New Towcester Racecourse owners: 'The potential is amazing especially by opening it up more to the public'

The new owners of Towcester Racecourse want to breathe fresh life into the historic venue by bringing back sports and hosting a wider range of events.

Greyhound racing will return in April, almost two years after the racecourse went into administration, while there are also talks for horse racing to make a comeback in the form of point-to-point.

An open day headlined by Toploader has been organised to celebrate the new era of entertainment, with watersports, festivals, concerts and an open-air cinema all in the pipeline.

Events director Nathan Luke McLaren said: "It's beautiful here, it's just needs taking up a level as it's sat still for 18 months.

"The potential of this place is amazing, especially with what we're doing by opening it up more to the public whereas before it was not so open."

Towcester hosted horse-racing for 90 years, and greyhound racing for four years, before the previous owners went bankrupt in August 2018.

The future of the sporting side of the venue was in doubt until Kevin Boothby, the greyhound racing promoter at Henlow Stadium in Stondon, Bedfordshire, took on a 10-year lease in October last year.

The new owner and his team have a lot of ideas for how to make the most out of the racecourse's 310 acres of land, including hardstanding, grass and two lakes.

Nathan, who worked as a music technology teacher in Northampton for 15 years, is tasked with organising events to attract more people and change its public perception.

"I grew up in Blisworth and over the years of living around here, I knew racing went on here, but there was no incentive for me to come here other than for horse-racing," he admitted.

"I didn't even know there were lakes here. So we're going to open it up and utilise every corner."

One of the first events of Kevin's tenure was the beleaguered Winterland MK, which came under a lot of criticism on social media despite an opening night with East 17.

Nathan described the winter wonderland as a 'nightmare' for them as they did not organise it themselves but have now got to get the public's trust back.

He hopes the open day on Easter Bank Holiday Monday will start that process, with the band behind Dancing in the Moonlight joining tribute act Not The Rolling Stones and Northampton artists Pure Genius.

"It's to give the general public a chance to come and see we're open and see what we're doing here," he said.

Five days later the greyhound racing starts. Nathan understands some people's concerns about the sport but is adamant the dogs are well looked after.

The track is obviously a big part of the revamp with around £20,000 spent and many tonnes of sand used to bring it back up to scratch.

Nathan said: "There's a huge want and need for the racecourse to open again as there are a lot of traditions associated with it and its steeped in history."

Concerts and festivals are a big part of Nathan's plan, with other tribute acts and a summer ball available to buy tickets for.

But he is particularly excited about using the two lakes in the centre of the racecourse, which has led to a partnership with the team at Northampton Active artificial whitewater course.

An inflatable obstacle course on the lake is in the plans as well as space to have a go at paddle boarding and kayaking.

The two buildings at the racecourse can also be hired for conferences and weddings, which the new owners also want to make more of.

"We're really busy but we're nearly done with the groundwork prep and infrastructure," Nathan said.

"But we've been approached by so many people that we've not had to struggle to fill the calendar.

"We're starting from scratch on a blank canvas so we can see what works and what doesn't.

"Plus we're not solely relying on entertainment so that gives us a nice buffer, not that there's no pressure to make it a success."