Earliest meeting: Monday 29th May 1826
Final meeting: Thursday 24th June 1853
The Cheshire town of Macclesfield held races as early as Wednesday 8th October 1828 on its formally set out racecourse when the 4 race card featured the Stand Cup which was won by Mr Linley’s Single Pepper. Two years prior to that there had been a Hunt race meeting held on Monday 29th May 1826 over a 3 mile country course. However, it was a long time before a prolonged period of racing in the town, with a two day meeting taking place on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th October 1846; the card opening with the Macclesfield Trial Stakes over 1 ¾ miles being won by Mr Stagg’s Hector. The final race on day two was abandoned when one of the runners, Brunette, was killed when hitting a tree in the middle of the course. Her rider, the jockey Arthur, was seriously injured and racing was abandoned for the day. As a consequence, there was then a lapse of 3 years before racing returned to the town. The last meeting took place on Thursday 24th June 1853, with the final Free Handicap going to Odiham owned by the racing enthusiast Mr B Land. However, the newspaper reports were scathing, suggesting the facilities were inadequate and the space too confined to operate a safe meeting. The quest to find a more suitable course also ended in failure.
The inaugural race meeting held over open countryside in the vicinity of Macclesfield was organized by the Hunt Committee and took place on Monday 29th May 1826. The two-race card opened with the 10 Sovereigns Stakes which went to Mr R Udney's Felix, beating 4 opponents. The main race of the day, the Hunters Stakes was over 3 miles was won by Mr Harrison's Fortunio, with the outsider Favourite last.
Hunters 50 Sovereigns Stakes over 3 miles
1. FORTUNIO owned by Mr Harrison
2. JESSE owned by Mr Goodison
3. EMMA owned by Captain Colbordine
4. FELIX owned by Mr Hudson
5. FAVOURITE owned by Major Courtenay
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
Although a Hunt race meeting had taken place two years earlier, the first recognized meeting on Macclesfield racecourse was held on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th October 1828 and featured a competitive card on each day.
Wednesday 8th October 1828
Stand Cup £50 three times round the course
1. SINGLE PEEPER brown mare owned by Mr Linley
2. THE COLONEL (Fav) brown horse owned by Mr Haywood
3. THE BARON chestnut horse owned by Mr Boothby
4. HARLOT bay mare owned by Mr Winterbottom
After a competitive race, Single Peeper beat the favourite, The Colonel, by a length
50 Sovereigns Purse twice round
1. HARLOT bay mare owned by Mr Winterbottom
DNF SINGLE PEEPER brown mare owned by Mr Linley
The strong favourite, Single Peeper, threw her rider which allowed Harlot to win unchallenged.
Macclesfield Free Handicap twice round
1. ANTIOPE bay mare owned by Mr Hulme
2. WELLINGTON chestnut gelding owned by Mr Bullock
3. POTTERY GIRL bay filly owned by Mr Benson
Antiope got the better of the favourite Wellington by a neck.
Thursday9th October 1828
Macclesfield £50 Silver Cup three times round
1. NED bay gelding owned by Mr Beattison
2. FANNY brown mare owned by Mr Bayley
3. LITTLE-THOUGHT-OF bay gelding owned by Mr Newton
Macclesfield £10 Handicap 3 times round
1. WELLINGTON chestnut gelding owned by Mr Bullock
2. POTTERY GIRL bay filly owned by Mr Benson
3. THE COLONEL brown horse owned by Mr Heywood
30 Sovereigns Match
1. HARLOT owned by Mr Winterbottom walked-over
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th October 1846
The Macclesfield Trial Stakes over 1 ¾ miles
1. HECTOR owned by Mr Stagg
2. GRAND SEIGNIOR owned by Mr Russell
3. MAGGIE LAUDER owned by Mr Gower
The Macclesfield’s Tradesmen’s Plate over 3 miles
1. CHARTIST owned by Mr Hibel
2. LADY FLORA owned by Mr Lamb
3. TOTTENHAM owned by Mr Ird
The Consolation Stakes over 2 miles
1. TOTTENHAM owned by Mr Ird
2. LADY FLORA owned by Mr Lamb
3. MAGGIE LAUDER owned by Mr Gower
A three-day meeting was held at the Westbrook Park course from Monday 24th June to Wednesday 26th June 1850, overseen by Clerk of the Course Jeremiah Shatwell, with Mr Foster acting as Judge. The previous custom was to hold races in October, but Westbrook Park was packed with 12,000 people brought to the town by cheap railway excursions.
