropshire Hunt organisations and for the next 44 years the meetings were overseen by the Albrighton Hunt Committee and offered thoroughbred, Galloway and pony races. Entries were made at the Harp Inn, which also offered Ordinaries and celebration Dinners after the races. The final meeting was held on Saturday 17th April 1875.
Monday 25th July 1831
Albrighton Hunters’ Stakes with 25 Sovereigns added
1.Hebe, bay mare owned by Mr Eyke 3 1 1
2. Miss Oakley, bay mare owned by Mr Chawner 1 2 2
3. Vanguard, bay gelding owned by Mr Eld 4 3 3
4. Earthstopper, black gelding owned by Mr Adams 3 4 4
The article below is from the Wolverhampton Chronicle Wednesday 27th July 1831 and is shown courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive Online:-
John Cary (1754-1835) was an English cartographer who published his atlas, The New and Correct English Atlas, in 1787. In 1794 he was commissioned by the Postmaster General to survey all English roads. The map shown below is an extract from his 1794 work.
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
