Towcester Opening Night

[bennythedip2]

Towcester ..The Opening Night (By Mark Wallis )

How could winning both semi finals of the ECC Timber Oaks on Friday possibly be topped. Well it really was on Saturday as Imperial Kennels created yet another piece of history as Fairest Royal trapped superbly and led all the way to land the opening race at Towcester, the first new Greyhound track to be built for over 20 years.

Starting with Towcester all I can say is wow! If anyone had been there earlier in the week when the place still resembled a building site and the Tuesday night trials didn't finish until after midnight you had to fear the worst and say how could they possibly be ready for Saturday's opening night launch, but ready they were, and what a night!

As I approached the Stadium down the A5 the moment I set eyes on the amazingly illuminated racecourse I knew then we have something special here..the car parking was a dream, the hospitality marquees looked busy an hour before racing and the magnificent Empress stand was buzzing with activity. For four years since I was first involved in the initial talks about this possible venture I dreamed of what the first night would be like and I wasn't disappointed.

The track looked glorious with the HD lighting and the 100k + super screen and the Grandstand was a sight to behold. I made my way up to the top of the stand where my Racing Club had hired one of the superb spacious Hospitality Suites (holds 40 comfortably) and the view from the balcony over to the track was spectacular.

Fairest RoyalAs the greyhounds came out for the first race my attention quickly focussed not just on what a momentous occasion this was for our sport but could we win this race. We created history in a sad way when we sent out the last ever winner at the much missed Walthamstow and I've always stated I wanted to have the first winner at the new Towcester.

We had two chances in the shape of the well fancied Benkaat Boomer and the unfancied but consistent Fairest Royal. Matt Chapman was on hand in the commentary hot seat and was whipping up the now huge crowd. As the hare was set on its way a tremendous roar went up that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, the traps opened on the beautiful track and the runners came out in good fashion.
Fairest Royal trapped in great style while Benkaat Boomer was only moderately away and as the runners all glided around the galloping and welfare friendly bends it was Fairest Royal who had the lead.

From this moment I knew she wouldn't get caught and she crossed the line a couple of lengths clear to a famous victory. The presentation area just in front of the stands was buzzing and we were greeted with many well wishers and our victory was warmly applauded and received and Dick and Ann Barfoot were deserving owners who have seen the many ups and downs of our sport in the last couple of weeks.

I could write a book on the whole night but I won't bore everybody. The open races all went well and it was great to have a 1-2 in the 655m stayers heats and Vanrooney looked a shade unlucky in the feature 5k one off race. The races went off virtually on time and really the night went far too quickly, the atmosphere was electric on a chilly but bearable December night.

Even I still had doubts about the two eight dog races having never been involved in them before. I need not have worried as both races were a delight with hardly any trouble, both our runners ran well and I can't wait to be involved in them again.

It was so good to see so many friends old and new and of course the initial opening was always going to attract a decent crowd. As Kevin Ackerman, the instigator of the whole project along with Lord Hesketh later told me, they haven't even begun to promote the track properly so this crowd exceeded even their wildest dreams.

Praise has to go to them especially, also it was fitting that Martin White's Kilglen Chief took the £5,000 race in great style, only a handful of people know how much work Martin has done to help them get this brilliant new concept underway, why he gets some unjust public criticism is beyond me. Chris Page also had put some tireless work into making this the first new track for over 20 years come to fruition and he must have been a proud man at the end of the night.

Chris is without doubt the best Racing Manager that has graced our sport in its entire history and Towcester and Greyhound racing are lucky to have him at the helm. His team of Andy Lisemore and Steve Cale in the racing office are more than helpful and a credit to the track. Praise must go to the much maligned SSS (Sports Stadium Specialists) who built the magnificent track and Jason Begg was on hand to make sure it went smoothly - on the whole a brilliant, brilliant night.

[bennythedip2]

CHRISTMAS light dazzled across Towcester on Saturday evening. In the town, festive cheer bore all the hallmarks of a Dickensian evening with carol singers, some in Victorian garb, braving cold outside the museum.

Yet sweeping along the A43 from Northampton towards the town, a brief glance to the left brings the image of a lurid, yet piercing beam into the night sky. This is no seasonal rendition of A Christmas Carol choked in murky fog shrouded streets from dark days long gone by.

Welcome to the brave new world of greyhound racing at Towcester Racecourse...

And what a world it promises to be, both stunning in its surreal and visual capacity and one which made an instant impression on the 3,000 or so paying customers on opening night, a figure which when added to those sampling the excellent restaurant and hospitality box fare on offer along with an atmospheric buzz in both Empress and Grace Stands, brought over 4,000 flocking to Towcester.

