Stockbridge Racecourse was a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

venue in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

which closed in 1898.

History

The first racing at Stockbridge took place on Houghton Down from, at the latest, 1775, and possibly earlier. 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 A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

Tom Cannon, sent out multiple

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...

winners. He trained from stables at Danebury House, built in 1832 by

Lord George Bentinck Lord William George Frederick Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (27 February 180221 September 1848), better known as Lord George Bentinck, was an English Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and racehorse owner noted for his role (with Benj ...

, adjacent to the track and now the

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

of a

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

. 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. A notable visitor to the track was King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

, who whilst still

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

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. Horses were often entered and shown at the Swan Inn in Stockbridge. Race week was usually in June or July. The track had a straight mile and a severe 'elbow'. In the years before its closure, the major races at the course were: *Bibury Stakes - a -mile handicap, worth £251 in 1898 *Stockbridge Cup Stakes - a 6

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

race, worth £290 *Hurstborne Stakes - a 5 furlong race for two-year-olds, worth £622 *Arlington Plate - a mile handicap, worth £460 *Champagne Stakes - a 5 furlong race for two-year-olds, worth £340

Closure

In 1898, the land on which the eastern end of the course stood was inherited by Marianne Vaudrey who strongly disapproved of

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...

, and therefore refused to extend the lease. At the time,

Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree Racecourse, Aintree, Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom ...

rules stated that all racecourses should have a straight mile and since Stockbridge's straight mile extended into this area of land, the course was forced to close. The final meeting took place on 7 July 1898. After closure, the gallops served as a testing site for

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...

s during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Meanwhile, the Bibury Club Grandstand, which opened in 1867, survived until 1973, when it was destroyed by fire. The ivy-covered ruins of the Grandstand remain, but are in a precarious condition. Today, the ground on which the course stood is part of the Danebury Racing Stables estate owned by trainer Ken Cunningham-Brown. The Southern half of the course is now part of an organic dairy farm farmed by A Burnfield & Sons Ltd.

References

Bibliography

* *{{cite book , last=Graham , first=Eric , title=Stockbridge Racecourse - The Hastings' Era 1862 - 1868 , url=https://archive.org/details/StockbridgeRacecourse-TheHastingsEra1862-1868 , access-date=17 April 2013 , year=2012 Defunct horse racing venues in England 1898 disestablishments in England Defunct sports venues in Hampshire Sports venues completed in 1839