Earliest meeting: Thursday 4th August 1853
Final meeting: Friday 15th July 1870
The North Lanarkshire town of Airdrie, some 12 miles east of Glasgow, hosted its own race meetings in the mid-1800s. The course, situated at Rawyards Park, was described as an oval course of 7 furlongs with a slight fall on the west side and a slight rise on the east, having a 250 yard run in. The first meeting to be held at Airdrie was on Thursday 4th August 1853. The opening race at the inaugural meeting was the Trial Stakes over a mile and a half which was won by Mr Donald’s Radulphus, while the feature Burgh Cup went to Mr Smart’s Friar’s Hall. Annually the principal race was the Burgh Cup over 2 miles which was won in 1855 by Mr T Parr’s Saucebox, getting the better of Mary Ann and Leda. Throughout its history the course lacked the support of the locals but the organisers persevered with their meetings despite, on frequent occasions, not managing to fill the races. At the two day meeting on 3rd and 4th July 1862 the Trial Stakes had to be abandoned because it attracted only two runners, but worst was to come the next day when the final race on the card resulted in a walk-over. The next year three races, the Burgh Cup, the Whip Stakes and the Innkeepers’ Plate were all abandoned through lack of entries. However, racing did continue until the final two day meeting was held on the Thursday 14th and Friday 15th July 1870, with the very last race appropriately being called ‘The Winding Up Handicap’. The meeting suffered as a result of the 1871 ruling by the Jockey Club that all races had to have a prize fund of £50 or more.
Lord Eglinton, Honorable James Baird, Captain Key, Mr John Osborne
Thursday 4th August 1853
Airdrie Calderbank Handicap Sweepstakes
1. Braxey owned by W L’Anson
Airdrie Burgh Members’ Cup
1. Friar’s Hall owned by Mr Smart
Airdrie Burgh Cup
1. Little Jack owned by Captain Key
Thursday 9th & Friday 10th August 1855
The Calderbank Handicap over 1 ¾ miles
1. Robgill owned by Mr T Parr
2. Waverley owned by Mr Portland
3. Yorkshire Grey owned by Mr Osborne
The Gartsherrie Plate over 1 ¾ miles
1. Blarney owned by Mr Pringle
2. Saucebox owned by Mr T Parr
The Auchengray Stakes over a mile
1. Friar’s Hall owned by Mr Smart
2. Billy Richardson owned by Mr H Robinson
3. The Forest Queen owned by Mr Harper
The Carnbroe Handicap over 1 ¼ miles
1. Robgill owned by Mr T Parr
2. Penitent owned by Mr Black
3. Blarney owned by Mr Pringle
The Glasgow Plate over 1 ½ miles
1. Shilmalier West owned by Mr Wilson
2. Jenny Lind owned by Mr Harper
3. Outcast owned by Mr Graham
Friday 15th July 1870
Coatbridge Handicap
1. Blackwall owned by Lord Eglinton
Winding-Up Handicap
1. King Hal owned by Mr Williams
The final meeting was held on the Thursday 14th July and Friday 15th July 1870 (results shown above) with the very last race appropriately being called ‘The Winding Up Handicap’. The meeting suffered as a result of the 1871 ruling by the Jockey Club that all races had to have a prize fund of £50 or more.
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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The course has now been built on and is a Leisure Centre.
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
