Earliest meeting: Monday 3rd June 1816
Final meeting: Tuesday 29th May 1855
The coastal town of South Shields is on the mouth of the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear, some 5 miles from Newcastle. It has existed since Roman times and today has a population exceeding 80,000. It benefitted from coal mining in the area in the 19th century and first held races on Whit Monday 3rd June 1816, immediately followed by a second meeting on Whit Monday 15th May 1826 on South Shields Sands. A more prolonged spell of racing began in the 1830s, while in 1840 the meeting had extended to three days, beginning on Monday 8th June when the Borough Plate over 2 miles was won by Mr J Clark’s Auckland who beat Antisthenes. Exactly the same result occurred when the Tyne Plate was contested the next day, while on the concluding day, Wednesday 10th June, the Railway Plate went to Mr Gray’s Uriah. A terrible incident, known as the Donnybrook Riots, took place at the two day Whit meeting on Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th May 1855 after racing had ended. There were several beer tents, but two in particular were adjacent to each other and contained separate groups of Irishmen. One of the tents was run by a Publican James Roe from the Castle Garth area of Newcastle. A fight started between the two groups which ended in a riot, with one man killed and at least 30 others seriously injured. It is not surprising that racing lapsed in the town after this incident. Towards the end of the 19th century Sunderland and South Shields races combined to stage meetings at Boldon Flats between 1897 and 1912, although they were not under Rules.
Monday 8th to Wednesday 10th June 1840
The Borough Plate over 2 miles
1. Auckland owned by Mr J.Clark
2. Antisthenes owned by Mr Watson
South Shields Members Plate
1. Auckland owned by Mr J.Clark
2. Freckle owned by Mr Todd
3. Uriah owned by Mr Gray
4. Antisthenes owned by Mr Watson
The Tyne Plate over 2 miles
1. Auckland owned by Mr J.Clark
2. Antisthenes owned by Mr Watson
The Railway Handicap Plate
1. Uriah owned by Mr Gray
2. Antisthenes owned by Mr Watson
Although Sunderland Racecourse closed on Thursday 22nd October 1857, and South Shields Racecourse closed on Tuesday 29th May 1855, the two places both enjoyed further racing in the latter years of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century. The Sunderland and South Shields racecourse was located on Bolden Flats at Cleadon Lane and was ideally situated just 200 yards from Cleadon Lane Station. The course proprietors received the support of the North Eastern Railway Company when they launched their venture. Richard Thornton and Sidney Stone leased 44 acres of Boldon Fields on a 20-year lease having opened a company grandly called the North of England Racing, Skating and Athletics Sports Company. The development of the course was speedy, including a wonderful paddock, two grandstands holding 1800 and 1000 spectators, and spacious facilities. They advertised the inaugural meeting on Monday 2nd August 1897 as the Peoples Turf Festival and were well rewarded with a crowd in excess of 20,000 people. The venue staged 3 horse race meetings annually, as well as additional athletics and skating meets, on a track, shown below, which was a mile circumference with a 4 furlong straight. Although Thornton and Stone applied to the Jockey Club to hold their meeting under the Rules of Racing, their request was denied and they had to race under the British Racing Association Rules as a flapping track. Notwithstanding that setback, they offered prize money of £350 (equivalent to £47,000 in 2021) for their 6-race programme, a prize fund which many racecourses today can only dream of. In 1910, while racing was still being held 3 times a year, the Sunderland Airshow was hosted at the track, although tragedy struck on 1st August 1910 when the crack lady pilot, Madame Mathilde Franck, mistook the height of a flagpole and hit it causing her to crash and, although she escaped from the crash a boy on the ground was killed. The final meeting was staged on Monday 6th May 1912 when the final race, the Cleadon Handicap, saw Young April beat False Lady.
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
