Editing Towcester Racecourse

{{Short description|Horse racing venue in Towcester, England}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2008}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox Racecourse
| Name         = Towcester
| Image        = [[Image:Towcester racecourse logo.jpg]]
| Caption      = Towcester Racecourse Logo
| 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 Racecourse|Thirsk]]
| Next         = [[Uttoxeter Racecourse|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 ==
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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whyte |first=James Christie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4fcDAAAAQAAJ |title=History of the British turf |date=1840 |publisher=Colburn |volume=I |page=189 |language=en}}</ref>

The first meeting over the modern course took place in 1928. The Towcester Racecourse Company was formed under the direction of [[Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 1st Baron Hesketh|Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, later 1st Lord Hesketh]], and it was there on his estate of [[Easton Neston house|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 [[Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh|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 in sport|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.<ref>{{cite web|date=7 November 2013|title=Tony McCoy celebrates 4,000th winner at Towcester on Mountain Tunes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/07/tony-mccoy-4000-towcester-mountain-tunes1|work=Guardian UK|access-date=8 November 2013}}</ref>

== Greyhound racing ==
{{Main|Towcester Greyhound Stadium}}

A [[greyhound racing]] track has been built inside the racecourse, which opened in December 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=New racecourse dog track set to open in time for Christmas|url=http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/news/more-news/new-racecourse-dog-track-set-to-open-in-time-for-christmas-1-6349524|website=buckinghamtoday.co.uk|access-date=18 November 2014}}</ref>

== 2018 administration ==
In August 2018 the future of Towcester racecourse was put in doubt. A statement released by the racecourse on 16 August read: 
{{blockquote|Towcester Racecourse Company Limited, proprietors of Towcester Racecourse, are currently experiencing trading difficulties and are in discussions with key stakeholders and professional advisers on the way forward. However, the directors have concluded that they have no alternative in the short term but to seek court protection and are now taking steps to place the company into [[administration (law)|administration]]. As a result, it is with regret that the greyhound meetings on this Friday, 17 August, and over the weekend at Towcester Racecourse have been cancelled.
<br />
Whilst inevitably there will be considerable interest from customers, supporters and suppliers, the directors ask that they be given time to focus on exploring other options for the business and they anticipate there will be a further update in the next few days.
<br />
The directors remain hopeful that despite the current situation, given the significant history of horseracing and more recently greyhound racing at Towcester, there will be significant interest from potential acquirers".}}

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.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Barber|first1=Bill|date=23 August 2018|title=BHA to decide fate of Towcester fixtures as 134 staff are made redundant|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/latest/mass-redundancies-at-towcester-after-kpmg-appointed-as-administrators/343408|work=[[Racing Post]]}}</ref> On 13 November, the administrators announced that the racecourse's assets were being sold to a company called Fermor Land LLP.<ref name="RP">{{cite web|title=Towcester racecourse assets sold to company linked to Hesketh family |url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/towcester-fate-to-be-known-in-new-year-after-racing-assets-sold-to-new-company/353599 |work=[[Racing Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SALE OF TOWCESTER – PRESS RELEASE FROM ADMINISTRATORS |date=13 November 2018 |url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/sale-of-towcester/|publisher=Greyhound Star}}</ref>  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.<ref name="RP" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Fermor Land LLP |url=https://suite.endole.co.uk/insight/company/OC424527-fermor-land-llp?page=people-contacts |publisher=Endole}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fermor Land LLP |url=https://app.datagardener.com/company/oc424527/Fermor-Land-Llp?page=people-contacts |publisher=DataGadener}}</ref>

In late October 2019 Kevin Boothby signed a 10-year lease deal for Towcester Racecourse.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://towcester-racecourse.co.uk Official website]
*[https://trc-health-hygiene.co.uk/ Towcester Racecourse & Leisure Health & Hygiene]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070608062309/http://www.gg.com/towcester Course guide on GG.COM]
*[http://www.race-streams.com/watch-towcester-racing-live-online-video-and-commentary/ Towcester Live Race]

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{{Horse racing in Great Britain}}

[[Category:Defunct horse racing venues in England]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Northamptonshire]]
[[Category:Music venues completed in 1928]]
[[Category:1928 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1928]]