Ely Racecourse was a horse racing venue in the Ely district of Cardiff, Wales. The racecourse opened in 1855, with the first race being held on 30 May. By 1864 racing at Ely was a regular event, the races that year were acclaimed as 'the most brilliant and successful ever held'.[1]
History
editIn 1895 the first Welsh Grand National was held at the Ely Racecourse. It was watched by over 40,000 people, many of whom did not pay for entry after charging the entry gates and overpowering the stewards.
In the early 1900s attendance figures began to steadily decline and the racecourse never fully recovered from a fire that destroyed the grandstand in 1937.
The last race to be held there, in 1939, was won by Grasshopper, ridden by Keith Piggott, father of the famous jockey Lester Piggott.[2]
Trelai Park is now on the site of the racecourse.[3]
Further reading
edit- Lee, Brian (1980). History of Cardiff Racecourse. Neath: Cwm Nedd Press. ISBN 9780906244081.
See also
editSee my book The Welsh Grand National - From Deerstalker to Emperor's Choice.
Published by the History Press.
References
edit- ^ Witty, Matthew. "The history of the suburb of Caerau - Cardiffians.co.uk". www.cardiffians.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
- ^ "Ely Racecourse". Peoples Collection Wales. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "Trelai Park (Ely Racecourse)". Cardiff Parks. Retrieved 18 June 2020.