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Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat races, the Lockinge Stakes.
The racecourse is noted for its proximity to the Lambourn training centre, which means that the course is often home to locally-grown talent as well as attracting horses from further afield. Newbury's major races include the Lockinge Stakes and its most famous race, the Coral Gold Cup (formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup).
Although the racecourse on its current site was not established until 1905, the first recorded horse racing in Newbury took place in 1805 with 'Newbury Races', an annual two-day race meeting at Enborne Heath. The meeting lasted until 1811 when it transferred to Woodhay Heath until 1815.
The course came into being in the early 20th century, and was the idea of a leading Kingsclere trainer, John Porter, who realised that the flat meadows beside the railway and the River Kennett at Newbury would be an ideal site for a course to serve the many training stables within a 30-mile radius of Newbury. These included Kingsclere, Weyhill, Wantage and Lambourn. The land which Porter wanted was owned by Mr. L. H. Baxendale, who lived at Greenham. Mr Baxendale liked Porter's idea and eventually became Chairman of the Newbury Racecourse Company.
In 1903 Porter took his plans to the Stewards of the Jockey Club, who turned them down because there were already enough racecourses. The story goes that a dejected John Porter left the Jockey Club and happened to bump into King Edward VII on Newmarket High Street, The king listened to Porter's story and gave his support to the proposal of a racecourse at Newbury. The Jockey Club changed its mind and granted a licence. In 1904 the Newbury Racecourse Company was founded, purchased the land and constructed the buildings and stables on the current site. The Great Western Railway Company built a station near the course. Many of the opening day's crowd of 15,000 would have travelled by train.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 26 and 27 September 1905, the first ever race meeting took place at Newbury Racecourse. Mr. D. V. Pullinger's Copper King, at 100-7, ridden by Charlie Trigg and trained by Charles Marnes, won the opening race, the Whatcombe Handicap at 2pm, worth £160, over five furlongs. There were twenty-eight runners. The racecourse's founder, John Porter, trained Zealous to win the 1m 4f Regulation Plate, worth £100, on 27 September.
National Hunt racing followed shortly after Flat racing and in 1906, nine days racing were planned for Newbury – six on the Flat and three over Jumps. The course has been home to both Flat and Jump racing ever since, and celebrated its centenary in 2005.
During the First World War, the racecourse was used as a prisoner-of-war camp for German prisoners.
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Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat races, the Lockinge Stakes.
The racecourse is noted for its proximity to the Lambourn training centre, which means that the course is often home to locally-grown talent as well as attracting horses from further afield. Newbury's major races include the Lockinge Stakes and its most famous race, the Coral Gold Cup (formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup).
Although the racecourse on its current site was not established until 1905, the first recorded horse racing in Newbury took place in 1805 with 'Newbury Races', an annual two-day race meeting at Enborne Heath. The meeting lasted until 1811 when it transferred to Woodhay Heath until 1815.
The course came into being in the early 20th century, and was the idea of a leading Kingsclere trainer, John Porter, who realised that the flat meadows beside the railway and the River Kennett at Newbury would be an ideal site for a course to serve the many training stables within a 30-mile radius of Newbury. These included Kingsclere, Weyhill, Wantage and Lambourn. The land which Porter wanted was owned by Mr. L. H. Baxendale, who lived at Greenham. Mr Baxendale liked Porter's idea and eventually became Chairman of the Newbury Racecourse Company.
In 1903 Porter took his plans to the Stewards of the Jockey Club, who turned them down because there were already enough racecourses. The story goes that a dejected John Porter left the Jockey Club and happened to bump into King Edward VII on Newmarket High Street, The king listened to Porter's story and gave his support to the proposal of a racecourse at Newbury. The Jockey Club changed its mind and granted a licence. In 1904 the Newbury Racecourse Company was founded, purchased the land and constructed the buildings and stables on the current site. The Great Western Railway Company built a station near the course. Many of the opening day's crowd of 15,000 would have travelled by train.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 26 and 27 September 1905, the first ever race meeting took place at Newbury Racecourse. Mr. D. V. Pullinger's Copper King, at 100-7, ridden by Charlie Trigg and trained by Charles Marnes, won the opening race, the Whatcombe Handicap at 2pm, worth £160, over five furlongs. There were twenty-eight runners. The racecourse's founder, John Porter, trained Zealous to win the 1m 4f Regulation Plate, worth £100, on 27 September.
National Hunt racing followed shortly after Flat racing and in 1906, nine days racing were planned for Newbury – six on the Flat and three over Jumps. The course has been home to both Flat and Jump racing ever since, and celebrated its centenary in 2005.
During the First World War, the racecourse was used as a prisoner-of-war camp for German prisoners.