Irvine Races

On the third Saturday in August, (following the first Monday), Irvine Moor becomes the stage for what is possibly the oldest horse racing event in the world which can claim a continuous history stretching back through the centuries. It forms part of Irvine’s Marymass Festival and since 1928 has taken place in the afternoon following the Crowning of the Marymass Queen.

After the crowning at noon, the Marymass Queen and her four Mary’s, led by the Irvine Carters’ Society, parade in state to Irvine Moor accompanied by the Civic Dignitaries, the Incorporated Trades, bands and floats, where the races take place, along with a funfair, food vendors, beer tent, etc.

In 1636, Alexander Montgomerie, the sixth Earl of Eglinton organised the first official race meeting which would see the winner of the Marymass race being presented with a silver cup along with a substantial amount of money. The four-mile racecourse was set out on Irvine Moor, partly on the Earl of Eglinton’s land and partly on land owned by Irvine Burgh. Eight posts were driven into the earth to mark out the racecourse, which was run twice, eight miles in all. The sum of £3,923 (almost £500,000 in today’s money) was raised by private subscription, from which the annual interest was to be given to the winner of the race. The second and third money prizes were raised from the stakes paid by participating horse owners. Such was the interest in the race, that participants and spectators came from all over the country.

In 1702, seven men including Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton and Lord Montgomery raised the sum of £45, from which the yearly interest was used to buy a silver plate as the annual prize for the Marymass Horse Race, which the winner retained. Every year the Provost of Irvine added a third more to the interest to make the prize more valuable.

In 1834 Irvine Burgh Council stopped making annual subscriptions to the Carters’ Race, but in 1836 agreed to support the revived races.

Members of the Carters Society and Irvine Town’s Councillors and officials watched the races from a small hill or ‘knowe’ which was originally known as ‘Salmon’s Hill’ after Provost William Salmon (1841-1845) and later became known as the ‘Magisterial Bench’ and then as the ‘Magistrates Hill’. In 1859 over 10,000 people attended the Marymass fair, many of whom would have been spectators at the horse racing.

On Irvine Moor in 1865 there were 17 tents selling liquor; 6 tents which sold pies and 20 selling tarts and biscuits. Alcohol became such a problem at the Marymass Races that from 1878 to 1920, Irvine Town Council granted £20 towards the Marymass Races, on the condition that no liquor was sold at the racecourse. The tradition of local publicans supplying drinks to the passing parade began at this time. The Marymass races continue to be held on Irvine Moor to this day.

The last horse race to take place each year at Marymass is the Clydesdale Horse Race which is run over three furlongs. Originally known as the ‘Draff Race,’ these huge horses were used for

pulling farm equipment and heavy wagons. The race was run to find the fittest draft horse, with several being traded after the event. Today, Irvine holds the honour of holding the oldest continuous Clydesdale Horse races.

BOGSIDE RACECOURSE

In 1807 Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton, began laying out a new racecourse at Bogside which opened on 7th June 1808 with a race meeting which was held over three days and attended by a large crowd. The Earl and his son both put up £50 prizes. That year Irvine Burgh Council contributed 25 guineas, and thereafter contributed 50 guineas annually. On the final night of the Bogside Races each year, the Earl held a ball and supper at Eglinton Castle

Between 1824 and 1838 the Bogside Races lapsed. In 1836 the Eglinton Park Racing Club was formed and in 1838 Bogside Racecourse was extended by Archibald William Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton.

On 25th April 1839, the first recorded Steeplechase in Scotland took place at Bogside Racecourse with six horses competing. The 13th Earl of Eglinton owned two of the horses, ‘Coventry’ and ‘Multum in Parvo’.

The Bogside Races lapsed again between 1852 and 1867 during which time the Eglinton Hunt was founded by Archibald William Montgomerie, 14th Earl of Eglinton and 2nd Earl of Winton in 1861.

The West of Scotland Grand National originally began in 1858 at a racecourse near Houston, Renfrewshire and was run over three miles with thirty-two jumps. In 1867 it was transferred to Bogside racecourse, Irvine, where it was first held on 3rd May 1867. It was won by the Duke of Hamilton’s horse “The Elk”. In 1881 it was renamed The Scottish Grand National and the course was extended to three miles and 7 furlongs. In 1885 flat racing was held at Bogside Racecourse under Jockey Club rules, and by 1892 races were being held at Bogside in April, July, August and September.

On Saturday 4th April 1925 the Scottish Grand National was hit by tragedy when one of the competing horses, 15-year-old “Sergeant Murphy” died. Owned by Mr S. Sanford, “Sergeant Murphy” had previously won the 1922 Scottish Grand National at Bogside by three lengths. Considered an ‘outsider’, those who placed a bet on him would have been laughing all the way to the bank with 100-6 odds. His body was buried at Bogside Racecourse and a memorial plaque was erected in his honour.

In 1925 the date of the Jockey Club’s race at Bogside was altered by Provost R.M. Hogg so that it wouldn’t interfere with the Marymass Races. In 1944 Archibald Seton Montgomerie, 16th Earl of Eglinton and 4th Earl of Winton sold Bogside Racecourse to a Limited Liability Company.

The Bogside Races were revived in 1947 after the end of World Ward Two. That year there were two days racing in April, June and July and one day of racing in September.

The last Scottish Grand National at Bogside Racecourse took place on 10th April 1965, with a large crowd of spectators coming from all over Scotland. The winner of the Scottish Grand National that year was “Brasher” ridden by jockey J. Fitzgerald and owned by Mr E.D.

Grosschalk. “Brasher” won by two lengths. In second place was “Happy Arthur” and in third place was “Union Specific.”

During its time at Bogside, the Scottish Grand National included three triple winners. These were ‘Couvrefeu (1911, 1912 & 1913); Southern Hero (1934, 1936 & 1939) and Queen’s Taste (1953, 1954 & 1956).

The memorial plaque commemorating the horse “Sergeant Murphy” was transferred to Ayr Racecourse.

This wasn’t the end of Bogside, however. In 1966 both the Eglinton Hunt and the Ayrshire Yeomanry were given permission to use Bogside Racecourse, which was altered to suit Point-to-Point steeplechases. The Eglinton Hunt and the Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire Hunt continued to use Bogside for point-to-point steeplechase racing until 1994. On 25th March 1994, Pauline Robson became the third girl to win a four-timer during her competition at Bogside.

Bibliography

1. Bogside Racecourse opened on 7th June 1808 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_racecourses

2. The Scotsman. 25th March 1994.