Vincent Hinde Collection

Hooton Park Racecourse

Earliest meeting: Monday 22nd May 1899
Final meeting: Saturday 17th April 1915
The Hooton Park Racecourse was situated almost midway between Liverpool and Chester, being approximately 10 miles from each. Although the most prolonged period of racing began in 1899, there is evidence that meetings had been staged much earlier. Sir Thomas Massey Stanley, who owned the Hooton Hall estate in the early 19th century, was a frequent visitor to nearby Aintree and entertained guests at his Hall prior to making the short journey to Liverpool. Within his estate was a training ground, where his hunters and steeplechasers were prepared, and this was used to host private race meetings for his guests. On 1st March 1843 the Liverpool Mercury wrote ‘large parties of sporting noblemen and gentlemen were assembled in Liverpool and at the seat of Sir W Stanley where the Hooton Grand Steeplechase formed an additional attraction’. The Grand National in 1843 was won by Lord Chesterfield’s Vanguard. A steeplechase meeting was held at Hooton on 6th March 1846 when William Lynn, of the Waterloo Hotel Aintree, acted as judge. By 1849 Sir Stanley was declared bankrupt and sold Hooton Hall and its estate to Richard Naylor who had inherited a fortune from his uncle. He developed his own stud farm and racing stables on the estate; one of his many winners included Marconi, winner of the 2000 Guineas and Derby in 1863. At the very end of the 19th century a prolonged period of racing began on what Bayles described as ‘no more charming spot on the broad acres of this country, or any place, with better appointments for its purpose (racing)’. The inaugural National Hunt meeting took place on Whit Monday 22nd May 1899 on a course stretching 1 mile 5 furlongs and 62 yards. It was usual for five days racing annually which were always popular and well supported. The meeting on Saturday 11th November 1899 opened with the Cheshire Steeplechase Plate which saw Sir Peter Walker’s Slingsby defeat Golden Drake II, while the later Rock Ferry Hurdle was won by Merry Love for Mr H Walker. In 1904 the Great Cheshire Chase was won by St Moritz from Kirkland, but it was the latter who went on to greater achievements in 1905 when winning the Grand National. Tragedy visited Hooton Park on Monday 7th August 1911 when Longeneh fell at a hurdle in a lowly Selling Hurdle and his jockey Paddy Cowley died from his head injuries. In 1914, the busiest year for the racecourse, the principal race was the Hooton Park Hurdle, but the War then intervened. The final meeting was staged on Saturday 17th April 1915, after which the racecourse was used as an army camp and later an airfield. Although racing did not resume after the War had ended, a bizarre race was held in 1930 when 8 riders, all in white nightshirts, contested a race starting at midnight. The event, witnessed by a crowd in excess of 20,000, formed part of the 325th anniversary of the gunpowder plot.