Lost Racecourses 7: Rugby
The old Rugby racecourse lies next to the A5, just a couple of miles east of the town itself, at Clifton on Dunsmore. Racing took place there between 1862 and 1936, with every meeting bar one taking place over the jumps.
The course was left handed, with the finishing post towards the top of a hill, which gave spectators a reasonable view of the finish. For many years there was a stand between the track and the Roman Watling Street. This was set off at a 45% angle to the actual finish so that it truly overlooked the whole circuit. That’s long gone, but the jumps on the uphill stretch today gradually move away from the A5 road, following the course of the old track.
Rugby was one of the first venues for the National Hunt Steeplechase, and the raced was the main attraction when the track opened in 1862, in front of a crowd of 12,000 or so spectators. Like many races at the time, the National Hunt Steeplechase had a peripatetic existence, before finding its way to Cheltenham in 1911.
During the years between 1863 and 1880 Rugby hosted another wandering event, the Grand Military Meeting, on nine occasions. I can’t imagine anyone naming a horse Useless Brute these days, but that was the first ride in the Grand Military Gold Cup for Scots Guardsman Col George William “Curly” Knox. He ran accordingly. In subsequent years, though, Knox fared rather better and won the race thee times, twice when it was run at Rugby.
The single flat meeting took place on 14 August 1971, and almost inevitably, Fred Archer was there to ride a winner. He was just 14 years of age, and beat 14 rivals to win the seller on Gruelthorpe.
The course is roughly 12 furlongs round, and when it was built, had 11 jumps on each lap, a mixture of hurdles, thorn fences and two natural water jumps. The bottom end of the course has been taken out now, but you can still see the stream that was jumped on any map.
Go there this Sunday, when the Atherstone Hunt holds its annual meeting at Rugby, and you can see it for yourself. There are 122 entries for the seven races, so there should be some competitive racing.
Other Recent Posts by This Author:
- Time for a Middleham Derby
- Lost racecourses 10: Buckfastleigh
- Lost racecourses 9: Moreton-in-Marsh
- Race Histories 12: The Becher Chase
- Lost racecourses 8: Clifton Park, Blackpool
