Carlisle Bell

The Carlisle Bell is a historic British flat horse race, first contested in 1599 and still run today. The race's name relates to the bells which were awarded to the winners of the race in the reign of Elizabeth I. These bells are reputed to be the oldest horse racing prizes in Britain^[1] and are now held at the Carlisle Guildhall Museum.^[2]

Carlisle Bell

Handicap race
Location	Carlisle Racecourse Carlisle, England
Inaugurated	1599
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Website	Carlisle
Race information
Distance	7f 173y (1,566 metres)
Surface	Turf
Qualification	Three-years-old and up
Weight	Handicap
Purse	£31,000 (2022) 1st: £16,416

Carlisle Bell

2018
Waarif	Raselasad	Presidential

Previous years
2017
Carnageo	King's Pavilion	Georgian Bay
2016
Edgar Balthazar	Alejandro	Alexandrakollontai
2015
Ifwecan	Provident Spirit	Our Boy Jack
2014
Johnno	Sound Advice	Balducci
2013
Silvery Moon	Chookie Royale	Pacific Heights
2012
Levitate	Toto Skyllachy	Silvery Moon
2011
Miami Gator	Vito Volterra	Take It To The Max
2010
Camerooney	Major Phil	Smarty Socks
2009
Stevie Gee	Motafarred	Bold Marc
2008
Osteopathic Remedy	Bold Marc	Rainbow Mirage
2007
Bold Marc	Prince Evelith	Daaweitza
2006
Regent's Secret	Riley Boys	Hula Ballew
2005
Hartshead	Goodbye Mr Bond	African Sahara
2004
Goodbye Mr Bond	Countykat	Tedstale
2003
Top Dirham	Definite Guest	Investment Affair

It is run at Carlisle Racecourse over a distance of 7 furlongs and 173 yards (1,566 metres) and it is scheduled to take place each year in June alongside another historic race the Cumberland Plate.

The bells

There are two bells. The larger one, 2 1/2 inches in diameter, was donated by Lady Dacre in 1559^[3] and bears the inscription:

The sweftes horse thes bel to tak for mi lade Daker sake
(The swiftest horse this bell to take for my lady Dacre's sake)

The second, smaller bell is inscribed 1599 H.B.M.C which is believed to stand for "Henry Baines, Mayor of Carlisle".^[4]

Civic records from the 17th century list the bells among four racing prizes competed for at Carlisle.^[5]

"We request that Mr Mayor and his bretheren shall call for the silver broad arrows and the stock and the horse and nage bells with all expedition to be employed for maintaining of a horse race for the city's use (upon the king's moor) at such time yearly as they shall think convenient and to article"

— Carlisle civic records, 1619

The bells were thought to have been lost for many years, but were rediscovered in a box in the town clerk's office in the late 19th century.

Winners since 1988

Year	Winner	Age	Weight	Jockey	Trainer	Time
1988	Affaire De Coeur	4	7-03	S Wood	Patrick Haslam	1:40.40
1989	Overpower	5	8-08	A Mercer	Bill Watts	1:38.40
1990	Causley	5	9-05	Bruce Raymond	Bryan McMahon	1:40.10
1991	Miss Sarajane	7	8-02	Gary Hind	Reg Hollinshead	1:40.70
1992	Spanish Verdict	5	9-08	Darryll Holland	Denys Smith	1:38.20
1993	Queen Warrior	4	7-11	D Wright	Peter Walwyn	1:39.50
1994	Master Of the House	8	7-13	J Marshall	Mickey Hammond	1:39.80
1995	Master Of the House	9	8-06	J Marshall	Mickey Hammond	1:38.20
1996	Habeta	10	8-02	George Duffield	Bill Watts	1:37.40
1997	Rainbow Rain	3	9-01	Michael Roberts	Mark Johnston	1:39.00
1998	Lucky Archer	5	8-12	Kevin Darley	Milton Bradley	1:43.30
1999	Pas de Memoires	4	9-12	Dean McKeown	Karl Burke	1:39.10
2000	Kirovski	3	8-08	John Egan	Peter Harris	1:38.80
2001[lower-alpha 1]	Kestral	5	8-12	C Lowther	T Etherington	1:38.30
2002	Travelling Band	4	9-09	Liam Keniry	Ian Balding	1:39.80
2003	Top Dirham	5	9-07	Dale Gibson	Mick Easterby	1:38.63
2004	Goodbye Mr Bond	4	9-01	Franny Norton	Eric Alston	1:40.53
2005	Hartshead	6	9-09	Fergal Lynch	Alan Swinbank	1:37.69
2006	Regent's Secret	6	9-03	Fergal Lynch	Jim Goldie	1:39.06
2007	Bold Marc	5	9-07	Andrew Elliott	Karl Burke	1:39.19
2008	Osteopathic Remedy	4	9-04	Tom Eaves	Michael Dods	1:43.48
2009	Stevie Gee	5	9-08	Joe Fanning	Alan Swinbank	1:39.77
2010	Camerooney	7	9-02	Dale Swift	Brian Ellison	1:39.58
2011	Miami Gator	4	9-00	Andrew Elliott	Karl Burke	1:41.00
2012	Levitate	4	9-10	William Twiston-Davies	Alan McCabe	1:44.77
2013	Silvery Moon	6	9-07	Robert Winston	Tim Easterby	1:38.48
2014	Johnno	5	9-03	Adrian Nicholls	David Nicholls	1:38.69
2015	Ifwecan	4	9-06	Joe Fanning	Mark Johnston	1:39.11
2016	Edgar Balthazar	4	9-05	Philip Makin	Keith Dalgleish	1:37.02
2017	Carnageo	4	9-02	Paul Hanagan	Richard Fahey	1:43.09
2018	Waarif	5	8-12	Conor McGovern	David O'Meara	1:35.84
2019	Rousayan	8	9-07	David Egan	Roger Fell	1:38.17
	no race 2020 [lower-alpha 2]
2021	Chichester	4	9-09	Joe Fanning	Keith Dalgleish	1:37.25
2022	Invincibly	4	9-07	Clifford Lee	Karl Burke	1:38.04
2023	Mostawaa	7	9-08	Hollie Doyle	Heather Main	1:41.79

1. The 2001 Carlisle Bell was run at Thirsk
2. The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom^[6]

See also

• Horse racing in Great Britain
• List of British flat horse races

References

1. "History of Horseracing". Carlisle Racecourse. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
2. "Museums and galleries". Carlisle City Council. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
3. Mortimer, Onslow & Willett 1978, p. 107.
4. Strutt 1801, p. 34.
5. "Carlisle Racing Bells and Cumberland Plate". BBC Cumbria. 27 June 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
6. Carr, David (10 June 2020). "Historic Carlisle Bell falls foul of pandemic as Jockey Club counts the cost". Racing Post. Retrieved 11 June 2020.

• Racing Post
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
  • 2018, 2019, 2022

Bibliography

• Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopaedia of British Racing. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
• Strutt, Joseph (1801). The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England from the Earliest Period. Methuen. Retrieved 21 May 2013.