HORSERACING

See Also: CLASS The Revolution Has Been Cancelled; DOGS Dog Racing; GAMBLING; HORSES; THE HYENA HUNTERS OF SOUTHWARK; MEMORIALS The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Revolutionary Sod

In the late 1870s the Great Powers of Europe appreciated that there was a real risk of a serious war starting in the Balkans. In the summer of 1878 Otto von Bismarck, the German Chancellor, hosted an international congress in Berlin. This proved to be successful. During the proceedings the official, who was a fluent speaker of English, had a good rapport with Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister. Both men had had outflanked their liberal rivals by extending the electoral franchise.

The Chancellor twice paid the premier the rare distinction of inviting him to dine at his home. During one of their evenings together Bismarck enquired whether horseracing was still popular in Britain. Disraeli replied that it was. This pleased the Chancellor who exclaimed Then you will never have Socialism! He was of the view that that the aristocracy's ownership of the racehorses made them popular with the working people and that as a result theories of class rivalry would not gain political traction.

Former Racecourses

Croydon Racecourse

In 1891 Croydon Racecourse relocated to Gatwick.

Location: 32 Tenterden Road, CR0 6NN

Greenford

There was a trotting track at Greenford.

Location: Jeymer Drive, Greenford, UB6 8LX

Northolt Racecourse

There was a horseracing track in Northolt. It opened in 1929. An estate was built on it. This had street names that came from the name of horseracing racing tracks Sandown Close, etc. were built on it.

Northolt was a pony and trap track.

The Racecourse Estate in Northolt was built on the site of a horseracing racecourse.

The estate's roads are named after racecourses, such as Haydock, Kempton, and Newmarket.

The grandstand was re-erected at Brands Hatch.

The track's original gates survive.

Location: Southwell Avenue, Northolt, UB5 4DX

The Jockey Club

The Jockey Club regulates horseracing. The organisation was founded in the early 1750s at a meeting that held in The Star & Garter tavern.

Location: 75 High Holborn, WC1V 6LS

100 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5NQ. The site of The Star & Garter. (orange, purple)

Website: www.thejockeyclub.co.uk

Jockeys

Frank Buckle

Frank Buckle (1766-1832) was renowned for his honesty.

Samuel Chifney

Samuel Chifney (c.1753-1807) is regarded as having been the first jockey to employ race tactics. He was a corrupt gambler. He even cheated the Prince of Wales, who was his benefactor.

Lester Piggott

The jockey Lester Piggott was Flat racing Champion eleven times. He won the Derby nine times. He deposited much of his income in Swiss and Cayman Islands bank accounts without informing the Inland Revenue. He was convicted of tax evasion and required to pay what he owed. The cheque with which he made the payment was drawn on a bank account that had not identified during the investigation of his affairs. He was given a three-year-long prison sentence. Subsequently, he was stripped of the O.B.E. that he had been awarded.

James Sloan

James Sloan (1874-1933) had a barrel chest and short legs. As a result, he was nicknamed Toad. This became Tod. He pioneered front-running race tactics. As a result, on your tod became an expression to indicate that an individual was going off on their own.

Racehorses

See Also: O KELLY's WONDER

Winnings

Bon Marché

The construction of Bon Marché department store (1877) was financed by James Smith's 1876 winnings from horseracing.

Location: 241-251 Ferndale Road, SW9 8BJ

Tellings Golden Miller

Golden Miller won both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in 1934. Fred Varney is reputed to have used his winnings to enter the coach industry.

https://tellingsgoldenmiller.co.uk

David Backhouse 2024