The first horse races were established in the early 19th century, in the Milanese area of Corso Buenos Aires and Piazza D’Armi, as well as in Castellazzo di Rho, Casbeno and Varese. Following their great success, the need arose to establish institutions that could organise the races with a suitable schedule. On 1 January 1883, the Lombard Society for Horse Racing (“Società Lombarda per le corse dei cavalli”) was established. A few years later, it rented land in the San Siro area and inaugurated the first San Siro Racecourse.

The world of horse racing was buzzing: in 1906 the President of the Society, Emilio Turati, established with the members of the board the Trenno Racecourse Limited Company (“Società Anonima dell’Ippodromo di Trenno”), with the aim of expanding the equestrian complex and equipping it with facilities suitable for both harness racing and galloping, as well as land for breeding and training.

The success achieved by the construction of the first racecourse increased the desire to create a larger facility that could also host international shows. In 1911 a competition was announced for a masonry project to meet the new structural requirements. The project was won by the architects Vietti Violi and Arrigo Cantoni, who began work in 1914 but were forced to interrupt it the following year when Italy entered the war. The new San Siro Racecourse was completed at the end of the Great War in 1919. That same year the Trenno Racecourse Limited Company changed its name to Trenno Limited Company (“Società Anonima Trenno”). The Lombard Society also changed its name to Society for the Encouragement of Equine Breeds (“Società di Incoraggiamento delle Razze Equine”, SIRE), which extended its action nationwide.

On 25 April 1920, around 10,000 people entered the gates of the new San Siro Racecourse. It was a varied audience from all walks of life, though divided into the various access areas. The three grandstands, the large botanical park and the five racetracks suitable for any type of course gave the city of Milan one of the grandest racecourses in Europe.

Harness races appeared in Italy at the start of the 19th century as a provincial event, arousing general excitement at the time of fairs or patron saint festivals. This type of racing was initially not taken into consideration in Milan, even though “horses harnessed to the gig”, chariots and pairs, performed at the Arena on the occasion of the May festivals, with amateur drivers. The first true harness races took place in Piazza delle Armi and can be traced back to 1862. Like gallops, harness racing also had the need to establish its own regulation racecourse. In 1892 the “Il Trotter” facility was inaugurated in Piazza Andrea Doria and followed by considerable development of the entire sector, including journalism. Although harness races did not yet have the support and organisation of gallops, thanks to Vandalo’s performance such a crowd showed up the next time at the Arena that ticket sales were suspended.

It was following a visit to the gallop racecourse in Milan that Mussolini enthusiastically asked the President of the SIRE to provide the city with a suitable facility for harness races. And so on 25 November 1925 San Siro’s first harness racing course was inaugurated, with horses from all over Europe arriving for the opening race. The facility was built in a few months, thanks to the technical direction of the engineers Valerio and Somaini for the track, and the architect Paolo Vietti Violi for the grandstands and stables.

Completed in 1977, the “new” San Siro occupied an area of 152,000 m², the track was 1 km long and the training track measured 900 m. The spectators were accommodated in 2 grandstands with 5,200 seats and there were more than 500 stalls for horses. It was a great success, so much so that 140 days of racing were held in 1988.

Also in Tuscany, at the end of the 19th century, trotting races took place in the town fairs and in the parades, but with the start of the 20th century the need was felt to organise the races more seriously, with the creation of a real official activity. Meanwhile, in those years of ferment, Monecatini Terme was becoming, in addition to a wellness centre of excellence in Europe, also a centre of fun and entertainment for the upper bourgeoisie. The great hotels and theatres were created, and a racecourse was an essential addition. In 1916, after 2 years of work, Baron Giuseppe Petrone and Commander Giuseppe Sesana created the Sesana Racecourse. Although the Great War had already begun, in Montecatini there was a sense of fun and the races did not stop.