Earliest meeting: Friday 18th January 1856
Final meeting: Wednesday 13th March 1867
The Surrey town of Chertsey, on the River Thames, is located some 30 kilometres South West of London in Runnymede. In the 18th century the most important building in the area was Pycroft House with its estate, and in the middle of the 19th century the town made full use of its glorious open countryside by hosting race meetings, the first of which took place on Friday 18th January 1856. It was a lowly start, with a feature race of a £40 Plate, which was won by Plausible, launching the card. The meetings were more successful later on and well-supported by the locals, by people from nearby Windsor and by the soldiers in the camp at Aldershot. However, at the 1865 meeting it was reported that the Prince of Wales had his pocket picked whilst at the races. The management group were able to increase stakes year on year and make a capital investment in a new grandstand for the 2 day meeting on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th November 1866. At that meeting the Hunters Stakes was won by Yellow Jack for Mr Cox, while the Chertsey Open Handicap went to Mr A Yates’ Merrimac. However, the principal race, the Stewards’ Cup, drew a field of 10 and was won by Mr George’s Lisette. Dispite all of the investment and support, the final meeting was staged the next year on Wednesday 13th March 1867. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Captain Fagan, Mr Cross, Mr George |
| Principal Races |
Chertsey Stewards Cup, Chertsey Open Handicap, Hunters Stakes |
Saturday 24th November 1866
Chertsey Stewards Cup over 2 ½ miles
1. Lisette, bay mare owned by Mr George
2. Red Rose, 4 year old owned by Mr Cross
3. Hungerford, aged horse owned by Mr Westley
Betting: 5/4 Harold, 5/1 Seven and a Half, 6/1 Hungerford, 7/1 Lisette |
The final meeting took place on Wednesday 13th March 1867. |
| Course today |
A fair hunting track on fields on the outskirts of the town. |
| 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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