Earliest meeting: Monday 18th October 1852
Final meeting: Tuesday 14th February 1893
The county Kildare town of Newbridge, also known as Droichead Nua, is located near the ancient site of Great Connell Abbey which dates from 1202. The town was the home of the Newbridge Cavalry Barracks, with some of the earliest races held in the town organised by the local Garrison. On Monday 18th October 1852 the Newbridge Garrison Races were staged on the Curragh racecourse under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell. The card opened with a Match, followed by the Queen’s Bays Stakes in which Mr Sulivan’s Banagher defeated Prince Eugene, while the Promotion Stakes went to Major Bell’s Venison at the expense of The Miller. Two years later, on Monday 13th March 1854, racing was held on the old garrison course at Feircross, within a quarter of a mile of the town and a short walk from the railway station. The feature races on the card were the Kildare Hunt Chase and the Rathfarnham Chase. By Wednesday 22nd February 1865 the meeting, for which entries were made at the Albert Hotel, was making use of the Ballymoney course. The exciting card was full of quality races, including the Newbridge Challenge Cup, the Military Steeplechase and the Open Handicap Chase. The next year at the February 1866 meeting a remarkable feat of horsemanship was shown by Whelan riding Lady Whiteside in the Newbridge Handicap. One of his stirrups broke at the third fence, forcing him to ride the remainder of the 3 miles across 24 fences with just one iron, but he won before coming to grief when he tried to dismount. Meetings continued on a regular basis, although frost often caused postponements, until one of the final cards was staged on Tuesday 14th February 1893. |
Monday 18th October 1852
Tria Juncta In Uno Stakes over 4 furlongs
1. Black Prince, black gelding owned by Captain Johnson
2. Beadigo, bay gelding owned by Mr Elliott
3. Banagher, bay gelding owned by Mr Sulivan |
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 |
