Earliest meeting: September 1780
Final meeting: Thursday 9th July 1840
James Whyte’s History of the British Turf implies that racing first took place at the Shropshire town of Bishops Castle in 1830. However, the Shrewsbury Chronicle reported a meeting taking place as early as 1780 on Oakeley Mynd. That was a two day meeting held in September and they continued to hold the meeting annually until 1785 when it took place on 14th September at Hucklement. Racing appears to have ceased for 24 years before returning in August 1809 on a newly laid out course on Aston Hill. The meeting continued each August until 1837, including the meeting mentioned by Whyte in 1830 which consisted of ‘an inferior days racing’ in the middle of July. It was only in its final year of 1840 that the races were deemed to be sufficiently important to be included in Baily's Racing Register. That final meeting took place on Thursday 9th July 1840 when exactly the same horses occupied the first three places in the South Shropshire Stakes on Wednesday 8th July, and the Earl of Powis Castle Stakes on Thursday 9th July. Mr Barrow’s Catherina beat Miss Kitty Cockle and Mr Hughes’ colt by Jupiter.
The TALLY-HO STAKES took place on Thursday 4th August and was run over a two course with runners each subscribing 5 sovereigns and the course adding 20.. The result was:-
1. WELCOME 5 years old 11st 7lb Owned by Mr E Mayne
2. WOODMAN 5 years old 11st 7lb Owned by Mr Hughes
Also at the Thursday meeting the records show that 2 further races took place, one of which saw Ferryman beat 2 rivals in the Handicap Stakes, but also included the Farmers' Stakes with the following result:-FARMERS' STAKES
- Unnamed 4 year old 10st 9lb Owned by Mr Davis
The meeting extended to a second day on Friday 5th August and included a race in which prize money was increased by 25 sovereigns due to the generosity of Viscount Clive. The result is shown below:-
CASTLE STAKES
1. BRECON LASS 4 years old 8st 1lb Owned by Mr Cliff
2. OSTADE 3 years old 7st 1lb Owned by Mr Prest
3. EASTHAM 6 years old 10st 11lb Owned by Mr James
The South Shropshire Stakes over 2 miles and a distance
1. Catherina owned by Mr Barrow
2. Miss Kitty Cockle owned by Mr Phillips
3. Unnamed horse by Jupiter owned by Mr Hughes
The Earl of Powis Castle Stakes over 2 ¼ miles
1. Catherina owned by Mr Barrow
2. Miss Kitty Cockle owned by Mr Phillips
3. Unnamed horse by Jupiter owned by Mr Hughes
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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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
