The earliest known horse races in the Manchester area were run at
Barlow Moor, first recorded in 1647, and again from 1697 to 1701 and the earliest record of horse-racing on
Kersal Moor is from a notice in the
London Gazette of 2–5 May 1687. There were a number of other short-lived courses or one-off steeplechases at, for example,
Heaton Park (1827–38),
Eccles (1839),
Harpurhey (1845) and
Stretford (on the site of the
Old Trafford Cricket Ground, 1841 and 1852–4) but from 1687 to 1847, Kersal Moor was the main racing venue for Manchester. regular fixtures recommenced in 1759 and were then held every year. A grandstand was built by subscription in 1777, followed by a ladies' stand equipped for refreshments, in 1780. In 1840, the course was described as having a grandstand and a number of other buildings and a "fine run in". By this time, two meetings were held annually — the long-standing
Whit races, which attracted over 100,000 spectators, and another meeting in August. The Kersal Moor course closed permanently in 1847 when the Manchester Racecourse Committee's lease ran out and was not renewed.
Castle Irwell After the closure of the Kersal Moor course, racing was moved across the
River Irwell to a site known as Castle Irwell, named after the large, castellated house on the site. The land was rented for £500 per annum on a twenty-year lease from
John Fitzgerald, who was a
Member of Parliament and the owner of
Pendleton Colliery. The course, built on flat land in a
meander of the river, was damp and boggy, prone to mist and the going was heavy. However, a large grandstand was erected, to seat over 1,000 spectators, and the course, being bounded by the river on three sides, was easier to manage than Kersal Moor. The whole course could be seen from the grandstand and from Castle Hill, across the river but the approaches to the course were guarded by toll-men. Richard Wright proctor wrote in 1862 When Fitzgerald died, the property passed to his son (also called John), who refused to renew the lease when it expired in 1867 "for just and Christian reasons" and the course was closed. It was renamed the Prince Edward Handicap in 1894, worth £2,000. New Barns (and Castle Irwell) traditionally staged the final fixture of the British
flat racing season, with the highlight being the Manchester
November Handicap. Racing continued at New Barns for over 30 years but in 1889, the owners of the course were served notice that the
Manchester Ship Canal Company were to seek powers to compulsorily purchase the land for the construction of a new dock and warehouses. After a protracted court case The Ship Canal Company took possession of the land in 1902. and the New Barns course closed. Dock Number 9, its warehouses & railway sidings from New Barns Junction with adjacent timber yard were built on the site of the old Steeple Chase Courses & spectator stands. Sports historian Dr Sam Oldfield said "New Barns would have been a central hub to the community." She added that there were multiple examples of New Barns hosting athletic competitions. Rugby, cycling and other sports also took place at the course, which was also home to markets, public events and political rallies.
Back to Castle Irwell By 1898, John Fitzgerald had died, and the Race Committee bought the Castle Irwell site from his executors. They then formed a Company and set about building a sports facility fit for the 20th Century. A high wall was built on the sides not bounded by the river; gardens and glazed galleries were built inside and there were trams to the main entrance. There was a luxurious club stand built in an eccentric amalgam of styles and the main entrance was adorned with
dutch gables. The course was finally inaugurated on the Easter weekend of 1902. This first meeting was over jumps, with the principal event being the Lancashire Steeplechase, a handicap of £1,750. This race was run until 1952. The first flat meeting was held in 1902 at Whitsuntide, featuring the Castle Irwell Inauguration Handicap, worth £500 to the winner. It was won by Vatel, ridden by Kempton Cannon. John Rickman describes the course thus: "It is a curious shape because it was made in a loop of the Irwell. At the base of this loop there is only a narrow neck of land about 300 yards across. Both 'arms' of the racecourse, let us call them the back stretch and the home stretch have to pass through this 'Dardanelles'. Thus, although the home stretch was made straight, giving a 5 furlongs run in as well as a straight 6 furlongs, the back stretch has of necessity a remarkable kink opposite the stands." The flat course was 1 mile 6 furlongs round. The course was close to the Manchester city centre and was well served by trams. It was right-handed, and there were three separate tracks on the site, flat, hurdle and steeplechase. The winner was
Lord Portal's
Sun Castle, 10–1, who beat Chateau Larose (R. Jones) by a short head. Sun Castle was ridden by
Georges Bridgland, who rode Pearl Diver to win the Derby in 1947. The November Handicap was transferred to
Doncaster and the Lancashire Oaks to
Haydock Park. == Reuse of Castle Irwell site ==