Earliest meeting: circa 1770
Final meeting: Friday 26th July 1850
The Greater Manchester market town of Rochdale, on the River Roch, is located 5 miles north west of Oldham and 10 miles north east of Manchester. It rose to prominence in the 19th century as a mill town and centre for the textile industry, and during this time it held its own race meetings. Whilst it is known that races were staged in the vicinity of the town in 1770, as detailed below, the first widely reported meeting was held in 1827, followed in 1828 by a 2-day meeting took on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th July. On the first day the Gold Cup was won by Mr Thompson's Orthodox, beating Percy and Deposit, while on the Friday the Silver Cup saw Miss Tramp beat Wrexham Lass. It was deemed a success and was quickly followed by a 3-day meeting from Wednesday 1st to Friday 3rd July 1829 the next year. At that meeting the Werneth Stakes was won by Mr Gibbeson's Murphy who also captured the Rochdale Gold Cup the next day.  It was not until 1831 that the meeting was included in Baily's Racing Register. The final meeting took place on Thursday 25th July 1850, although in the early 20th century the Rochdale Hunt held point to point meetings on a 3-mile course at Thornham. Circa 1850 a new road between Bury and Rochdale, close to the old Bagslate Moor road turnpike, was built across the north-west corner of the former course, almost certainly leading to its closure. However, in that same year the Bagslate Methodists attempted, unsuccessfully, to persuade the race committee to cancel the races, but their prayers might still have been answered because there was such heavy, prolonged rain that the course became heavy, with one horse getting stuck in the mud, while in a separate incident a man was shot. Although the races came to an end in 1850, the grandstand certainly remained intact by 1857 because 3 men were charged with 'injuring the grandstand' at a petty court session.

Mr T F Dearden, Mr Gibbeson, Mr Houldsworth

Rochdale Gold Cup, James Dearden Silver Cup, Werneth Stakes, Hunters Stakes

The earliest record of racing in the vicinity of Rochdale was at Hunger Hill, north-east of Norden, in 1770. A tragedy occurred at the races when the grandstand collapsed, killing a woman from Bamford.

Rochdale races were revived on Thursday and Friday 12th and 13th July 1827 over Bagslade Heath. The Thursday card consisted of a £50 Town Plate, twice round and the distance, a Silver Cup and a 30 guineas Sweepstake. On Friday there was a Hunter's Cup for 30 guineas and a £25 Handicap. Entries were made at the Blue Ball Inn to Mr Edmund Ogden, who also acted as Clerk of the Course, while the Stewards were Jas. Dearden and George Holt.
Thursday 12th July 1827
Rochdale Town Plate

1. Harriet, bay mare owned by Mr Hopkins
2. Falcon, bay gelding owned by Mr Blezard
3. Unnamed 4-year-old bay filly owned by Mr Wetherall
4. Rhadamantus, brown horse owned by Mr Shepherd

James Dearden Rochdale Harriers Silver Cup

1. Jerry, bay gelding owned by Mr Milne
2. Fury, bay mare owned by Mr Hunt

Rochdale 30 Sovereigns Sweepstake

1. Falcon, bay gelding owned by Mr Belzard
2. Dispatch, bay mare owned by Mr Edmund Ogden

Friday 13th July 1827
Hunters Cup for 40 sovereigns

1. Jerry, bay gelding owned by Mr Milne
2. Active, bay mare owned by Mr Travis
3. Gift, chestnut horse owned by Mr Heaward
4. Unnamed 4-year-old owned by Mr Jas. Dearden

Rochdale Handicap twice round

1. Dispatch, bay mare owned by Mr Ogden
2. Active owned by Mr Travis
3. Unnamed chestnut mare owned by Mr Proctor

Rochdale Plate for ponies

1. Jack owned by Mr Pitman
2. Unnamed pony owned by Mr Bridge
3. Betty-go-fine owned by Mr Percival

On 5th July 1827 Rochdale races were held at Bagslate Common where the unfortunate William Roberts, aged 21, was caught stealing 1s 7 1/2 d from James Chadwick. He had already served 2 years for a similar offence in 1825, so the judge sentenced him to transportation for 14 years.

