Danebury Vineyards is situated on the old paddocks of what was once a very famous racing yard, close to the now defunct Stockbridge racecourse.

The racecourse was first mentioned in 1735 and its reputation grew steadily over the years. It was greatly helped in 1746 when the then Prince of Wales awarded a prize of 60gn "as a present to the town". He continued with this prize for the next four years.

Stockbridge Racecourse also owed much of its fame to the Bibury Racing Club. The Club moved to Stockbridge in 1831, where they made their headquarters at the Grosvenor Arms Hotel. The Bibury Club succeeded in making the Stockbridge racecourse, with its beautiful natural setting, one of the most attractive and popular in the country. The racecourse was lengthened to 3 miles (24 furlongs) with new starting posts, giving the opportunity of running one-mile races. The new enclosure incorporated the jockeys' stand, the grandstand and the Bibury Club stand.

However, the happy situation was terminated when the landowner, Sir John Barker Mill, who owned part of the land that the racecourse ran over, died. His daughter Mrs Audrey Barker Mill succeeded him and she decided to withdraw the lease on the course, as she had always disapproved of her father's gaming, racing and betting ways. Her decision was a great blow to both the locals and the racecourse, which subsequently closed. The Bibury Club then moved to Salisbury racecourse where it has flourished ever since.

Danebury House has been associated with the Stockbridge Racecourse throughout its history. The first patron was Lord George Bentinck who, with the help of his friend Lord Sherborne, decided to invest a great deal of his wealth in rebuilding the racecourse. He also expanded and updated the stabling facilities and what was then called Chattis Hill Cottage. This was where the local trainer, John Barham Day, and his family lived and so the cottage became known as Days Cottage. The name lives on to this day and can still be seen on the nameplate of the cottage.

Lord Bentinck and the Day family were associated with Danebury House and the Stockbridge racecourse for many years. It was Lord Bentinck who was largely responsible for extending Danebury House to how we know it today. He established the gallops, a large complex of courtyards, stabling and paddocks thus creating a large breeding and training yard, run by the Day family. During the reigns of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII Danebury stables was probably the most successful horse-training establishment in the country, sending out many great horses that won the Derby, the Oaks and the St Leger. Many of the Day family were excellent jockeys and rode the winners of these races.

The names of two of the more controversial Derby winners are now carried on bottles of the wine produced by Danebury Vineyards. The dry white wine is named after the winner of the 1846 Derby, Pyrrhus the First. Pyrrhus was previously beaten in the 2000 Guineas by Sir Tatton Sykes, ridden by Bill Scott, and would undoubtedly have been beaten again in the Derby if Scott had not been drunk and unable to steer his mount on a proper course! The dry sparkling wine is named after the 1847 Derby winner, Cossack, who was owned by a bookmaker and sent off at odds of 5-1 in a record field of 32 runners. The favourite, Van Tromp, finished third and the jockey was accused of 'pulling' the horse and subsequently sacked. To prove the point, later in the St. Leger Van Tromp, with a different jockey, convincingly beat Cossack.

On the retirement of John Day, Tom Cannon took over the management of the stables. He was an excellent jockey, reputed to be one of the finest riders of his time, and first came to Danebury in 1860 as a young lad of 14 years. In 1865 Tom Cannon married Kate Day and they had three sons who all became renowned jockeys and trainers in their own right. They also had two daughters Alys and Margaret. Margaret in marrying Ernie Piggott became the grandmother of the famous jockey Lester Piggott.

During Tom Cannon's time at Danebury the estate was made up of 2,340 acres of land and more than 100 grooms, stable hands, domestics and gardeners. Some of these employees lived in the four cottages on the estate or in the rooms over the stable blocks, others came up daily from Nether Wallop. The stud groom lived in a cottage known as Stud House which still stands today at the entrance to Danebury House.

This was the last great flowering of Stockbridge Racecourse. Set in a natural hollow in the downs, ringed by the Iron age hill fort of Danebury Rings and the Turret on one side and Chattis Hill and the woods on the other, its turf was well drained and springy, full of flowers and scents on a warm summers day. The Racecourse was very popular among all walks of life and access was available to all due to the railway line that ran from London, with stations both at Fullerton and Stockbridge, thus providing a day out for the family and City folk. The main meeting at Stockbridge racecourse was held each year over three days in June. The Parish at this time would be full to bursting, with all kinds of traps, carriages, and four-in-hands with drivers and Postillions going to and fro from the course. All of the thirteen hotels and pubs would have been full so a lot of the cabbies would sleep where they could and their horses would be stabled in the various yards. Stockbridge Racecourse had the sort of reputation and following enjoyed by Ascot today.

At this time The Prince of Wales was a frequent visitor, arriving at the Racecourse via Andover and then travelling on by carriage to either Danebury House, where he stayed as a guest of Tom Cannon, or to stay in Stockbridge. The other frequent visitor was his then 23year old companion, Lillie Langtry. On their visits to Stockbridge Racecourse, The Prince of Wales would stay at Hermit Lodge, Stockbridge, by the side of the River Test and Lillie would stay in a smaller house on the other side of the River. It is said that The Prince of Wales had a special footbridge built, covered in an awning for their meetings to take place.

These heady days were to come to an end with the closure of the Racecourse, a sad end to what had been such a colourful history and thriving town.