FORMER champion jockey Willie Carson said a Manchester racecourse would up the stakes in the sport - and propel the city into the world's richest league.
The five-time British winner added that the proposed £100m track, next to Botany Bay Wood in Worsley, could surpass other venues - putting the Manchester Gold Cup on a par with multi-million-pound races in the US and Middle East.
Speaking at the launch of the project, Willie, 61, said: "An all-weather, state-of-the-art racetrack in Manchester is such an exciting prospect."
"Most of the courses in this country are at least a century old, but this venue would be up to the international standards of the US. Trainers have been training on artificial surfaces for the last 10 or 15 years and are coming into the fore.
"London and Manchester are known around the world, but this would really put Manchester on the world stage."
Interest
The Salford Forest Park development, which incorporates an indoor and outdoor arena for dressage and show jumping was also endorsed by retired world event champion Lucinda Green, who says the equestrian facilities would boost British hopes in the Olympics.
She said: "Eventing is one of the best chances we have at winning a medal at the Olympics so there is a lot of interest in this development."
Planners claim the leisure park, which includes an 18-hole golf course and hotel, would only infringe on a tiny percentage of the 1,700- acre green belt woodland.
The scheme by Trafford Centre owners, Peel Holdings has encountered opposition from residents and conservation groups opposed to increased traffic and building in a green belt.
But project manager Phil Rothwell said the new scheme would create a facility for racegoers while enhancing and protecting Botany Bay.
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Why not build the new racecourse in east manchester near the commonwealth games ? because their is plenty of brown sites in east manchester why spoil a greenfield site when manchester council is thinking of building a casino in east manchester why not build a horse racing venue instead of a casino .and then the cousrse would have good road links ect and lots of hotels local for people to stay "DONT SPOIL GREENFIELD SITES"
This would be great for Manchester/Salford. The green belt should not be a rigid policy and although i would not advocate purely residential or commercial development on it I think a racecourse could be a sensitive use particularly if the developers improve access to land not at present accessible. The potential economic spin-offs from hosting race meetings would be significant.
Here we go again. The borough of Worsley/Boothstown has spoken.
Sorry, but you live in the City of Salford like the rest of us - at least most of you do - and this could be the best thing to happen to this city.
Or has every one forgotten that Salford is a city, and not just some shanty town next to Manchester - who I notice are already laying claim to the track.
Yeah, whenever Salford does something good/exciting Manchester wants not only to be part of it, but to claim it, but people are more than happy to remind everyone that Salford is its own city when it comes to crime etc
The racecourse is another thing that will put Salford on the map, if Manchester allow it...
Manchester, laying claim to the track?
Traditionally 'racing from Manchester' has always been from Salford.
1902 to 1963: from Castle Irwell, Lower Broughton, SALFORD. Now the student village and Students Union Building for the University of Salford.
1867ish to 1902ish: from New Barns, Weaste, SALFORD. Later Dock No. 9 of Manchester Docks, now North Bay, Huron Basin and Erie Basin at Salford Quays.
1847 to 1867ish: The first incarnation of racing at Castle Irwell.
1760 - 1847: Kersal Moor, SALFORD.
I live not far from the proposed site and I actually feel it would be good not just for Salford but for Greater Manchester as a whole. One thing I think should be stressed if it is built is to acknowledge that it is IN Salford, IN Greater Manchester. Yes Manchester is a fab place at the moment and good luck to them, but Salford is greatly improving and deserves a little credit. The Trafford Centre isn't in Manchester. It's in Trafford, in Greater Manchester. Manchester seems to get all the credit for developments outside the administrative area of Manchester. Is it so hard to put 'Gtr.' infront of Manchester? Or maybe they should change the name to Manchester county or Co. Manchester. Anyway that's a different subject in a way. I just hope this goes ahead and the whole population of GREATER Manchester benefit from the racecourse. We proved that our great county could host the Commonwealth Games and so we should still all work together along with the AGMA's and promote the county as THE place to come. Forget being parts of Lancashire and Cheshire, that's 30 years in the past. We need to move forward and all the compulsive competing between the 10 local authorities is silly and in some ways loses money and projects. I love Greater Manchester, I was born here and I'm very proud to live within OUR county. It's an exciting place to live and there is so much potential. We just need to work together. I doubt the traffic will worsen by much. There are great oppurtunites for public transport with this development. Build a rail station for the racecourse, afterall it will be next to the Manchester - Liverpool main line and also once the Trafford Centre Metrolink extension is built there is huge potential for that to be extended to the racecourse to. A quality bus route to and from the racecourse via special bus lanes on the M60 could be developed which could also be used by services travelling to and from the Trafford Centre. The traffic problem can be overcome if investment is given and we need plenty of investment. Don't let this oppurtunity go, take it whilst we still can :) all vote yes for the racecourse, I know I will.