Earliest meeting: Thursday 30th January 1873
Final meeting: Thursday 1st February 1883
The Welsh port town of Caernarvon (Carnarvon) is a Royal town with a population of almost 10,000. It lies on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey, and once had its own racecourse in the mid to late 1800s. It held its inaugural meeting on Thursday 30th January 1873, racing continuing in the town for the next decade. The inaugural meeting was held on a 3 mile course over fair hunting ground a mile from Carnarvon on Caegwyn Farm. The meeting opened with the Anglesey and Carnarvon Stakes over 3 miles which saw Mr Edward Humphreys’ Paddy beat St David and Eilian Dun, while the Farmers Race went to Huntsman for Mr H Humphreys. The principal race, the Carnarvonshire Open Hunt Cup was won by Earl, ridden by Tolson for Mr J A Platt. After the meeting a dinner was served to gentlemen at the Royal Hotel, presided over by R Lloyd Edwards, with a Hunt Ball afterwards at the Sportsman Hotel. Meetings continued on an annual basis, with the racing on Thursday 10th January 1878 taking place in fields on Penygelli Farm, just 2 miles from Caernarvon. The meeting opened with the Anglesey Stakes over 3 miles, restricted to horses the bona fide property of gentlemen residing in Anglesey or Caernarvon. It was won by Captain Pritchard Rayner’s Lady Bulkeley, defeating Wilfrid and Lapwing. The feature race, the Open Hunters Race over 3 miles, saw Mr H Whalley’s Slithey beat Tynemouth and School Bay. After a Galloway race and a pony race, the meeting concluded with a Selling Race won by Mr Harding’s The Marshall. Racing continued to be organised by the Carnarvonshire Hunt Group until the final meeting on Thursday 1st February 1883. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 3 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Hon George Douglas Pennant, Mr G W Duff Assheton-Smith (Stewards) |
| Principal Races |
Carnarvonshire Open Hunt Cup, Carnarvon Farmers Stakes |
Thursday 30th January 1873
Carnarvonshire Open Hunt Cup over 3 miles
1. Earl, aged horse owned by Mr J A Platt
2. Bryan O’Lynn, aged horse owned by Mr Wynn Powell
3. Miss Honiton, aged mare owned by Mr Jackson |
The final meeting at the track took place on Thursday 1st February 1883. |
| Course today |
Initially a 3 mile course at Caegwyn Farm a mile from the town centre, later moving to Penygelli Farm, just two miles from Caernarvon. |
| 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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| Volume 4 Ireland £9.99 + £3 postage |
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