Bogside Racecourse was a horse racing track situated in Irvine,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, on the banks of the

River Irvine The River Irvine ( gd, Irbhinn) is a river that flows through southwest Scotland. Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill, Drumclog, and SW by W of Strathaven. It flows west ...

. Its first meeting was held on 7 June 1808, and its last on 10 April 1965, although there is evidence of an event known as the Irvine Marymass Races in the area as far back as 1636, initiated by the Earl of Eglinton. Bogside's flat course was an undulating, right-handed triangular course of two miles in length. Its jumps course, meanwhile, was two and a half miles round, with nine plain fences, two open ditches and one water jump. It was here that the first steeplechase recorded in Scotland took place on 25 April 1839. During its existence it hosted the

Scottish Grand National The Scottish Grand National is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of about 4 miles ( ...

(now contested at nearby

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...

) and twice hosted the

National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup The National Hunt Challenge Cup is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain for amateur riders which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenh ...

which now takes place at the

Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Ra ...

. Its other major race was the Bogside Cup. Among the most notable achievements at the course was jockey Alec Russell riding all six winners in a day on 19 July 1957. For a short time the racecourse had its own

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

, Bogside Racecourse. In 1963, the

Levy Board The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), commonly abbreviated to the Levy Board, is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northe ...

opted to cease funding the course, declaring 'When Ayr is developed as the main Scottish course, racing under both rules, the retention of Bogside, only 12 miles away, cannot be economically justified'. Racing at Bogside ceased soon thereafter. Point-to-Point meetings took place at Bogside until 1994, and evidence of the former racecourse still remains.

References

{{Horse racing in Great Britain , state=expanded 1808 establishments in Scotland Defunct horse racing venues in Scotland 1965 disestablishments in Scotland Sports venues completed in 1808 Sports venues in North Ayrshire Irvine, North Ayrshire

See also

References