Earliest meeting: 1684
Final meeting: Friday 27th August 1819
The earliest record of racing in the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury was when entries were made at the George Inn for the 1684 races which were staged on Quainton Meadow. By the middle of the 18th century the meeting had moved to Haydon Hill on the outskirts of the town, with a meeting taking place in August 1754. After the 1782 meeting had ended racing lapsed in the town until a disastrous revival meeting in 1819. That meeting was held on the 26th and 27th August when a 6 race card was planned. Just 6 horses contested the three races on Day One, two of them starting twice, whilst on the second day there were two walk overs. Unfortunately the Graziers’ and Farmers’ Cup of 70 Guineas over 2 miles produced a dispute amongst the owners of the 4 runners. The race was won by Lord Nugent’s chestnut mare, beating a brown mare owned by Mr Wakefield, but the disputed result caused such anger that officials were no longer inclined to support future meetings.
Friday 6th August 1773
Aylesbury Town Purse
1. Transit, chestnut mare owned by Lord Abingdon
2. Phlegon, brown horse owned by Mr Quick
3. Mist, bay horse owned by Mr Rogers
1776
Honourable George Nugent Grenville £50 Hunters’ Race over 4 miles
1. Leander, owned by Mr Brand
2. Bajazet, owned by Mr Lake
1778
Earl of Chesterfield’s £50 Race
1. Hautboy
Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th September 1782
Aylesbury Town Plate over 3 miles
1. Slender owned by Mr Tombs
2. Simpleton owned by Mr Tate
3. True Blue owned by Mr Lee
Aylesbury Gentlemens’ Purse over 4 miles
1. Slender owned by Mr Tombs
2. Staring Tom owned by Mr Grisby
3. Medley owned by Mr Warn
Initially Quainton Meadow and later at Haydon Hill.
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
