Sandown Park Racecourse

Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London.

The venue has hosted bands such as UB40, Madness, Girls Aloud, Spandau Ballet and Simply Red.

The colonel had a younger brother, Hwfa (pronounced 'Hoofer'), who realised that it was an ideal site for horse racing.

James Gill quotes Hwfa's wife, Florence, from her book written in 1935, 'It Was Such Good Fun'.

Bayles praised Sandown in his book, ‘The Race Courses of Great Britain and Ireland’: "A movement for the betterment of English racing by the introduction of an enclosed meeting at Esher in Surrey, close by the Royal residence at Claremont, instituted in 1875, was the harbinger of racecourse reform; with the result that it has induced society to bestow upon it its patronage, by burying the bad reputation of many of its predecessors."

Society did patronise Sandown Park, including the Prince of Wales who won the Eclipse Stakes in 1897 with Persimmon, and in 1900 with Diamond Jubilee.

Colonel W. H. Whitbread, chairman of the famous brewery, had supported jumping for many years (and had ridden in two Grand Nationals and completed the course both times) and conceived the idea of a sponsoring a valuable steeplechase at Sandown.

The first Whitbread Gold Cup, over 3m 5f, with 24 fences, was won by the nine year old, Much Obliged (10/1), carrying 10st 12lbs, trained by Neville Crump, and ridden by J.

From the winning post on the flat course, the ground rises round the first turn, then drops 20 feet in 100 yards.

On the home turn the 'chase course moves to the outside of the flat course, where the horses take the 'Pond' fence, three out, before a slight turn into the home straight for the final two fences, the second of which is divided into two, with half being an open ditch for the first circuit (or the first two circuits in 3m 5f races).