| Towcester | |
| Website: | http://www.towcester-racecourse.co.uk |
| Location: | Watling Street, Towcester, Northamptonshire |
| Owner: | TRC Events & Leisure Ltd. |
| Opened: | 1973 |
| Coursetype: | National Hunt |
| Channel: | Sky Sports Racing |
| Prev: | Thirsk |
| Next: | Uttoxeter |
Towcester Racecourse is a greyhound racing track and former horse racing venue at Towcester (pronounced "Toh-ster") in Northamptonshire, England. It has staged the English Greyhound Derby in 2018, 2021 and has won the contract for the next 5 years from 2022.
Horse racing at Towcester goes back to the 18th century. Towcester is one of many places listed in James Christie Whyte's History of the British Turf where annual horseracing had ceased to occur after 1798.[1]
The first meeting over the modern course took place in 1928. The Towcester Racecourse Company was formed under the direction of Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, later 1st Lord Hesketh, and it was there on his estate of Easton Neston, that the course was sited, and the first grandstand built. Towcester was popular among the racing fraternity, mostly because of the sharp bends in the course, and the final gallop to the finishing post was uphill, which tested the horses and results in some unexpected finishes.
In 2004, the Easton Neston estate, including the race course, was put up for sale. The third Lord Hesketh later decided to retain ownership of the course and sold only a portion of the estate to a Russian-born businessman.
Entry was free from 2002 until 2006, during which time the course saw attendance grow significantly. In mid-2006, it was announced that from the 26th of December 2006, Towcester would be charging for entry to their two most popular annual meetings; Boxing Day and Easter Sunday. Selected other meetings were free.
In 2008, Lord Hesketh decided to sell the course, which was offered as a going concern.
On 7 November 2013, jockey Tony McCoy got his 4,000th career win at Towcester, riding Mountain Tunes to win the Weatherbys Novices' Hurdle.[2]
See main article: Towcester Greyhound Stadium.
A greyhound racing track has been built inside the racecourse, which opened in December 2014.[3]
In August 2018 the future of Towcester racecourse was put in doubt. A statement released by the racecourse on 16 August read:
On 23 August KPMG were appointed as administrators and 134 out of 137 members of staff at the racecourse were made redundant, many having to claim statutory redundancy from the government.[4] On 13 November, the administrators announced that the racecourse's assets were being sold to a company called Fermor Land LLP.[5] [6] This company was formed on 18 October (26 days before the sale) and is headed by Lord Hesketh's brother-in-law Mark Westropp, a trustee of the Hesketh Family trusts.[7] [8]
In late October 2019 Kevin Boothby signed a 10-year lease deal for Towcester Racecourse.