Waterloo Cup

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Hare coursing event

title: "Waterloo Cup" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["greyhound-coursing-competitions-in-the-united-kingdom", "1836-establishments-in-england", "2005-disestablishments-in-england"] description: "Hare coursing event" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_Cup" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Hare coursing event ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/SirMichaelStoute2005.jpg" caption="[[Sir Mark Prescott]] and the cups, February 2005"] ::

The Waterloo Cup was a hare coursing event organised by the National Coursing Club. The three-day event was run annually at Great Altcar in Lancashire, England, from 1836 to 2005 and it used to attract tens of thousands of spectators to watch and gamble on the coursing matches. It was founded by a Liverpool hotelier on land owned by William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton, who was patron of the event until his death in 1838. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Fleck_of_hare_fur_from_the_last_Waterloo_Cup_meet,_February,_2005.jpg" caption="Fleck of hare fur from the last Waterloo Cup meet, February, 2005."] ::

The Waterloo Cup meet was the biggest annual coursing event in the United Kingdom and was often referred to by its supporters as the blue riband event of the coursing year. A hare coursing event of identical name was held in Australia from 1868 to 1985, at which point it became a lure coursing event.

Run as a knock-out tournament between sixty-four coursing greyhounds from Great Britain and Ireland, supporters described the meet as the ultimate test of a greyhound, but opponents of hare coursing, such as the League Against Cruel Sports, saw it as a celebration of cruelty. The Hunting Act 2004, which came into force just after the 2005 cup, made hare coursing events unlawful in England and Wales, and the Waterloo Cup has not taken place since.

History

The Waterloo Cup was the premier event in the coursing calendar and was known as the 'blue ribbon of the leash'. It was inaugurated in 1836 by Mr William Lynn, proprietor of the Waterloo Hotel in Liverpool's Ranelagh Street. Encouraged by the extra trade generated by the Waterloo Cup, the Liverpool entrepreneur turned his attention to the Turf the following year and organised the first running of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, known as the Grand National since 1839.

The first winner of the Waterloo Cup was a bitch named Milanie, owned by Lord Molyneux, the eldest son of the Earl of Sefton, on whose land the contest was run on the plains of Altcar. In addition to stakes of £16, Lord Molyneux won a trophy in the form of a silver snuff box.

The first supreme champion in the sport of coursing was Lord Lurgan's greyhound Master McGrath, who won the Waterloo Cup three times, in 1868, 1869, and 1871. The dog became a household name in Britain, and such was his fame that Queen Victoria commanded his appearance at Windsor Castle. Master McGrath set the standard by which all later greyhounds would be judged. The great dog's record was finally eclipsed by Colonel North's greyhound "Fullerton" who recorded four consecutive victories in the Waterloo Cup between 1889 and 1892.

In later years the event has been championed by Newmarket trainer Sir Mark Prescott.

The 2005 event, held on 1416 February, was eventually won by a dog called Shashi, bred by Ernest Smith, and owned by him with Albert Shackcloth and Michael Darnell. Trained at Malton, North Yorkshire, by Jonathan Teal, the winner beat Hardy Admiral, owned by Diana Williams, in the final. The event was memorably filmed by Paul Yule for the documentary The Last Waterloo Cup, subsequently shown on the BBC.

