- This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 6 months ago by
.
- Posts
Manchester racecourse, better known as Castle Irwell, closed 60 years ago today.
I wonder if any older posters remember the track? Did any posters ever go there?
Castle Irwell was a substantial course in its day. It staged the first ever evening meeting in England and even played host to the St Leger in 1941, when Doncaster was out of use in the war.
By 1960, the old grandstand was rotting and had to be replaced. Unfortunately the expense crippled the company’s finances. When a property company made an offer for the site, the shareholders voted to sell. The final winner at Castle Irwell was ridden by Lester Piggott before the crowds departed for the last time.
The property scheme fell through and the site stood idle before being bought by Salford University in 1973. The grandstand became part of a leisure and entertainment venue until 2010. Six years later it was destroyed in an arson attack.
Some of the site has now been turned into an urban wetland centre. The only part of the racecourse that is still extant is the turnstile building, purchased recently by Fred Done. He started his career at the track and wanted at least part of it to survive.
Here is a Pathe News film of the November Handicap in 1950:
Gamble was the tic tac man
Drone on commentaryI don’t know if it was the camera angle but it looked a tight 2 lengths
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I thought the winning distance looked a bit generous to the winner as well!
Some of the jockeys looked tiny. I expect the weights were a lot lower back then.
Top weight 9st 1lb, bottom weight 6st 10lb – ten runners listed in the newspaper racecard were set to carry less than 7st.
But back then, being in the newspaper card was no guarantee that the horse would run, as final decs were 45 minutes before the start time.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.