Earliest meeting: January 1738
Final meeting: Thursday 26th August 1784
The Essex town of Maldon, on the Blackwater estuary, was hosting its own race meetings as early as 1738. The race in January 1738 was for a £10 Plate and there were 3 runners, but all were defeated. The first went the wrong side of a post; the second failed to make weight when weighing in; the third fell and broke a foreleg. Sixteen years later a more successful 2 day meeting took place on Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th September 1754 and witnessed Little Driver winning the Give and Take race on the second day. Although meetings after this date were intermittent, at the meeting held on Monday 29th August 1763 Lord March had a number of entries all of which were unsuccessful. The final 2 day meeting was staged on Wednesday 25th August and Thursday 26th August 1784. On the Wednesday The Maiden race was won by Rose, owned by Mr Brewster, at 5/1 ON. She was a long odds-on favourite again the next day but was beaten into second place by Captain Winch’s Little John who was returned at 10/1, so bringing to an end almost 50 years of racing in the town. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr Barlton, Mr Carver, Mr Catford, Mr Lamegoe |
| Principal Races |
Give and Take |
Wednesday 18th - Thursday 19th September 1754 |
Wednesday 18th September 1754 Maldon Fifty Pounds Purse over 2 miles
1. Hercules owned by Mr Carver
2. Creeper owned by Mr Catford
3. Betzena owned by Mr Barlton
4. Smiling Peggy owned by Mr Hicks
Thursday 19th September 1754 Maldon Give and Take
1. Little Driver owned by Mr Lamegoe
2. Black Legs owned by Mr Hudson
3. Miss Bumper owned by Mr Woodthorp |
| The final meeting took place on Thursday 26th August 1784. |
| Course today |
In fields on the edge 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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