Chesterfield Cup

The Chesterfield Cup, joint fifth oldest race at Glorious Goodwood, along with the Nassau Stakes, is a handicap over 1 mile 1 furlong and 192 yards and was first run in 1839 when known as the Harkaway Cup, and again in 1840 when mysteriously known as the Goodwood Cup of 1839. A year later it became known by the more suitable title of Chesterfield Cup, later adjusted to the Chesterfield Stakes. The race was named after the sixth Earl of Chesterfield, George Stanhope who won 2 Goodwood Cups with Priam who he purchased after the colt had landed the 1830 Epsom Derby. The race was part of the Glorious Goodwood programme up until 1969, then was replaced by the Laurels Handicap over roughly the same distance, but confined to older horses, with the Chesterfield Cup moved to the next meeting in August. The Cup was reintroduced to the Festival programme in 1979 on the last day, but in 1983 became a stalwart of the opening day of the Festival, albeit under a variety of names dependant on its sponsor.
Early history:-The inaugural running of the Chesterfield Cup, then known as the Harkaway Cup, was on Friday 2nd August 1839, was won by Lord Eglinton’s Bellona, beating Confusionee and The Corsair.
Chesterfield Cup 1876 Handicap 1 mile 2 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 COOMASSIE Maidment 4-8st 8lbs Mr Acton 5/1 co fav
2 MONACO G Cooke 4-7st 5lbs Lord Hartington 8/1
3 WALLSEND F Jeffery 4-6st 7lbs Lord Allington 100/1
4 DALHAM Fred Webb 5-9st 5lbs Duke of Westminster 10/1
5 WHITEBAIT Constable 5-8st 6lbs Captain Stirling 50/1
6 GENUINE C Wood 5-8st 0lbs Mr Westbourne 100/1
7 PAGEANT Fred Archer 5-8st 0lbs Mr F Gretton 100/1
8 ST AGATHA Mordan 4-7st 10lbs Captain Prime 100/1
9 WOODLANDS Huxtable 4-7st 10lbs Mr F Swindell 100/1
10 TIBER Chesterman 3-7st 3lbs Mr W R Marshall 100/1
11 HALIFAX Morgan 4-7st 1lbs Lord Rosebery 25/1
12 LORD BERNERS Dodge 4-6st 13lbs Captain Douglas Lane 100/1
13 HOPBLOOM Rossiter 3-6st 13lbs Sir John D Astley 5/1 co fav
14 EMPRESS A Cooke 4-6st 13lbs Mr J N Astley 25/1
15 MOATLANDS Weedon 4-6st 7lbs Mr E Duke 100/6
16 MERRY DUCHESS Wainwright 3-6st 7lbs Mr Meadows 100/7
17 RED CROSS KNIGHT C Archer 3-6st 10lbs Mr Gerard 100/1
18 LITTLE HARRY Faultless 3-6st 7lbs Sir George Chetwynd 15/2
19 EQUANIMITY Cutler 4-6st 6lbs Mr J Bowes 20/1
20 CORREGGIO Pearson 3-6st 5lbs Mr J H Houldsworth 40/1
21 HELLENIST Luke 3-6st 4lbs Lord Ailesbury 5/1 co fav
22 ROYAL GEORGE Brother Gallon 3-5st 9lbs Mr W S Crawfurd 50/1
23 RETROSPECT Murrell 3-5st 7lbs Mr F Gretton 100/1
This race took place on Friday 28th July 1876 and was a subscription race of 15 sovereigns each for all ages. There were 52 subscribers, and it was valued at 300 sovereigns (equivalent to £37,000 in 2021). Over round 121%