Earliest meeting: Wednesday 20th September 1820
Final meeting: Monday 21st August 1871
The Isle of Thanet, in the east of Kent, is no longer an island today, but at one time it was separated from the mainland by the 600 metre wide Wantsum Channel. The first race meeting to be staged on the island was on Wednesday 20th September 1820 on a course at Dandelion, near Margate when the opening Powell Stakes went to Mr Hills’ Parchment. The next year the meeting took place on Wednesday 19th September and there was an immense crowd to witness Wouvermans capture both the Margate Plate and Thanet Ladies Plate for owner Mr Whiteside.  Between 1824 and 1866 the format of the races changed considerably, with the 2 day meeting on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th September 1824 featuring races between 2 and 3 miles, and the 2 day meeting on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st August 1866 offering races between 6 furlongs and 1 mile. The meetings also switched to a course on Shottendane Farm, near Tivoli Gardens, Margate during this period. Meetings continued for over 50 years until a final meeting took place on Monday 21st August 1871.

Wednesday 19th September 1821

Margate Plate over 2 miles
1. Wouvermans, a chestnut horse owned by Mr Whiteside
2. Haphazard, a bay gelding owned by Mr Page
3. Marksman, a brown gelding owned by Mr Brown
4. Merrymaid, a grey filly owned by Sir J Honywood
5. Corset, a black filly owned by Mr Maplesden
6. Unnamed filly by Truffle owned by Mr Palmer

Isle of Thanet Sweepstakes over 2 miles
1. Rosebud, a chestnut mare owned by Mr Rickwood
2. Whitestockings, a chestnut mare owned by Mr Minster

Thanet Ladies Plate over 2 miles
1. Wouvermans, a chestnut horse owned by Mr Whiteside
2. Sappho, a brown mare owned by Mr Boyce
3. Paulina, a brown mare owned by Mr Pearce
4. Unnamed filly by Truffle owned by Mr Palmer

The Visitors Plate over 3 miles
1. Corset, a black filly owned by Mr Maplesden
2. Marksman, a brown gelding owned by Mr Whiteside
3. Haphazard, a brown gelding owned by Mr Page

Wednesday 15th September to Thursday 16th September 1824

Powell Selling Stakes over 2 miles
1. Unnamed colt by Soothsayer owned by Mr Gould
2. Fortune Teller owned by Mr Whyte
3. Marksman owned by Mr Brown

Margate Plate over 2 miles
1. Silkworm owned by Mr Page
2. Sprite owned by Captain Lock
3. Chance owned by Mr Fowler

Margate Visitors’ Plate over 3 miles
1. Fortune Teller owned by Mr Whyte
2. My Aunt owned by Mr Braithwaite
3. Maid of Kent owned by Mr Brown

Thursday 30th & Friday 31st August 1866

The Margate Stakes over 6 furlongs
1. Sunnyside owned by Mr Stevens
2. Tortuga owned by Mr E W Taylor
3. Diamond owned by Mr Johnson

The Bramfield Cup over a mile
1. Venturer owned by Mr Wright
2. Finale owned by Mr Somers
3. Daddy owned by Mr G Watson

The Ramsgate Plate over 6 furlongs
1. Lydia owned by Mr W Hawkins
2. Volhynia owned by Mr E W Taylor
3. Hop Leaf owned by Mr T Ballard

The Hall-by-the-Sea Stakes over 6 furlongs
1. Chaticleer owned by Mr Nightingale
2. Elburg owned by Mr Bennett
3. Florican owned by Mr T Ballard

The Margate Handicap over 1 ½ miles
1. Melinda owned by Mr T Hughes
2. Lydia owned by Mr W Hawkins
3. Loaf Sugar owned by Mr T Ballard

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:-

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

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