Great Subscription Purse

The Great Subscription Purses were a series of flat horse races in Great Britain run at York Racecourse, usually over a distance of 4 miles, that took place each year in August from 1751 to 1833. During the second half of the 18th century they were amongst the most important races in the county, but during the 19th century their importance declined as racing became more focused on shorter distances.

History

The races first commenced in 1751, with a four-mile race for five-year-olds, each carrying 10 stone, run on the Wednesday of York's August meeting. On the Friday of the meeting a race was run for four-year-olds, each carrying 9 stone. The four-year-old's race was run in two-mile heats.

The format was changed in 1759, with a race for horses aged six and over being added on the Thursday. From 1759 onwards all three races were run over four miles in a single heat.

The conditions of the races were changed in 1818. A race for five-year-olds and older was run on the Tuesday. In the race five-year-olds carried 8 st 7 lb, six-year-olds carried 8 st 12 lb and seven-year-olds and older carried 9 st. A race for four-year-olds was run on Wednesday. In this race colts carried 8 st 7 lb and fillies carried 8 st 4 lb. The final race was for four-year-olds and five-year-olds and was run on Thursday. Four-year-olds carried 8 st and five-year-olds carried 8 st 11 lb. All races were still run over four miles.

In 1826 the four-year-old race and the four- and five-year-old race were both shortened to two miles. In the four-year-old race the weights stayed the same and in the four- and five-year-old race four-year-olds carried 8 st 3 lb and five-year-olds 8 st 10 lb. The races were discontinued after the 1833 runnings.

Records

Most successful horse (5 wins):

Catton – 1814 (5 yo & 6 yo+), 1815 (6 yo+), 1816 (6 yo+), 1825 (6 yo+)

