The Manawatu Racing Club has been at the heart of racing in Palmerston North and the wider Manawatū region for almost 150 years. The Club was formed in 1880, at a time when racing was becoming firmly established as one of the district’s most popular sporting pastimes. Its first race meeting was held on Boxing Day 1881, beginning a tradition that would eventually become synonymous with summer racing in the Manawatū.

In its early years, racing was conducted on a course near Park Road, on land set aside by the Government. The track was very different from the well-appointed Awapuni of today, with early races conducted in difficult conditions and often attracting large fields. As the Club grew, so too did its ambitions, but the encroachment of the Manawatū River eventually made a move necessary.

The Club secured approximately 100 acres at Awapuni in 1900, purchasing the property for £4,000. Three years later, on Boxing Day 1903, the Manawatu Racing Club held its first meeting at its new home. Between 10,000 and 12,000 people attended that inaugural meeting, providing an indication of the importance racing had already assumed in the growing city.

Awapuni would go on to become one of New Zealand's most important racing and training centres. The Club continued to develop the facilities and course, establishing a reputation for progressive administration and high-quality racing. By the 1920s, the Manawatu Racing Club was regarded as one of the country's leading racing organisations, with its Awapuni property described as one of the most picturesque and convenient racecourses in the Dominion.

The racecourse has also played an important role beyond racing. During World War I, Awapuni was offered by the Club for military training, becoming a major training camp for New Zealand troops preparing for overseas service. The course was again used for military purposes during World War II, reinforcing Awapuni's place as an important community asset in times of national need.

Racing at Awapuni has produced many memorable occasions, but few traditions have endured quite like the Club's Boxing Day meeting. For generations, families from Palmerston North, Manawatū and beyond have made their way to Awapuni to enjoy a day of racing and summer entertainment, making Boxing Day one of the defining dates on the local sporting calendar.

The Club's history is also reflected in its major races. The Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes, first run in 1908, has developed into one of New Zealand's premier two-year-old races and has provided a pathway for many outstanding young horses. The Awapuni Gold Cup, first contested in 1915, has likewise become an important part of the Club's feature-race history.

From the early meetings on the outskirts of Palmerston North to the establishment of Awapuni as a major racing and training centre, the Manawatu Racing Club has been closely woven into the history of the city and the region. Today, its heritage lives on through Awapuni, its feature races and the generations of horses, trainers, jockeys, owners and racegoers who have made the Manawatū one of New Zealand's great racing districts.