Stockbridge Racecourse
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 Interactive map of Stockbridge Racecourse | |
| Location | Stockbridge, Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°08′N 1°32′W / 51.13°N 1.54°W |
| Owned by | Defunct |
| Date opened | c 1839 |
| Date closed | 7 July 1898 |
| Notable races | Bibury Stakes, Stockbridge Cup Stakes, Champagne Stakes, Produce Stakes, Earl of Grosvenor Purse |
Stockbridge Racecourse was a horse racing venue in Hampshire, England which closed in 1898.
The first racing at Stockbridge took place on Houghton Down from, at the latest, 1775, and possibly earlier.[1] By 1839 a new course had been developed on Danebury Hill near Nether Wallop.
The course is associated with leading Victorian trainer John Day who, together with stable jockey Tom Cannon, sent out multiple Classic winners. He trained from stables at Danebury House, built in 1832 by Lord George Bentinck, adjacent to the track and now the headquarters of a winery. Another important, but short-lived figure in the history of the course was Harry, Marquis of Hastings who had horses trained at Stockbridge in the 1860s.[2] A notable visitor to the track was King Edward VII, who whilst still Prince of Wales watched his horse, Counterpane, come last in the Stockbridge Cup and then fall down dead. It is reported that souvenir hunters pulled out every hair of its tail.[3][4]
Horses were often entered and shown at the Swan Inn in Stockbridge. Race week was usually in June or July.[5] The track had a straight mile and a severe 'elbow'.[6] In the years before its closure, the major races at the course were:[7]