Winners 1751–1817

Year	4yo race winner	Owner	5yo race winner	Owner	6yo+ race winner	Owner
1751	Spanker	Mr. Hunt	Skim	2nd Earl of Portmore
1752	Duchess	William Fenwick	Scampston-Cade	Sir William St Quintin
1753	Tantivy	Mr. Mann	Match'em	William Fenwick
1754	Syphon	William Fenwick	Whistlejacket	Sir W. Middleton
1755	Judgment	Mr. Swinburn	Romulus	4th Earl of Sandwich
1756	Miner	Mr. Robinson	Brisk	Sir John Ramsden
1757	Wildair	Mr. Swinburn	Hambleton	Mr. Swinburn
1758	Fairy	4th Duke of Devonshire	Hero	W. Preston
1759	Panglos	Mr. Dixon	Silvio	Mr. Hutton	Careless	Mr. Warren
1760	Boreas	Mr. Dixon	Engineer	Mr. Fenton	Careless	Mr. Warren
1761	Alipes	Sir B. Graham	Skipjack	Mr. Wentworth	Scrub	2nd Marquess of Rockingham
1762	Eloisa	Mr.Dixon	Julius Caesar	Mr. Smith	Skipjack	Mr. Wentworth
1763	Miracle	Mr. Pratt	Yorkshire Jenny	Mr. Vevers	Engineer	Mr. Fenton
1764	Cygnet	R. Shafto	Shuttle	Mr. Fenwick	Beaufremont	Mr. Stapleton
1765	Dux	Mr. Fenwick	Royal George	Mr. Coulson	Antinous	3rd Duke of Grafton
1766	Petruchio	Mr. Pratt	Dux	Mr. Fenwick	Bay Malton	2nd Marquess of Rockingham
1767	A-la-greque	Mr. Pratt	Morwick-Ball	Mr. Vevers	Beaufremont	Mr. Stapleton
1768	Cosmo	Mr. Thompson	A-la-greque	Mr. Pratt	Pilgrim	2nd Marquess of Rockingham
1769	Holyhock	2nd Viscount Bolingbroke	Bucephalus	Peregrine Wentworth	Chatsworth	Sir Lawrence Dundas
1770	Amaranthus	J. S. Barry	Carabineer	Mr. Vevers	Eclipse	Dennis O'Kelly
1771	Miss Timms	Mr. Pratt	Amaranthus	J. S. Barry	Holyhock	Mr. Blake
1772	Lady Bell	Mr. Fenwick	Lothario	Mr. Wentworth	Mark	Mr. Wentworth
1773	Perdita	Sir John Lister Kaye	Scaramouch	2nd Duke of Kingston	Regulator	Sir Charles Sedley
1774	Takamahaka	4th Earl of Abingdon	Perdita	Sir John Lister Kaye	Trentham	Sir Charles Sedley
1775	Infidel	Mr. Bethell	Pilot	Sir Harry Harpur	Juniper	Sir Harry Harpur
1776	Tuberose	Sir Thomas Gascoigne	Miss Cornforth	Mr. Preston	Maiden	Mr. Pratt
1777	Cannibal	Sir Thomas Gascoigne	Dorimant	16th Earl of Ormonde	Pilot	Sir Harry Harpur
1778	Bourdeaux	Mr. Douglas	Magog	Sir Thomas Gascoigne	Carbuncle	Mr. Osbaldeston
1779	Honest Robin	Mr. Bethell	Highflyer	Mr. Tattersall	Highflyer	Mr. Tattersall
1780	Copperbottom	2nd Marquess of Rockingham	Duchess	Mr. Burdon	Orpheus	Mr. Burdon
1781	Fortitude	1st Baron Grosvenor	Hermit	Mr. Hutchinson	Duchess	Mr. Burdon
1782	Thornville	Mr. Wentworth	Privateer	Mr. Pratt	Privateer	Mr. Pratt
1783	Columbus	Mr. Wentworth	Recovery	Sir John Lister Kaye	Fortitude	1st Baron Grosvenor
1784	Phoenomenon	Sir John Lister Kaye	Phoenomenon	Sir John Lister Kaye	Faith	Mr. Garforth
1785	Pitch	Mr. Hutchinson	Temperance	Earl of Surrey	Glancer	Mr. Wentworth
1786	Verjuice	Mr. Wentworth	Delhini	Sir F. Standish	Delhini	Sir F. Standish
1787	Windlestone	Mr. Wetherell	Verjuice	Mr. Wentworth	Rockingham	Mr. Bullock
1788	Bustler	5th Duke of Bedford	Windlestone	Mr. Wetherell	Dubskelper	11th Duke of Norfolk
1789	Traveller	Mr. Hutchinson	Spadille	Lord A. Hamilton	Cavendish	Mr. Baker
1790	Walnut	Lord A. Hamilton	Escape	Prince of Wales	Dubskelper	11th Duke of Norfolk
1791	Contessina	Mr. Peirse	Walnut	Lord A. Hamilton	Tickle Toby	Mr. Waftell
1792	Overton	Mr.Hutchinson	Contessina	Mr. Peirse	Tickle Toby	Mr. Robertson
1793	Cayenne	1st Earl Grosvenor	Huby	Mr. Wentworth	Tickle Toby	Mr. Robertson
1794	Oberon	Mr. Hutchinson	Ormond	Mr. Wentworth	Rosamond	Mr. Peirse
1795	Phoenomenon colt	Mr. Garforth	Screveton	Mr. Baker	Ormond	Mr. Wentworth
1796	Hambletonian	Sir Charles Turner	Eliza	Mr. Wilson	Screveton	Mr. Baker
1797	Harry Rowe	Mr. Wentworth	Hambletonian	Sir Harry Vane Tempest	Hambletonian	Sir Harry Vane Tempest
1798	Stamford	Sir F. Standish	Hyperion	Mr. Dawson	Hyperion	Mr. Dawson
1799	Jonas	Mr. Baker	Timothy	Sir Thomas Gascoigne	Ambrosio	Mr. Cookson
1800	Cockfighter	Sir Harry Vane Tempest	Walnut horse	Mr. Peirse	Hambletonian	Sir Harry Vane Tempest
1801	Agonistes	Earl of Darlington	Cockfighter	Sir Harry Vane Tempest	Cockfighter	Sir Harry Vane Tempest
1802	Quiz	Mr. Dawson	Haphazard	Earl of Darlington	Sir Solomon	Mr. Johnson
1803	Stockton	Mr. Mellish	Alonzo	Mr. Bradling	Haphazard	Earl of Darlington
1804	Remembrancer	10th Earl of Strathmore	Traveller horse	Mr. Garforth	Haphazard	Earl of Darlington
1805	Vesta	Mr. Garforth	Ferguson	Mr. Peirse	Marcia	Mr. Garforth
1806	Trafalgar	Earl of Darlington	Vesta	Mr. Garforth	Marcia	Mr. Garforth
1807	Cassio	10th Earl of Strathmore	Crazy	9th Duke of Hamilton	Priscilla	N. Hodgson
1808	Archduke colt	Earl of Darlington	Rosette	Mr. Peirse	Rosette	Mr. Peirse
1809	Theresa	Sir Mark Masterman Sykes	Paulina	4th Earl Fitzwilliam	Rosette	Mr. Peirse
1810	Lisette	Mr. Peirse	Whitworth	Mr. Shafto	Mowbray	6th Duke of Leeds
1811	Oriana	Sir William Gerard	Ashton	9th Duke of Hamilton	Mowbray	6th Duke of Leeds
1812	Sir Malagigi	Sir Mark Masterman Sykes	Octavian	6th Duke of Leeds	Mowbray	6th Duke of Leeds
1813	Langold	T. Duncombe	Sir Malagigi	Sir Mark Masterman Sykes	Woodman	N. Hodgson
1814	Prime Minister	Sir Mark Masterman Sykes	Catton	6th Earl of Scarbrough	Catton	6th Earl of Scarbrough
1815	Eborina	Mr. Peirse	Altisidora	Mr. Watts	Catton	6th Earl of Scarbrough
1816	Dinmont	Lord Milton	King David	6th Marquess of Queensberry	Catton	6th Earl of Scarbrough
1817	Captain Candid	Mr. Watts	Dinmont	Lord Milton	King David	6th Marquess of Queensberry

