History

In 1858 a match across country on the meadows at Bangor-on Dee, between two members of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn's Hunt, the Hon. Lloyd Kenyon and Richard Myddelton Biddulph, of Chirk Castle, attracted a large crowd of spectators and was the forerunner of the meetings which are held there today.

Lloyd Kenyon rode a horse named Skip Jack, who put in a few stops along the way, where as Richard Myddelton's mount Grayling sailed round, and easily won the £50 prize money.

The event proved such a success that it was decided that in future 'a day should be made of it' and races were arranged for members of the hunt and farmers.

And so on the 25th February, 1859 the first Steeplechase meeting was held at Bangor Is-y-Coed over much the same course as that on which the races are held today.

The main event on that very first card was the Grand Wynnstay Steeplechase, run over a distance of about three miles. It attracted 12 runners and was won by a six-year-old Charley, owned by a Mr. Jones, and ridden by a jockey named Gaff.

For the first 20 years of racing at Bangor there was an annual event for ponies under 14 hands, run over two miles of the steeplechase course.

In 1868 this race was won by a pony called Maid of Trent, owned by MG Willins. The successful jockey was a boy of 10, named Fred Archer, who later became one of the greatest jockeys of all time; better it is often claimed than Sir Gordon Richards and even Lester Piggott.

Archer went on to ride a total of 8,084 races, winning 2,748 of them.

In more recent years, Bangor on Dee was the first proper racecourse on which Dick Francis rode. The former National Hunt Jockey turned thriller writer, was unplaced, but loved every minute of the experience and afterwards wrote to every racehorse trainer he or his father had ever met, to beg for a job as an amateur jockey.

He rode the first of 345 winners at Bangor-on Dee, Wrenbury Tiger, on May 3rd 1947, winning by more than 200 yards, and also had his first treble at the course, when he rode three winners on the same day.

When asked his opinion of the Bangor course, he replied: as a matter of fact it is my favourite because of the flatness and the absence of sharp bends.

Today, many of the top trainers send their novice horses to race at Bangor-on-Dee as part of their education: Paul Nicholls, Alan King, Phillip Hobbs, Donald McCain (Cholmondeley) Nicky Henderson, and Jonjo O'Neill all have regular runners at Bangor-on-Dee

Jeannie Chantler, General Manager at Bangor on Dee Racecourse, comments:

Bangor on Dee Racecourse is a major part of the local community, both as a social event and as a part of the economic structure within the area. The full team of groundstaff all hail from the surrounding villages, the current head groundsman for the last 10 years Andrew Malam, took over the reins from his father John who had a career of some 27 years as head groundsman until his retirement.

Andrew's brother Brian also works on the team along with two other local boys. The racecourse has progressed markedly in the last 20 years from being all wooden buildings - to modern buildings now offering much improved facilities which are also available for functions such as Private Celebrations, Weddings, Conference and Banqueting and much more.

150 years of racing at Bangor on Dee is a landmark in our history and we hope to be able to share our celebrations with racegoers throughout 2009.

There will be opportunities for racegoers to view memorabilia, and take part in competitions and possibly to purchase special merchandise commemorating 150 years of racing at Bangor on Dee.

We very much look forward to welcoming everyone to Bangor on Dee in the future. "