Monday 24th June 1850
Trial Stakes (3 time round and the distance) won by RUBINA owned by Mr Montford and ridden by Cooper
Tradesmen's Cup (3 times round and the distance) won by WILMONT owned by Mr Holdforth and ridden by Cooper
Free Handicap (3 times round and the distance) won by THE PROVOST owned and ridden by Mr Bancroft
Tuesday 25th June 1850
Macclesfield Stakes (3 times round and the distance) won by WILMONT owned by Mr Holdforth and ridden by Cooper
Innkeepers Plate (3 times round and the distance) won by LATITAT owned by Mr Cowell and ridden by Frost
Wednesday 26th June 1850
Grand Stand Plate (twice round and the distance) won by REPULSE owned by Mr Cowell and ridden by Irvine
Scramble Free Handicap (3 times round and the distance) won by REPULSE owned by Mr Cowell and ridden by Irvine
After a number of poorly organized meetings, with limited runners, the two-day meeting held on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th June 1853 proved to be the last held in Macclesfield. The high-profile stewards were Alderman Copeland and P P Brocklehurst, while the Judge was Mr White senior, and his son was the Clerk of the Course. On the opening day the Trial Stakes was won by Mr B Land's Massaroni, while the day ended with the Hurdle Stakes over a mile and a half and 6 flights. Day two, the final day of racing held in Macclesfield, offered a disappointing card, a four-runner Tradesmen's Cup, a 3-runner Free Handicap and a novel Trotting race.
Wednesday 23rd June 1853
Trial Stakes over 1 1/2 miles
1. MASSARONI owned by Mr B Land and ridden by H May
2. CAPACITY, bay mare owned by Mr Carr and ridden by Livesey
3. HELIOTROPE owned by Mr J Peace and ridden by J Roberts
Innkeepers Plate over 2 miles
1. TRUEGIRL owned by Mr Walker and ridden by Livesey
2. ODIHAM owned by Mr B Land and ridden by H May
3. CRABBS (4/5 fav) owned by Mr Henderson and ridden by Fowler
Macclesfield Hurdle Stakes over 1 1/2 miles and 6 flights
1. BUFFALO (4/6 fav) owned by Mr Cooper and ridden by A Clarke
2. PIONEER owned and ridden by Mr Harvey
3. JEMMY owned by Mr Fountain and ridden by Kitchener
4. NELL owned by Mr Upton and ridden by Duffin
Thursday 24th June 1853
Tradesmen’s Cup over 2 miles
1. MASSARONI (Evens fav) owned by Mr B Land and ridden by H May
2. CRABBS (2/1) owned by Mr Henderson and ridden by Fowler
3. TRUEGIRL owned by Mr Jeffery and ridden by Stanway
4. HELIOTROPE owned by Mr J Peace and ridden by Stanway
Free Handicap over 1 1/2 miles
1. ODIHAM owned by Mr B Land and ridden by H May
2. TRUEGIRL owned by Mr Jeffery and ridden by Livesey
3. THE GIFT owned by Mr Copeland and ridden by Stanway
One of Macclesfield's racecourses was on West Park, but in 1850 a discussion began about laying out a public park in West Park, which would have spelt the end of the racecourse. The exact 8 hectare site was chosen between 1850 and 1853, and after the final meeting on Thursday 24th June 1853 the project was launched. Work began in early 1854, with the park opened on Monday 2nd October 1854.
Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-
London Illustrated News
Racing Illustrated 1895-1899
The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated
Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough
The Sporting Magazine
A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8
Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727
