Earliest meeting: Monday 30th July 1838
Final meeting: Tuesday 19th August 1862
The Shropshire market town of Newport is in the Telford and Wrekin district of the county, located 6 miles from Telford and only 12 miles south of Stafford. The ‘County History of Shropshire’ recorded that racing first took place in Newport in late July 1838 with a two day meeting from Monday 30th to Tuesday 31st July 1838. The meeting opened with a Sweepstake over 1 ¾ miles which went to Mr G Cooke’s Red Rover, while the North Shropshire Handicap was won by Mr Topham’s Bathany at the expense of Margravine and Leather Lugs. That meeting was held on a new course on Newport Marsh, where a grandstand was erected in time for the 1839 meeting. Thereafter racing continued each August with two day meetings held annually until 1850. Although there was a lapse in racing for 3 years, the meeting was revived in 1854 and remained popular and well supported for the next 8 years. The final two day meeting took place on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th August 1862 when the Newport Handicap was won by Nosegay for Mr Wright, with the Newport Free Handicap, over once round and the distance, going to Ophelia for Mr Lincoln.

This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below.

Monday 30th July 1838
North Shropshire Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Bathany, chestnut filly owned by Mr Topham
2. Margravine, chestnut filly owned by Mr Arrowsmith
3. Leather Lugs, bay gelding owned by Mr Wascoe

 Tuesday 2nd August 1842

The North Shropshire Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Unnamed filly out of Bran owned by Mr Davies
2. Miss Winney owned by Mr T.Walters
3. Hookah owned by Mr Standbank
4. Donnington owned by Mr Boycott
5. Query owned by Mr James

The Newport Stakes over 2 ½ miles
1. Fat Jack owned by Mr Morris

The Aqualate Stakes for Hunters over 2 miles
1. Finality owned by Mr Robinson
2. Query owned by Mr James

Tuesday 4th & Wednesday 5th August 1846

The North Shropshire Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Heir-at-Law owned by Mr Walmsley
2. Reliance owned by Mr Barton
3. Unnamed filly by Young Cadland owned by Mr Wadlow

The Newport Handicap Stakes over 2 miles
1. Romance owned by Mr Skerratt
2. Lucy owned by Mr J Griffiths
3. Princess Royal owned by Mr Flintoff

The Cavalry Cup over 1 ½ miles
1. Unnamed gelding by Young Cadland owned by Mr Boycott
2. My Lord owned by Mr J Phillips
3. The Earl owned by Mr Phillips

The Aqualate Stakes over 1 ¾ miles
1. Heir-at-Law owned by Mr Walmsley
2. Tally-Ho owned by Mr Phillips
3. Unnamed gelding by Young Cadland owned by Mr Boycott

The Farmers Purse over a mile
1. Lucy owned by Mr Griffiths
2. Reliance owned by Mr Barton
3. Unnamed filly by Young Cadland owned by Mr Wadlow

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