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My Dad used to go Ally Pally races ,the frying pan he said .
I was based for a while about 20 years back in the Ilford /Redbridge area , there was a big push for Fairlop Waters racecourse at one stage .
I see Maisons-Laffitte closed but a group might try re open it , that’s a unique set up there sadly lost at this stage .I have done the walk around Alexandra Park as well.
I have also visited the sites of the old racecourses at Manchester and Lewes.
I have travelled through Wye station in Kent, which I believe was next to the racecourse. It did not look like any trace of it remains.
Of course, anyone who has taken a flight from Gatwick has been on the site of a former racecourse. I believe the only surviving part of it is the bandstand, now located in Crawley.
I wonder how many travellers realise Gatwick Airport stands on what used to be a racecourse considered prestigious enough to stage the substitute Grand National during WW1?
I would imagine very few.
Like so many, I’ve flown from Gatwick and, while I knew Gatwick used to have a racecourse, I wasn’t aware it was located on the precise site of the now airport.
At the risk of sounding like a “before my time” merchant, my historical knowledge is patchy and limited of events which were, err, before my time!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“I can’t find any clips of Tralee.”
Here’s one I’ve previously uploaded. I may be able to find a few more, but unlikely to be complete races. I’ll have a look and post here later.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Three from 26 years ago:
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Thanks for posting the clips. It is good to see Tralee again.
Gatwick Airport is very much on the site of the old racecourse. According to Chris Pitt in his book “A Long Time Gone”, the South Terminal is where the home bend, grandstand and paddock were located. The track stretched up to and beyond where the North Terminal is found today.
‘I wonder how many travellers realise Gatwick Airport stands on what used to be a racecourse considered prestigious enough to stage the substitute Grand National during WW1?’
One of the pubs in the terminal has (or at least had) a history of the airport across its walls including a brief piece about the old racecourse. I can’t remember if it mentioned the substitute National. By coincidence I was watching Tiger Roll’s second one at the time.
Thanks so much for the clips folks, brings back happy memories of being at Tralee. I think I was at that 1997 meeting, not sure about the 1993 one. I clearly remember being at Tralee in June 1993 when a certain A.P.O’Brien trained his first winner, Wandering Thoughts.
Cork All Star, here you go
Looks a bit of a Mark Crehan/Roger Loughran jockey at the end !!!
Thank you Father_Jack – I used a magnifying glass.
As an aside they have a thirteen race programme today at Saratoga 10 dirt 3 turf according to Sporting Life site but one cannot always trust the data. Admission is seven dollars to the Grandstand and Clubhouse if you buy 24 hours in advance. It doesn’t include a seat but cf. that to York where Grandstand and Paddock are £39. There are possibilities of cheaper tickets on a first come basis at the clocktower but it looks like a picnic area with views of the finish.
There was a racetrack in Notting Hill built to rival Epsom for central Citi folk and it got 30000 suits to attend on its first opener day.
Big problem was they built it on clay.P.s
43 pence a race rounded up after conversion – compared to to York’s £5.53
Kensington Hippodrome was built 1837 and closed in 1842. A very short life for a racecourse.
Gamble,
Five on the turf in fact:
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/RaceCardIndexSAR082623USA-EQB.html
And about $4.5M in prize money across those 13 races.
Corrected data appreciated Alan -I am aware of Equibase naturally but hadn’t thought to check it for surfaces.
Sadly have to miss the rest of York as am off out. Will just have time possibly see Tom getting the upper hand against Dettori.
Frankie was on the better horse on the day !
Toodle pip
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