Earliest meeting: Thursday 26th May 1577
Final meeting: Saturday 22nd July 1876
The earliest recorded racing in the vicinity of Liverpool was at Crosby in May 1577. The Crosby Bell Flat race was run on Ascension Day with the prize being a silver bell which had been donated by Edward Torbock. The course started in Crosby and finished south of Crosby in nearby Bankhall. Mr Torbuck envisaged it being an annual event contested each Ascension Day. Although no mention of a further running of the Crosby Silver Bell exists, races in Little and Great Crosby continued, albeit it on more of a purpose built course adjacent to Crosby Marshes. The English Civil War lasted from 1642 to 1651 and put paid to any races taking place in the town during this period of unrest. However, shortly after the end of the War prominent supporters of the meeting, notably Viscount Richard Molyneux and his family were keen to re-establish the races, and Richard attended Crosby races regularly right up to his death in 1654. The Viscounts later gained the title of The Earl of Sefton. The ‘History of Lancashire’ recorded that a diary kept by Nicholas Blundell of Great Crosby noted that ‘On 3rd April 1704 I saw a race on Crosby Marsh between Mr Hay’s mare and a horse of Mr Molyneux from Liverpool’. His diary later noteed that ‘Again on 1st July 1704 I went to Crosby races; there were 5 starters for the plate and a mare of Maikins of Prescot won it.’ Racing ceased at Crosby for a period of approximately 40 years from the mid 1730s until 1774, but race organisers returned with renewed vigour and held a 3 day meeting in the summer of 1774 which, for the first time, included a dedicated grandstand for viewing. As well as the racing the customary Ordinaries took place, with a Race Ball organised each day. The final meeting at the Crosby Marsh course took place in 1786. However, although the races were not sufficiently important to be included in the Racing Calendar, a meeting did take place some 90 years later which was named the ‘Great Crosby’ meeting and results were included in the Racing Calendar. The final meeting took place on Saturday 22nd July 1876. |
Blundellsands, on the old Blundell estate, was the home of Crosby Marsh races which flourished there in the late 1600s and early 1700s. At that time the Jockey Club did not exist, it was first formed in 1727, so each racecourse drew up their own 'Articles of racing', the rules which governed their races. William Blundell constructed the Articles for Crosby Marsh races in 1682, and an extract from 'A Cavalier's Notebook' by William Blundell is given below, whilst a further number of references to Crosby Races on the Crosby Marsh course are provided in the Diary of Nicholas Blundell esq. The exact location of the course is not known, although sport continues in Blundellsands today, notably as the home of Waterloo Rugby Club and the West Lancashire Golf Club, part of which covers the old racecourse.
Articles for Crosby Races, drawn up by William Blundell at the request of Honourable W Molyneux, and first used at the Crosby meeting held on Monday 7th August 1682.
1. It is articled and agreed upon, that a piece of silver plate, or plate consisting of sundry pieces of silver, shall be then exposed upon the stoop, commonly called the chair, where the horse course on Crosby Marsh doth usually begin and end, and that the said plate shall be given to such horse, mare or gelding, as by the observance of these articles shall win the same.
2. Horses to be brought to the ground ten days before the race, aired and trained there, housed and fed within a mile and a half of the course. Name of the horse and person who intends to put him in to be given two days before the horse comes to the ground, to a qualified person or subscriber of 20 shillings.
3. Every person bringing a horse to deposit 40 shillings as a stake eight days before the race, which stake or stakes either to be given to the second horse, or held for another race next year, as the subscribers may judge, 40 shillings to the plate exempted. No subscriber to bring more than one horse.
4. Horses to be drawn out on the race day at 2pm, and weigh with rider and accoutrements 10st.
5. And wheras the limits of the said course, by reason of long discontinuance, are unknown to many persons, every rider in the race shall leave the first 3 stoops, which stand upon the marsh belonging to Great Crosby and next to the town so called, all of them on his right hand, but the fourth and last stoop standing on the said marsh to be left on the left hand side of the rider, at whose choice it shall be to leave the distance post and the post or chair, at the end, either on the one hand or the other.
6. That the horse which shall first end the first course or heat by returning back to the starting post, and by carrying his rider thither with his full weight or within a pound thereof, before any horse be come back to the distance post which stands upon the same ground, about 12 score yards from the end, shall win the plate. But if no such thing happen, a second heat to be run at the end of the half an hour with horses not distanced. Again, after another half-hour, a third heat if necessary.
7. In case the plate be not gained in 3 heats, the horse coming in first in two, and within distance in the one he loses, shall have the plate. If two different horses win the first and second, the winner of the third shall take it.
8. Riders not submitting to the rules to be excluded from winning. A cloth or flag to be placed at the top of the ending post, to be let fall immediately the first horse comes to the end.
9. If only one horse come, he must take the plate after galloping over the course. Riders and horses to be weighed afresh after each heat, and before he enters the scales, a flagon of beer to be given to each rider if he require it.
10. Three gentlemen to be chosen by the majority of subscribers, for umpires in case of dispute. |
