Earliest meeting: Thursday 25th July 1754
Final meeting: Wednesday 3rd October 1838
The County Wicklow town of Bray lies in the north of the county and is a busy seaside resort located some 12 miles south of Dublin on the border of County Dublin and County Wicklow. In the mid-1700s the town held its own races on the Common, when the Historical List of Horse Races and Matches showed results from a meeting held on Thursday 25th July 1754 with the Silver Cup claimed by Mr Stone with his colt Durcling. Three months later a second meeting was staged on the Common on Tuesday 1st October 1754 when the £50 Plate saw Mr Read’s mare Strawberry beat Mr Lumbeck’s selection. Meetings continued irregularly for the next century, with a prolonged period of annual races between 1830 and 1838. A two day meeting was staged on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd October 1838 when the Putland Stakes, the only race of note, was won by Mr Nolan’s Wild Girl beating Lily of the Valley and Laurel; the only other race on the card being a Hack race. The course then underwent repair, although a minor meeting was later scheduled for September 1844. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Brabazon, Sir John Ribton, Sir G Cockburn, Mr Stone, Mr Read |
| Principal Races |
Bray Silver Cup, Putland Stakes |
25th July 1754 |
Bray Silver Cup
1. Durcling, chestnut colt owned by Mr Stone
2. Unnamed bay horse owned by Mr Manley
3. Unnamed black mare owned by Mr Hudson |
1st October 1754 |
Bray £50 Plate
1. Strawberry, mare owned by Mr Read
2. Unnamed mare owned by Mr Lumbeck
3. Unnamed black mare owned by Mr Lawless |
| The final meeting took place on Wednesday 3rd October 1838. |
| Course today |
On Bray Common. |
| 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 |
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ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3
652 pages
774 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0
352 pages
400 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7
180 pages
140 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4
264 pages
235 former courses |
| Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent. |
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