Many businesses in Bath sought to profit from this, and tradesmen paid substantial fees to have booths on the course.
The Assembly Rooms were no different. So when in 1772 there was a three-day meeting in September, the Upper Rooms put on a pre-season ball as described in this advert in the Bath Chronicle.
The race week in 1772 started on Monday, 21st September,
The meeting started with a race for a plate worth £50 with free entry. The race was contested over two four-mile heats. Four horses started:
Mr Clarke's horse Valentine
Mr Bishop's horse Daniel
Mr O'Kelly's horse Humble
Mr Morris's horse Pluto
Before the race, punters were persuaded that Dennis O'Kelly's horse was the runaway favourite, and even bets on Humble against the field found few takers. It is perhaps worth noting here that Dennis made much of his considerable fortune through gambling. After the first heat, Valentine won easily over Daniel and Pluto, with Humble placed last. The betting changed to 5 to 4 in favour of Valentine against the field.
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| Rowlandson's The Betting Post The mounted figure in blue on the right is believed to be Dennis O'Kelly. |
That same day there was a sweepstake for 4-year-olds for a 50 guinea stake over one four-mile heat. Four horses competed, creating a 200 guinea prize. They were:
Lord Grosvenor's bay filly by Snap, which was entered on Grosvenor's behalf by Mr Coxe.
Mr O'Kelly's bay colt, Batchelor
Mr Parker's chestnut colt by Villager
Lord Castlehaven's brown colt by Merlin entered on Castlehaven's behalf by Mr Yeates.
Lord Corke, Mr King, and Mr Brereton had all failed to enter their horses but paid forfeits, adding 75 guineas to the prize fund worth about £18000 at today's prices.
In a race described by the Bath Chronicle as "exceeding fine," Mr Parker's horse started as favourite but with few bets being offered on such an evenly matched field. Until the last circuit of the course, Batchelor looked set to win, but Batchelor had a tenancy to knap, and so was overtaken by Lord Grosvenor's horse at the post.
On Tuesday, they started the meeting with a race for the Ladies' purse of £50 for 5 and 6-year-old horses. This was competed for over 3 four mile heats by:
Sir Richard Bamfyldes's bay gelding Banble
Mr Wildman's bay horse Frolic
Mr O'Kelly's bay horse Catchpenny
Mr Compton Willis's bay gelding
The word ahead of the start was that the race would go to Banble, and bets on him were taken from evens to 5 to 4, with 20 to 1 being offered against the unfancied Mr Willis's gelding. After the first heat won by Catchpenny from the Willis gelding, the punters still kept faith with Banble, who beat Frolic into second place with apparent ease. The betting going into the final heat was 6 and 7 to 4 on Banble, who went on to win.
The next race was a 50 guinea sweepstakes run over 2 miles by three-year-old horses. Before the start, Lord Corke and Mr Coxe withdrew their entries and paid the 25 guinea forfeit. The starting prices at the betting post were even money on Mr Parker's grey filly by Shakespeare, probably a horse called Charlotte, 6 to 4 against Mr Wildman's grey colt Antinous which had been entered on his behalf by Mr Coxe and 2 to 1 against Dennis O'Kelly's chestnut colt Young Colin. Further bets were placed during the race that O'Kelly's horse would not be last, which he was, In a very close run race won by Mr Parker's filly.
The Bath Cup worth 100 guineas and a further prize of £30 raised by subscription was competed for a day earlier than had been advertised by three horses over four miles. The close race was won by Mr Yeat's brown horse Little David beating Mr Wildman's bay mare by, Squirrel, the pre-race hot favourite and Mr O'Kelly's Mileston.
Wednesday started with a £50 give-and-take race over three four-mile heats. The race was competed for by
Sir Richard Bampfylde's bay horse Weazel, Mr Strode's bay horse Gudgeon and Mr Sparrow's grey mare Heathcropper. The race was won by the evens favourite, Weazel. Sir Richard, his owner, was MP for Devon.
Five 4-year-old horses raced for a £50 plate over three heats on the Thursday following the ball. The local punters were severely deceived by the pre-race intelligence, making Mr Helyer's bay colt Sprightly the clear favourite. At the betting post, 4 to 1 was offered that neither Dennis O'Kelly's colt Batchelor or Mr Wildman's colt Slip could win and 10 to 1 against Mr Strode's colt Garcon and Mr Parker's Marquisette.
After Batchelor's easy victory in the first heat, the local punters still supported their chosen favourite, who came third and continued to bet against Batchelor and Slip. After the second heat was won easily by Garcon, the punters started to hedge their bets by offering odds against Sprightly, but there were few takers. The final heat was warmly contested, but victory went to Batchelor ahead of Garcon, with Sprightly placed third. Given that a sizable portion of Dennis's considerable fortune was based on betting coups, one must wonder if there was more to all this than meets the eye.
The meet's final race was the Beef Stakes, to which 21 people had subscribed 10 guineas each. The race rules required that every horse carry 15 stone over the four-mile course and that they must be ridden by gentlemen, i.e. not by paid jockeys. There was little betting, and the prize worth about £15,000 at today's value was won by Mr Yeats riding his own horse, Minor beating Mr Bowen's horse Garret ridden by Captain Sweedland.
Mr Parker accepted the role of steward for the following year's meeting.
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