Earliest meeting: 1723
Final meeting: Wednesday 9th July 1806
The earliest record of racing in the Northumbrian village of Millfield was in 1723 when a meeting took place on Millfield Plain for a cup donated by Sir William Middleton. He was the 3rd Baronet and Member of Parliament for Northumberland from 1722 until his death in 1757. At that same early meeting there was a less valuable £10 race confined to Galloways. Meetings continued to take place regularly for almost 100 years, with the Glendale Voluntary Cavalry sponsoring one meeting, until a final 2 day meeting on Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th July 1806.
Tuesday 9th & Wednesday 10th July 1782
Milfield 4 Mile Plate
1. Amazon owned by Mr Wetherell
2. Reaper owned by Sir J Kaye
3. Stanton owned by Mr Soulsby
Milfield 2 mile Stakes
1. Unnamed colt owned by Mr Pratt
2. Prodigal owned by Mr Bushby
3. Unnamed colt owned by Mr Bailey
The winner wore Red with a Black cap
Tuesday 8th July 1806
Millfield Sweepstakes over 2 miles
1. Gregsonia, grey horse owned by Mr Sitwell
2. Toby, bay gelding owned by Mr Bailhe
3. Unnamed bay horse by Tickle Toby owned by Mr Robertson
John Cary (1754-1835) was an English cartographer who published his atlas, The New and Correct English Atlas, in 1787. In 1794 he was commissioned by the Postmaster General to survey all English roads. The map shown below is an extract from his 1794 work.
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