Past winners

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Year	Winner	Owner	1836	1837	1838	1839	1840	1841	1842	1843	1844	1845	1846	1847	1848	1849	1850	1851	1852	1853	1854	1855	1856	1857	1858	1859*	1859*	1860	1861	1862	1863	1864	1865	1866	1867	1868	1869	1870	1871	1872	1873	1874	1875	1876	1877	1878	1879	1880	1881	1882	1883	1884	1885*	1885*	1886	1887*	1887*	1888	1889*	1889*	1890	1891	1892	1893	1894	1895	1896	1897	1898	1899	1900	1901	1902	1903	1904	1905	1906	1907	1908	1909	1910	1911	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919+	1920	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Milanie	Mr William Lynn
Fly	Mr Jebb
Bugle	Mr Ball
Empress	Mr Robinson
Earwig	Mr Easterby
Bloomsbury	Mr King
Priam	Mr Deakin
Major	Mr G Pollok
Speculation	Mr N Slater
Titania	Mr Jebb
Harlequin	Mr Barge
Senate	Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton
Shade	Sir St George Gore, 8th Baronet
Magician	Sir St George Gore, 8th Baronet
Cerito	Mr G F Cooke
Hughie Graham	Mr W Sharpe
Cerito	Mr G F Cooke
Cerito	Mr G F Cooke
Sackcloth	Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton
Judge	Mt T Brocklebank
Protest	Mr J Bakens
King Lear	Mr W Wilson
Neville	Mr S Cass
Clive	Mr J Jardine
Selby	Mr Mr J Gordon
Maid of the Mill	Mr J Blackstock
Canaradzo	Mr J Hyslop
Roaring Meg	Mr J Challander
Chloe	Mr T T C Lister
King Death	Mr T Williams
Meg	Colonel Goodlake
Brigadier	Mr Gorton
Lobelia	Mr E W Stocker
Master M'Grath	Charles Brownlow, 2nd Baron Lurgan
Master M'Grath	Charles Brownlow, 2nd Baron Lurgan
Sea Cove (late Covet)	Mr J Spink
Master M'Grath	Charles Brownlow, 2nd Baron Lurgan
Bed of Stone	Mr J Briggs
Muriel	Mr R Jardine
Magnano	Mr C Morgan
Honeymoon	Mr W F Hutchinson
Donald	Mr R M Douglas
Coomassie	Mr R F Wilkins
Coomassie	M H F Stocken
Misterton	Mr H G Miller
Honeywood	Mr R B Carruthers
Princess Dagmar	Mr H G Miller
Snowflight	Mr Ellis
Wild Mint	Mr G J Alexander
Mineral Water	Mr C E Marfleet
Bit of Fashion	Mr E Dent
Miss Glendyne	Mr J Hinks
Miss Glendyne	Mr R B Carruthers
Greater Scot	Mr R F Gladstone
Herschel	Mr T D Hornby
Burnaby	Mr L Pilkington
Fullerton	Colonel J T North
Troughend	Mr J Badger
Fullerton	Colonel J T North
Fullerton	Colonel J T North
Fullerton	Colonel J T North
Character	Mr R L Cotterell
Texture	Count Stroganoff
Thoughtless Beauty	Mr R B Carruthers
Fabulous Fortune	Messrs Fawcett's
Gallant	Mr T P Hale
Wild Night	Mr J Trevor
Black Fury	Mr J B Thompson
Fearless Footsteps	Mr J H Bibby
Fearless Footsteps	Mr J H Bibby
Farndon Ferry	Mr G F Fawcett
Father Flint	Mr J H Bibby
Hornfray	Mr G Darlinson
Pistol II	Mr W H Pawson
Hoprend	Mr H Hardy
Long Span	Sir Robert Jardine, 2nd Baronet
Hallow Eve (late Forest Kitten)	Mr E Hulton
Dendraspis	Messrs. J E & S M Dennis
Heavy Weapon	Mr S Hill-Wood
Jabberwock	Sir Robert Jardine, 2nd Baronet
Tide Time	Mr J W Fullerton
Hung Well	Mr S Hill-Wood
Dilwyn	Mr A P Pope
Winning Number	Sir T Dewar
Harmonicon	Mr E Hulton
No competition
No competition
Jakin	Sir Robert Jardine, 2nd Baronet
Fighting Force	Mr N Dunn
Shortcoming	The Countess of Sefton
Guard's Brigade	Dudley Marjoribanks, 3rd Baron Tweedmouth
Latto	Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale
Cushey Job	Mr A Gordon Smith
Pentonville	Mr H C Pilkington
Jovial Judge	Mr J l Jarvis
Golden Seal	Mr A Gordon Smith
White Collar	Mrs Sofer Whitburn
Golden Surprise	Mr A Gordon Smith
Church Street	Mr Geo Smith
Conversion	Mr T Cook
Ben Tinto	Mr W Ellis
Genial Nobleman	Mr J L Jarvis
Bryn Truthful	Major H Peel
Dee Rock	Mr J E Dennis
Hand Grenade	Mr J Campbell
Rotten Row	Mr R Rank
Perambulate	Mr H C Pilkington
Delightful Devon	Mr H Dyke
Dee Flint	Mr J E Dennis
Swinging Light	Mr R C Brownlee
Swinging Light	Mr R C Brownlee
Countryman	Mr T Cronoplos
Dutton Swordfish	Mrs J A Dewar
Bryn Tritoma	Miss G A Allen
Maesydd Michael	Mrs S Whitburn
Constable	Mr E Baxter
Noted Sunlight	Mr N Shaw
Life Line	Mr T Holmes
Roving Minstrel	Mrs A Rhodes-Moorhouse
Peter's Poet	Sir Richard G W Burbidge
Dew Whaler	Mr J A Dewar
Holystone Lifelong	Major G A Renwick
Cotton King	Mr T Noble
Full Pete	Major J J Fullerton
Magical Love	Mr T E Murgatroyd
Old Kentucky Minstrel	Mr J Clarke
Holystone Elf	Mr W Proctor-Smith
Mutual Friend	Mr M Forsyth-Forrest
Jonquil	Mrs B Kerr
Dubedoon	Mr A J Morris
Best Champagne	Mr G B Cary
Himalayan Climber	Mr P McAlinden
Latin Lover	Mr L Lucas
Nicelya Head	Mr A H Birtwhistle
Just Better	Mr G R Graham
Haich Bee	Mr P J Duggan
Not Run
Not Run
Rooney Magnet	Mr S F Land
So Clever	Hugh Molyneux, 7th Earl of Sefton
Linden Eland	Mr A S Cathcart
Modest Newdown	Mr W Lee
Not Run
Hardly Ever	Mrs D Ellis
Minnesota Miller	Mr M Sullivan
Minnesota Miller	Mr M Sullivan
Not Run
Not Run
Not Run
Timworth Edward	Lady Turnbull
Play Solo	Mr J N Donaldson
Luda Hussar	Mr W Burton
Tobertelly Queen	Mr W Gaskin
Hear and There	Mr W Gaskin
Not Run
Mousetail	Mrs J M Collins
React Fraggl	Mr W Gaskin & Miss E Ryan
React Fagan	Mr R Hopper
Sam The Man	Mr D Truelove
Evening Mail	Mrs D Ellis
Johns Mascot	J. Gaskin
Crafty Tessie	S. Guerin
Not Run
React Robert	T. Ryan
Dashing Oak	P. J. Daly
Teds Move	C.J. Shaw & D. Morgan
Drill the Lads	D.M. Gunter
Judicial Inquiry	D. Flanagan
Suncrest Tina	F. Allen
Not Run (foot and mouth)
Petite Glory	H. G. Fetherstonhaugh
Henrietta	M. Barry & L. Burke
Why You Monty	A. Condon
Shashi	E. Smith, A Shackcloth & M. Darnell
::

Cup divided

Substituted event called the Victory Cup

References

[http://www.donovanandassociates.com.au/bm.doc/donovan-news-39.pdf Donovan Associates - Donovan News No.39 Spring 2007]
"The Last Waterloo Cup".
Genders, Roy. (2009). "The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound". Page Brothers.
"WATERLOO CUP RESULTS 1922 - 1963".
(2011). "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) February edition". Greyhound Star.

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