New books looks at horseracing in Cavan
Paul Fitzpatrick
You may think that there is a very limited tradition of horseracing in Cavan, but you would be wrong.
Kilbeggan author Stan McCormack recently launched a book, Racing Through the Midlands- Westmeath & Offaly, which sheds some light on the history of racing in this county.
Horse racing in official terms has not taken place in Cavan since 1911 but records indicate that first races in Cavan town was in 1752 and it was sporadic up to 1911, with around 28 meetings taking place.
Belturbet’s town council organised and sponsored an annual races from at least 1704 (they also had racing in 1758) and the last recorded meeting was around 1883.Racing also took place in Finea on the Westmeath border, Killeshandra, Cootehill, and a meeting in Kilnacreevy in 1843.
Bob Booty was one of the greatest horses in Ireland in the early 19th century and won at Cavan in 1807. A number of racecourses were revived in the early 1900’s like Kilbeggan (1901) and in 1906 Cavan was revived and after a successful meeting the promoters tried to make it a permanent fixture, but unfortunately it failed.
Finea commenced in the 18th century and was popular in 1777. Even in 1810 the organisers of the Finea races were at pains to point out that the new course was completed and proudly stated “it was one of the best in Ireland”.
The book contains a light hearted story recounted by Leslie Brabazon involving the Cochrane Cup presented by Sir Stanley Cochrane at Cavan races.
T.C Foster was a headmaster of Farra School in Westmeath (He was an amateur boxing champion and a founder of Belvedere Rugby Club). He owned Sunburst II trained by Cecil Brabazon and ridden by Leslie Brabazon, who was good horse and won the Cochrane Cup.
If he won the following year, Foster could keep the cup but he sold the horse to Germany. He bought a mare called You to Blazes to try to get the win but the horse “wouldn’t beat a clothes horse”. The entries for the race included Harry Ussher’s Galway Plate winner Ashbrook and many other good horses.
When the trainers saw all the good entries they one by one took out their horses leaving You to Blazes as the only entry. Harry Ussher said afterwards that if he could “have got the horse to Cavan by telegraph he’d have done it”.
To win most races three entries were required but this did not apply in the Cochrane Cup . The untalented You to Blazes (who couldn’t jump) strolled past the judge’s box and Mr Foster won the cup.
The full story is in Stan McCormack’s recently launched book “Racing Through the Midlands-Westmeath & Offaly” (440 pages) €20 paperback/€25 hardback +postage. (Phone 087 7499857 and address 4 Tullamore Rd, Kilbeggan). You can also check the website www.racingthroughthemidlands.com. for all the details & information