Earliest meeting: Thursday 23rd July 1801
Final meeting: Friday 14th July 1876
The large Scottish town of Dunfermline, in Fife, is located some 5 kilometres from the Firth of Forth. Although it is known that a Silver Bell was contested in the town as early as 1610, it was almost two centuries later that the meetings took on some importance. Throughout the 19th century the town staged race meetings, the first of which was a two day meeting on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th July 1801. It was unfortunate that the organisers had not realised that the meeting clashed with the well-established Hamilton meeting, meaning only 4 horses in total contested the two races. In the opening Weight for Age Handicap over 4 miles Mr Fletcher’s Logie O’Buchan beat Bryan O’Lynn, while the next day the same combination won the Handicap beating Betty and Sandy. The meetings were held 1 ½ miles south of the town on a 50 acre field on Easter Gellet Farm in the Rosebank Mains district. The organising committee were no doubt disappointed with the turnout and racing ceased in the town for a considerable period. The meeting held on Friday 16th July 1869 proved to be particularly popular, with train excursions from Perth, Dundee and Glasgow. The opening Dunfermline Stakes was won by Mr Eddie’s Idle, while during the day the Lassodie Instrumental Band ‘discoursed sweet music’ to keep the crowd entertained. Two years later, at the meeting on 14th July 1871 the Dunfermline Handicap, over a mile and a half, and the Hunters’ and Yeomanry Handicap were both won by Mr H Greet’s Aggravator. Meetings continued for the next 5 years until a final card took place on the East Baldridge course on Friday 14th July 1876.
Dunfermline Stakes, Wellwood Stakes, Elgin Stakes
Although a meeting had been scheduled to take place in October 1800, there is no evidence to show it happened, and the first 2 day meeting widely reported in the newspapers took place in late July 1801 on Easter Gellet Farm.
Thursday 23rd July 1801
Gentleman’s Subscription Purse
1. Logie O’Buchan owned by Mr Fletcher
2. Bryan O’Lyn owned by Mr Kincaid
Friday 24th July 1801
Ladies Subscription Purse
1. Logie O’Buchan owned by Mr Fletcher
2. Sandy owned by Mr Kincaid
3. Betty owned by Mr Tate
After the races had ended the Stewards appointed to organise the following years meeting were Lord Doune, Sir Robert Preston and Sir James St Clair Erskine.
Lord Elgin, Thomas Bruce, was the 7th Lord Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine. He was elected as a Scottish Representative Peer in 1790, although he seldom played any part in Parliament after 1807. He had a son, George Charles, and 3 daughters Mary, Matilda Harriet and Lucy. His son, and heir, George Charles Constantine died in 1840, a year before Lord Elgin died on 14th November 1841. Whilst there is no evidence he went to the races, he regularly organised Games and Races for his workers.
Racing ceased in 1826, but resumed a quarter of a century later on Thursday 21st August 1851 at Easter Gellet on land owned by Mr Barns. The organisers were rewarded with a crowd in excess of 20,000.
Dunfermline Stakes (Twice round and the distance)
1. Eton owned by Mr Ecle
2. Bat owned by Mr Dodd
3. Smirke owned by Mr Gibb
Oakley Stakes
1. Sir Astley Cooper owned by Mr Watson
2. Cybele owned by Mr Dodd
3. Shylock owned by Mr Robb
4. Billy-go-Rarely owned by Mr Pringle
Elgin Stakes
1. Bat owned by Mr Dodd
2. Luxury owned by Mr Watson
Wellwood Stakes
1. Billy-go-Rarely owned by Mr Pringle
2. Sir Astley Cooper owned by Mr Watson
Logie Stakes (Silver-mounted Whip donated by Mr Leggat of Edinburgh)
1. Smirke owned by Mr Gibb
2. Fair Maid of Fife owned by Mr Aitken.
After the races the Stewards and their friends dined at the Aitken Hotel.
I am grateful to Jim Crosbie who writes, ‘I recovered the metal object shown opposite using metal detection on Lord Elgin’s land. The grid reference findspot for this find, which I believe to be a riding crop handle, was NT 09770 85648. On recovery, the suspect riding crop entered the Scottish Treasure Trove system where it was assessed, disclaimed by the Crown and returned to me. The riding crop handle’s findspot lies within the former Dunfermline Racetrack boundary. Indeed I believe Ms Emily Freeman from the Scottish Treasure Trove Unit dated the artefact to the 19th century.’
Friday 16th July 1869
Elgin Stakes, confined to Fife horses
1. Little Nell, bay filly owned by Mr Scott
2. Lady Jane, aged horse owned by Mr Dewar
3. Unnamed dun horse owned by Mr Wilson
After the final meeting held under rules, racing of a less formal nature was staged almost on an annual basis well into the early years of the 20th century, although these races were advertised as ‘Dunfermline Races and Games’, included pony races and trotting races, and formed part of a wider festive occasion with stalls and sideshows. In 1879 the races were held at Baldridge.
Saturday 19th July 1879
Victuallers Stakes (15 sovereigns) was won by Lismore owned by Mr Williams
Members Cup (25 sovereigns) was won by Arblast owned by Mr Grut
Wellwood Plate (10 sovereigns) was won by Contraction owned by Mr Fletcher
Innkeepers Plate (10 sovereigns) was won by Richut owned by Mr Stephenson
Within 3 years competing groups of organisers held meetings on the same day in fields at Baldridge and Colton. The meeting took place on Friday 14th July 1882 with the principal race, the Dunfermline Cup of 30 sovereigns saw Mr Graham’s Penitent defeat Mr Steel’s Dunkenny.
By 1885 the meeting staged on Saturday 18th July had moved to Urquhart Race Park, remaining there until the early years of the 20th century.
Dunfermline Burgh Handicap (35 sovereigns) won by Summer Breeze owned by Mr Elliot
Urquhart Stakes (15 sovereigns) won by Bannockburn owned by Mr Drysdale
Merchants Plate (10 sovereigns) won by Miss Nelly owned by Mr Lawson
Members Plate (5 sovereigns) won by Mignon owned by Mr Hart
Farmers Stakes (6 sovereigns) won by Sir James owned by Mr Knight
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