Imposing buildings in daylight, the Towcester grandstands are expected to become a symbol of the new revolution, basking in mystical green light while a white light-lined approach to the course from the historic entrance archway is equally stunning. LED floodlighting of the track itself is equalled only by Chelsea among football’s Premiership elite.

Many of the muttered grumbles in the build-up to Towcester’s grand night questioned just how clear the whole greyhound spectacle would be. Yet seeing is believing as they say.

This is the first new greyhound track to be built in this country since Sittingbourne opened doors some 20 years ago and the racecourse’s existing infrastructure was key to the whole project master minded four years ago by owner Lord Hesketh and chief executive Kevin Ackerman.

Surely the lesson to be learned here is to never be afraid to play your advantage cards to the full. In an economic climate as sharp as December nights this becomes doubly the case.

Twelve races were served up on opening night and the sense of anticipation was acute in the build up to the 7.34, The Towcester Inaugural Greyhound Stakes. Diners flocked onto the balcony viewing while those on the steppings at least had the benefit of a snug, safety in numbers togetherness.

Champion trainer Mark Wallis, originally from Northampton, was expected to win the first heat with the ‘5’ dog Benkaat Boomer but betting at Towcester is never predictable in the land of horses or hounds, and it was Wallis’s supposed second string, Fairest Royal which bounded to victory.

For those of us looking for significant clues among the race names this was of course easy with hindsight. Wasn’t the original Towcester Racecourse inspired, if not completely founded by Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1876 after a visit to the estate?

Fairest Royal it had to be then, just as King Dec somehow seemed a fitting winner of the fourth with Christmas just around the corner.

Throughout the evening, dogs which burst well from the traps and led into the first bend, appeared to have a definitive edge.

This sounds fitting as a Towcester maxim. The Northants racecourse appears to have adopted a front runner stance in the greyhound world, a cycle which now rolls on to Friday and Saturday evening.

[Tony2005]

I must say on the whole i was very impressed with the way they had done everything.

On busy nights the little country lane leading to the car parking might be a bit congested once racing has finished due to having to turn onto a main road but we left before the last race and drove straight out.

The staff were first class and couldnt do enough for you but on opening night i would have expected this,i think give it a few months and see how things settle in as im sure they will cut the staffing levels down.

The hospitality suites have a great view of the track and although Mark thinks they hold 40 easily i have to disagree with that as we had four tables...two seating 8 and two seating 10 and the two nearest the patio doors leading to the balcony area were much to close together causing me to have to move my chair every couple of minutes to let people back to the next table and the waitress who kept bringing PART TIMER a pint every 10 mins......

Maybe they need to arrange that side a bit better..

The food was fairly decent but was very slow in coming and seeing that they have horse racing on and these facilities are used then i cant see how there was a delay especially as it was a cold buffet.

They had one tote desk in the hallway to cater for four suites which was another problem as the two girls who were taking bets from the suite guests were not there for all races. I think they got a bit caught out with this due to the shorter time between races compared to the horses and of course plenty more bets to be had for dog racing.

I know there was a lot of people unhappy about the bookmakers that were on track. Betting to 151% and 172% is as poor value as you can get but as there were a lot of "first time" punters i think they got away with it. Once the true punters turn up meeting after meeting i think the bookies will have to look at pricing up the races for value otherwise they will not be making it pay.

So onto the track...

I was surprised how great the view was as the talk before hand was the track was too far away from the stands...This was rubbish as people who were at ground level were also impressed by the viewing.

It was superbly lit and a massive screen ment that where ever you were you could still view the race easily. The one slight draw back was for the longer races the large screen blocked the view of the traps in certain viewing areas...

The track itself allows dogs plenty of room due to its sweeping bends and in the 11 races we saw i dont think there was more then a couple of unlucky dogs. The straights look a bit on the short side due to the sweeping bends and i think it will favour inside dogs especially fast starting ones for the time being.

All in all i think Towcester and the people who have put this together need a lot of praise for the way this has been done especially at a time when the sport is in decline . A top class venue and im sure that this can be the start of the sport going forwards again with more new tracks opening.

As long as they keep up the efforts of opening night and of course the racing stays at the highest level then Towcester will be the home of dog racing.


Here are a few races from Saturday night.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy48Pfoju3M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNq5uC-Wj2Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7lCsziAb2Y

[bennythedip2]

Nice one Tony

[bennythedip2]

Great photo of Mark Wallis winner last night at Towcester . Saturday13th Dec

Vanrooney and Chicago