Richard Gauthier Collection

Sedgefield Racecourse

The earliest report of racing in the vicinity of Sedgefield was in 1732, with a newspaper article advertising the races in 1733 shown below, but it was to be a further 80 years before Ralph Lambton, an ancestor of the Earl of Durham, formed a Hunt Club in 1804 which met at the Hardwicke Arms in Sedgefield. The first occasion that Lambton Park races took place was on Thursday 18th October 1821, continuing for the next five years before a final meeting on Tuesday 25th October 1825. Racing then lapsed in the area before the present day racecourse was laid out in 1846 on the Sands Hall Estate, home of the Ord family. The course was held in such high esteem at this time that it was called the ‘Melton of the North’ in the same way York today is referred to as the ‘Ascot of the North’. Although meetings ceased from 1915 due to the War, racing resumed in 1920, but it proved to be a sad year for the course because of the death of Richard Ord, owner of Sands Hall. Ultimately, in 1927 this led to the formation of the Racecourse Company which still runs the course today. The highlight of its racing year is the Durham National, currently contested each October over 3 ¾ miles, which has been won in the past by Aintree heroes Red Alligator and Rubstic. Results of the great race since 2000 are shown below. Currently the course hosts 20 fixtures annually.

Thursday 18th October 1821
Lambton Silver Cup over 2 miles
1. Unnamed filly by Ardrossan owned by Mr Hepworth
2. Rally, a bay mare owned by Mr Hudson
3. Waterloo, a bay horse owned by Mr Day