Earliest meeting: Tuesday 13th June 1732
Final meeting: Saturday 17th April 1915
The Hampshire city of Portsmouth is the second largest city in the county, located just 19 miles south east of Southampton. It has been the most significant naval port for centuries, but much later it held its own race meetings. The first two day meeting took place on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th June 1732, but almost a century later a 2-day meeting on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th September 1816 was staged when the local Garrison organised the meeting, although the main Subscription Plate was for non-thoroughbreds. The Garrison Purse was won by Captain Moore’s Romp, beating Teddy and Punch, while the Ladies Purse went to Lieutenant Wildey’s Lydia. Throughout the 1830s and 1840s Garrison races were staged, initially billed as ‘Portsmouth and Portsea Garrison Races’ and then as ‘Portsmouth Town and Garrison Races’, many of the meetings covered in this edition under Portsea races. At the two day meeting in October 1836 the Garrison Stakes and Silver Cup went to Captain Witham’s Florence, while the Ladies Plate was won by Rosebud. Racing ceased in the middle of the 19th century, but returned for a National Hunt meeting on Monday 26th March 1888 when the appropriately named Inauguration Steeplechase Cup was won by Doggerbank. However, plans were afoot to place the city firmly on the racing map with a meeting at Portsmouth Park. It was a 1 ½ mile circuit with a one mile straight and boasted one of the most modern grandstands in the country. However, its position on Farlington Marshes near Langstone Harbour, some 6 miles from Portsmouth, was less than ideal. While it was anticipated that the crowds would roll up in their thousands to the launch meeting on Friday 26th June 1891, in the end the management were disappointed. That inaugural two day meeting lasted from Friday 26th June and stretched to a second day on Saturday 27th June 1891, opening with a famous victory for HRH The Prince of Wales in the Portsmouth Park Inauguration Plate over a mile and two furlongs when Pierette prevailed, while the Rothschild Plate went to St Cyr and the Grand Prize to Mr R S Evans’s Rotten Row. The meeting was backed by such high profile supporters that it should have been a spectacular success, but the location was described as dreary, the access challenging, and the position isolated. The management overestimated their own importance, launching the prestigious Portsmouth Park Cup on Thursday 10th November 1892, not realsing that the clash with Liverpool’s popular November meeting would significantly deplete their crowd. Although meetings continued, the quality of racing was not as good as expected, crowds dwindled and prize money sometimes was not paid. Meetings often had to be cancelled and it was a surprise that the course lasted as long as it did. The final meeting was held on Saturday 17th April 1915, after which the War intervened, with the War Office using the site as an ammunition depot. After the War ended there was no further thoroughbred racing, although pony racing continued up to the start of the Second World War on a course purpose built to a high specification at Wymering, now under Paulsgrove Estate.
Tuesday 13th June 1732
Portsmouth £10 Give & Take Galloway Plate
1. HANDY CAP, bay mare owned by Mr Garrard 2 1
2. UNNAMED bay mare owned by Mr Humphrey 1 dist
3. BONNY GEORGE, grey gelding owned by Mr Clare
3 ran
Wednesday 14th June 1732
Portsmouth 20 Guineas Plate
1. SPAVIN-AND-CURBS, bay gelding owned by Mr Banks 1 1
2. COUNTRY DICK, black gelding owned by Mr Dodwell 2 2
2 ran
The Portsmouth Park Inauguration Plate over a mile and 2 furlongs
1. Pierrette owned by HRH the Prince of Wales
2. Nunthorpe owned by Colonel North
3. Barmecide owned by Mr J B Burton
The Rothschild Plate over a mile
1. St Cyr owned by Mr John Charlton
2. Reigning Monarch owned by Mr J McKenna
3. Scorcher owned by Mr A M Singer
The Portsmouth Park Grand Prize over a mile
1. Rotten Row owned by Mr R S Evans
2. John Morgan owned by Mr John Legh
3. The Imp owned by HRH the Prince of Wales
With grateful thanks to John Griffiths for the above picture (Also see Walsall & Hednesford Racecourses for his book)
Wednesday 23rd August 1939
Wymering Juvenile Stakes over 5 furlongs
1. SELF STARTER owned by Mrs Lawson
2. GOLDEN ACRES owned by Mrs Abrahams
3. WOOD FAIRY owned by Mrs Mure
Hayling Stakes over 7 furlongs
1. EDJUDINE owned by Brigadier Lawson
2. VENIDA owned by Mr Mure
3. SPANISH ELF owned by Captain Price
Newdown Handicap Stakes over 9 furlongs
1. JACKDAWS GIFT owned by Mr Chippendale
2. TOWN MOOR owned by Mr Hyams
3. MISS BADGER owned by Mr Baxter
Northey Stakes Handicap over 5 furlongs
1. HIGHBECK owned by Mrs Matthews
2. ST EPISTOLE owned by Mr White
3. DARK POLLY owned by Mrs Courtenay
Eastoke Stakes Handicap over 1 1/2 miles
1. ALLITZ'S DAUGHTER owned by Mr H Turner
2. CASIER owned by Mr A E Frost
3. LUCIDA owned by Brigadier Lawson
Westfield Stakes over 5 furlongs
1. ANNALISA owned by Mrs Batty
2. NAVAL OFFICER owned by Miss Boxall
3. AUNTIE DORIS owned by Mr Latham
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
