Ely Racecourse

Ely Racecourse was a horse racing venue in Cardiff, Wales.

The Racecourse opened in 1855, with the first race being held on 30 May. By 1864 racing at Ely was a regular event, the races that year were acclaimed as 'the most brilliant and successful ever held'.

In 1895 the first Welsh Grand National was held at the Ely Racecourse. It was watched by over 40,000 people, many of whom did not pay for entry after charging the entry gates and overpowering the stewards.

In the early 1900s Attendance figures began to steadily decline and the racecourse never fully recovered from a fire that destroyed the grandstand in 1937.

The last race to be held there in 1939, the race was won by Grasshopper, ridden by Keith Piggott, father of the famous Lester Piggott.

"History of Cardiff Racecourse" by Brian Lee (Cwm Nedd Press)

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