Wednesday 1st to Friday 3rd July 1829

The Werneth Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Murphy owned by Mr Gibbeson
2. Pluralist owned by Mr Williams

The James Dearden Silver Cup over 2 miles
1. President owned by Mr E Grundy
2. Miss Tramp owned by Mr T F Dearden
3. Jack Ashton owned by Mr Clegg

Rochdale Gold Cup over 3 miles
1. Murphy owned by Mr Gibbeson walked over

Rochdale Hunters Stakes over 2 miles
1. Cheshire Cheese owned by Mr E Clegg
2. Nimrod owned by Mr Clarkson
3. Huntsman owned by Mr R Williamson

In 1845 races continued to be held at Bagslate Common, and such was the confidence of the organisers that the first stone was laid for a new grandstand on the site, despite the costs of the previous grandstand not having been fully met.
The Silver Gilt trophy shown opposite had a height of 18 inches and was the prize for the Military Cup, confined to Yeomanry Members and other armed service personnel, run at the two day Rochdale on 20th and 21st August 1845.
Wednesday 20th August 1845
Rochdale Military Cup (25 Guineas)
Twice round and the distance
1. Alice owned by Mr J Butterworth
2. Cordelia owned by Mr R Rayner
3. Bando owned by Mr T Prockter
4. Merry Legs owned by Mr J P Hopwood

I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the 1852 map shown below.

A final meeting on the Bagslade Racecourse was staged on Thursday 25th July 1850.
Rochdale Stakes over 2 1/2 miles

1. Abbess of Jerveaux owned by Mr Cotgreave and ridden by Charlton
2. Little Queen owned by Mr Benson and ridden by Skeene
3. Tity owned by Mr Osborne and ridden by G Abdale

Manor Cup over 2 miles

1. Auckland owned by Mr J Pilling and ridden by Osborne
2. Wilmont owned by Mr Stewart and ridden by Charlton
3. Ada Mary owned by Mr Hall and ridden by G Abdale

Rochdale 20 Sovereigns Plate over 1 1/2 miles

1. Rubina owned by Mr Martin and ridden by Couper
2. Alphcus owned by Mr Whitworth and ridden by Wilberforce
3. Psyche owned by Mr Gardner
4. Isabella owned by Mr Henderson

Rochdale 20 Sovereigns Plate over 2 miles

1. Abbess of Jerveaux owned by Mr Cotgreave and ridden by Charlton
2. Zaidee owned by Mr A Phillips and ridden by T Williams
3. John of Tuam owned by Mr Brown and ridden by Evans

Although the final meeting on the Bagslade course was held in 1850, some 34 years later a further revival of Rochdale Races took place on Saturday 5th April 1884 over a suitable piece of ground near Milnrow Road, within a 5 minute walk of the principal railway station.
Welter 10 Sovereigns Handicap

1. Topthorn owned by Mr F B Jamieson
2. Red Chief owned by Mr J A Tatham
3. Primrose owned by Mr W Lumb

Rochdale Ladies Cup, over the 2 mile steeplechase course, presented by Mrs J E Schunck

1. Bridget owned by Mr R T Ogden
2. Fire Fly owned by Mr W A P Montgomery
3. Tommy owned by Mr J Edwards

Rochdale Borough Cup over the 3 mile steeplechase course

1. Sir Garnet owned by Mr J W Baron
2. Topthorn owned by Mr F B Jamieson
3. Pinwire owned by Mr C J Winder
4. General Roberts owned by Mr W A P Montgomery
5. Peter owned by Mr T N Robinson

Rochdale Farmers Cup over 1 mile

1. Skin the Goat owned by Mr J Barker
2. Fanny owned by Mr Charles Holt

Scurry Cup over 5 furlongs

1. Sir Garnet owned by Mr J W Baron
2. General Roberts owned by Mr W A P Montgomery
3. Red Chief owned by Mr J A Tatham

I am grateful to Kelvin Walmsley for details of what the site of the former racecourse looks like today. Since 1906 the south-east 3/4 of the old course forms part of Rochdale's Golf course, while the other quarter to the north-west has houses built on it. A Google search under 'Bagslate Moor Road' shows the junction of Clay Lane and Bagslate Moor road, with a field on the opposite side containing a likely group of Bronze Age fort rings. The former course was north of this, dropping almost due south before looping west to cross Bagslate Moor road. Kevin further notes that Touchstones, Rochdale's Museum, has an image of a painting of 'Hark to Nudger or Bagslate Races 1844', although the original painting was destroyed by fire.

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

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses