MERTON RACECOURSE

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Earliest meeting: June 1839
Final meeting: Wednesday 13th June 1860
The Lancashire hamlet of Merton was a chapelry 6 miles from St Helens and 2 miles from Poulton on the Liverpool Road. Despite being a tiny community, John Etty acted as Clerk of the Course and organised a two day meeting in June 1839 on a one mile triangular course with excellent viewing stands.  The 4 race programme was varied, including the Merton St Leger Stakes over a mile and three quarters. It was a further 21 years before the next meeting on Wednesday 13th June 1860 received press coverage. That meeting started with a Maiden Plate won by Skelton, while the Newton Handicap saw Master Bagot defeat Bird Cage.

This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below.
Local Patrons Mr John Etty
Principal Races Merton St Leger Stakes, Produce Stakes, Trial Stakes, Golborne Stakes.

Wednesday 13th June 1860
Golborne Park Stakes
1. Lady Clifton
2. Glen Stuart

The final meeting took place on Wednesday 13th June 1860.
Course today An unusual triangular course of a mile complete with excellent viewing stands.
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

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.
ORDER FORM
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  Quantity Cost
Volume 1 North of Hatfield £19.99 + £4 postage    
Volume 2 South of Hatfield £14.99 + £3 postage    
Volume 3 Wales & Scotland £9.99 + £3 postage    
Volume 4 Ireland £9.99 + £3 postage    
Volumes 1 - 4 £54.96 + £5 postage    
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Total    
Email order form to johnwslusar@gmail.com