The First Horse Races and Courses in Britain

First Steeplechase - 1752

As British agricultural land was enclosed in the eighteenth century, hunters had to learn to jump hedges, stone walls, and post and rail fences. Faster horses and faster hounds were also being bred at this time, which led to argument over the horses' abilities. To prove the owners' boasts, race matches were run across country. The first recorded match was in Ireland in 1752, when Mr. O'Callaghan raced Mr. Blake from Buttervent Church to St. Leger Church. Church steeples were prominent landmarks so matches were frequently from one Church to another and came to be called steeplechases. The first recorded race over a prepared steeplechase course with made-up fences was at Bedlam, England, in 1810. In 1837, the Grand National Steeplechase was established at Liverpool, England, and owners began to use professional jockeys.

Epsom Downs; The Derby

Edward Smith Stanley, the Twelfth Earl of Derby, had the previous year, in 1779, won the first running of the Oaks with Bridget. His home near Epsom, a former ale house, was known as the Oaks and gave its name to the all-fillies race.

When a race open to colts was conceived, Lord Derby and Sir Charles Bunbury tossed the legendary coin to decide who should have the honour of naming it. It became the Derby, but Bunbury won the first race with Diomed. It was over a mile then, and carried a first prize of 1,075 guineas.

Sir Charles Bunbury was the principal force behind the race’s inception, and an altogether more interesting character than the young Lord Derby. He was an MP for over 40 years and married the beautiful Lady Sarah Lennox, whose name was at one time linked with George III. She left Bunbury because he spent "too much time racing, and at Dr. Johnson’s Club".

Bunbury won two more Derbies, but for a sustained period withdrew from the sport totally. As Perpetual President of the Jockey Club he banned the jockey Sam Chifney for life after the suspect performances of a horse called Escape, owned by the Prince of Wales, in a race with Gray Diomed in 1791, and was so disillusioned that he sold almost all of his horses and did not attend a race meeting for 14 years.

Newmarket Races

The first recorded race at Newmarket took place in 1622, when a horse belonging to Lord Salisbury beat one of the Marquess of Buckingham's for a stake of Ł100, then an enormous sum. But there were horses there long before that, for Queen Bodicea's Iceni tribe used the Heath to tune up their war chariots before battles with the Roman invaders who built the road that runs through the town and on into East Anglia.

It was Charles, the "Merry Monarch" who made Newmarket truly fashionable. He used to move his court there from London for the big race meetings, so that at times the town was capital of England in all but name.

Prior to 1753 there were 2 races per year, of 6-8 miles in Spring and in October. At present there are 7 of 4 miles or less.

The Craven, after Earl Craven, Easter Monday since 1771
The First Spring, Monday, a fortnight following.
Second Spring, fortnight following est. 1753
First October, first Monday in Oct.
Second October, Monday fortnight following, est 1762
Third Oct. or Houghton, fortnight following, inst 1770, lasts one week and ending the season.

Judges box is on wheels to be moved from finsh to finish post(only at Newmarket).They proclaim winners by color.

The course is property of Jockey club since 1753. Betting posts are at various place on grounds, for the 1/2 hour period between races. Winnings are paid following morning in the town.

The St. Leger

The St Leger The world's oldest, and fifth and final Classic of the British Flat racing season, the others being the Derby, Oaks, the 2000 guinea, and the 1000 guinea. There was a cup race at Doncaster since 1766. The St Leger was set up by Lieutenant-General Anthony St Leger. He arranged a sweepstakes race for 3 year olds at Doncaster in 1776. It was run for the first time with the name St Leger in 1778. That year its location was moved to its current site on the Town Moor. In 1803 the King's Plate from the defunct Burford Meeting was transfered to the St. Leger. Architect John Carr built a new grandstand in 1806. For the the first 30 years of the 19^th Century the St. Leger was the most successful of the race meetings. The race has had problems and controversy. The 1819 running was run twice. There was a chase to distant betting towns when the favorite was pulled up in training. Antonio won, but the local stewards ordered a second running in which Antonio did not compete. The Jockey Club overruled the stewards and returned the title. In 1829 there was such an invasion of roughnecks and cheats that they had to be chased out of town.

Held at Doncaster in September, the St Leger is the culmination of a top-class four-day meeting. Run over two miles, a longer distance than the Derby and the Oaks, the St Leger is more a test of stamina than speed.

Ascot

Ascot, founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, is the World's most famous Racecourse. It was while Queen Anne was out riding on the edge of Windsor Great Park that she noticed a natural clearing near the village of East Cote, now called Ascot. Queen Anne ordered her Master of the Buckhounds, The Duke of Somerset, to lay out a course 'for horses to gallop at full stretch' and so the Royal Racecourse was born.

The original course was designed by the Duke and constructed at a cost of some 606 pounds, 17 shillings and 1 pence. The first day's racing was held on Saturday 11th August 1711 and the second on Monday 13th August when horses competed for The Queen's Plate worth Ł100.

In 1714 racing was cancelled following the death of Queen Anne. Subsequently there was only one more day's racing before the course was closed until 1744. The Duke of Cumberland then revived Ascot and, in June 1768, the first four-day meeting was held and has continued to the present day.

The Jockey Club

You cannot mention English racing without also mentioning the Jockey Club. In 1750 racing's elite met at Newmarket to form the Jockey Club, which to this day, exercises complete control over English racing.

The Jockey Club wrote complete rules of racing and sanctioned racecourses to conduct meetings under those rules. Standards were set defining the quality of races. Since 1814, five races for three-year-old horses have been designated as "classics." Three of these races, open to colts and fillies, make up the English Triple Crown: the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, and the St. Leger Stakes. The other two races, open to fillies only, are the 1,000 Guineas and the Epsom Oaks.

James Weatherby and his family served as accountants to the members of the Jockey Club. To them was assigned the task of tracing the pedigree, of every horse then racing in England. In 1791 the results of his research were published as the "Introduction to the General Stud Book". From 1793 to the present, members of the Weatherby family have meticulously recorded the pedigree of every foal born to those racehorses in subsequent volumes of the General Stud Book.

Officials

Few sports are so carefully and thoroughly superintended as racing. Stewards, paddock and patrol judges and starters are among the officials who insure that races are run honestly, while buglers and outriders' apparel add a colorful touch to their duties.

The Bugler: The bugler sounds the familiar "first call" as the horses step onto the track before each race.
The Outriders: Outriders escort the horses to the post, then wait to catch any that might throw their jockeys and bolt.
The Starter: After his assistants load the horses into their stalls, the starter waits until all are standing quietly before pressing the button to open the gate.
The Stewards: Approved by state racing authorites, stewards enforce rules and assess penalities for any infractions.

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