Winners 1818–1833

Year	4 yo race winner	Owner	4 & 5 yo race winner	Owner	5 yo+ race winner	Owner
1818	Blacklock	Richard Watt	Blacklock	Richard Watt	The Duchess	Mr. Lambton
1819	Reveller	Mr. Peirse	Cambyses	Sir M. Sykes	Blacklock	Richard Watt
1820	Wrangler	Mr. Peirse	The Juggler	T. O. Powlett	Reveller	Mr. Peirse
1821	Cora	Mr. Gascoigne	The Black Prince	6th Earl of Scarbrough	Reveller	Mr. Peirse
1822	Fortuna	Mr. Lambton	Cora	Mr. Gascoigne	Richard	Mr. Lambton
1823	Cerberus	Mr. Watt	Dupore	Mr. Watt	Fortuna	Mr. Lambton
1824	Conductor	O. Powlett	Carnival	Mr. Lambton	Duport	Mr. Watt
1825	Elizabeth	Mr. Gascoigne	Elizabeth	Mr. Gascoigne	Catton	6th Earl of Scarbrough
1826	Actaeon	Viscount of Kelburn	Florismart	Lord Milton	Confederate	Lord Milton
1827	Mulatto	4th Earl Fitzwilliam	Mulatto	4th Earl Fitzwilliam	Actaeon	Viscount of Kelburn
1828	Moonshine	6th Duke of Leeds	Lady Georgiana		Purity	Viscount of Kelburn
1829	Cambridge	6th Earl of Scarbrough	Medoro	Lord Milton	Granby	Mr. Petre
1830	no races 1830
1831	Maria	Marquess of Cleveland	Rowton	Mr. Petre	Cambridge	6th Earl of Scarbrough
1832	Consol	Mr. Walker	Contest	Mr. Houldsworth	Retriever	Viscount of Kelburn
1833	Voluna	Mr. Walker	Voluna	Mr. Walker	Emancipation	1st Duke of Cleveland

Great Subscription Purse

History

Records

Winners 1751–1817

Winners 1818–1833

See also