Earliest meeting: Friday 16th April 1841
Final meeting: Thursday 13th April 1854
The County Tipperary village of Ormond first staged races of note on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th April 1841 at the Lismacrory racecourse. The meetings were billed as ‘Ormond and Kings County races’ and the meeting opened with the Westenra Gold Cup over 3 miles which went to Mr James Drought’s The Cob. Later in the afternoon the Ormond Hunt Steeplechase saw Shamrock defeat Pilkington and Spark. A particularly exciting meeting took place on Tuesday 9th April 1844 on a 3 mile course on the outskirts of Ormonde, with 18 obstacles, three four feet high walls, six large banks and ditches with wide brooks on the take-off side. The Fox-Hunters Stakes was a closely fought contest, with Brunette prevailing by a short head over Erin. The two day meeting on 8th and 9th May 1849 was the last entitled ‘Ormond and Kings County’ before meetings switched to become Ormond Hunt meetings for four years when run at the Grenanstown course. However, a final meeting on Thursday 13th April 1854 once again included Kings County in the title, with the Revival Stakes going to Dr Cahalan’s Souvenir. Ormond races did continue after this date, but were initially associated with Borrisokane Racecourse and latterly became point to point meetings. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Marquis of Clanricarde, Marquis of Waterford, Colonel Westenra |
| Principal Races |
Westenra Gold Cup, Ormond Hunt Steeplechase |
Friday 16th April 1841
Westenra Gold Cup over 3 miles
1. The Cob, brown gelding owned by Mr James Drought
2. Pine, chestnut mare owned by Mr R Hammersley
3. Shamrock, bay gelding owned by Mr T C Stoney |
| The final meeting took place on Thursday 13th April 1854. |
| Course today |
Initially at Lismacrory and then at Grenanstown before finishing at Borrisokane. |
| 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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