 Founded in 1890, the course was first known as Forest Lodge, and for the first meeting there were five events with total prize money of ninety-nine sovereigns.Just prior to the turn of the 20th century, and before meetings commenced at Forest Lodge, trotting and pacing was confined primarily to match races between enthusiasts without any serious attempt at organisation.Following some preliminary discussions, thirty-three of the sport's supporters met on 4 June 1902 at the saddlery shop of J. McGrath, a well-known harness maker of the day.