Bath Races 1730

According to John Cheny's "An Historical List of All Horse-Matches Run and of all Plates and Prizes Run for in England and Wales (of the value of Ten Pounds or upwards) in 1730" there was a two-day race meeting in Bath, probably on Claverton Down.

On the 27th of May four horses competed for a purse of 25 guineas (about £2000 today). These were race horses but the owners certified that none had won as much as 40 guineas in prizes. Each horse carried 10 stone and owners paid an entrance fee of 2 guineas.

The four horse were:

1. Mr Shepherd's brown horse which he rather ominously entered as 'Run Now or Hunt for Ever'
2. Mr Tuting's brown mare Sinder Wench whose stable name was Welch Lady
3. Mr Langton's grey horse Modefly 
4. Mr Hopkin's bay gelding Traveller 

A Chestnut racehorse exercised by a Trainer in a Blue Coat
circa 1730

They competed over 3 heats, probably of a mile.

The race went to "Run Now or Hunt Forever" who won the first two heat and came second in the third.

On the following day a prize of 15 guineas was offered for Galloway ponies whose owners had to pay one guinea and half entrance fee

This prize was won by Mr Birds chestnut mare Rattle

Mr Shepherd was probably a member of the prominent Honiton family and might well be James Shepherd the son and heir of James Shepherd the MP for Honiton who had died that year.

Mr Tuting was a prominent member of the Georgian Turf and regularly ran horses in major races at Newmarket.

Mr Langton was almost certainly a sion of the prominent family of Bristol Merchant Venturers who would go on to own Newton Park, now a campus of Bath Spa University.