Sir Anthony McCoy: Towcester closure is a big worry for racing

Sir Anthony McCoy enjoyed one of his most memorable days in the saddle when he rode his 4,000th winner at Towcester six years ago and has expressed his concern over the fate of other racecourses following the closure of the Northamptonshire jumps track.

The 20-time champion jump jockey steered Mountain Tunes to victory on a historic afternoon in November 2013 but the 143-year-old venue will no longer stage racing.

Arena Racing Company on Tuesday announced the purchase of the track's ten fixtures next year and McCoy feels more should be done to make sure other racecourses do not suffer the same fate of closure.

McCoy said: “It's sad for racing when something like this happens and you have to worry about the whole business model of the sport when a track like Towcester is closed.

"I worry about other courses closing and we must do better to make sure tracks like Towcester don’t end up going the same way.

“It’s disappointing to see any track close and I’ll always have fond memories of Towcester for a great day on Mountain Tunes. It was a brilliant afternoon – Towcester has a great location, so a lot of people were able to come to the track, including Toby Balding among many others that day.

“Towcester was a good racecourse for a jockey to ride as it was a thinking jockey's course and it suited slow horses. I really enjoyed riding there and it wasn’t straightforward.”

Gary Moore: trained the last winner at TowcesterCredit: Edward Whitaker

Gary Moore trained what proved to be the final winner at Towcester in May last year and has described the decision to close the jumps course as "disgusting".

Atalanta's Gold landed the concluding mares' handicap hurdle under James Bowen on May 21 and the Moore family enjoyed several memorable days at Towcester, none more so than when Gary's son Ryan won on his first ride aboard Mersey Beat in 2000.

Moore said of Towcester's closure: "It's disgusting. There's a shortage of right-handed tracks and the types of races that Towcester staged. It means other racecourses will put on more meetings that they probably can't take.

"It was a track I always enjoyed visiting and it was good to me in my riding days, as a trainer and for our family with Ryan having his first winner there on Mersey Beat. That was a very special day and we didn't know he would go down the Flat route at the time.

"It holds a lot of good memories – on another day we had two winners, two seconds and a third. It was bad enough losing Folkestone, let alone Towcester."

Towcester was a local track for Kim Bailey during his childhood and as a trainer when based for seven years at the nearby Preston Capes.

He was one of the leading trainers at the course, enjoying 68 winners from 404 runners, and feels Towcester's policy to offer free entry for racegoers was the start of its demise.

Bailey, who rode at the course as an amateur jockey, said: "It's a monumental shame and a disgrace that it has closed. The business model of providing free entry was extraordinary in terms of trying to make money and for me that was a turning point as it just could not have been sustainable.

"I really enjoyed going there – I had one of my first winners there and was one of the leading trainers at the track. It was a great course – it suited slow horses but every horse is entitled to its day and Towcester gave an opportunity to many that perhaps may not have had one otherwise. There was always a good, friendly crowd. The locals will really miss it."

Peter Scudamore became the first jump jockey to ride 200 winners in a season when successful aboard Gay Moore in the third leg of a four-timer at the course in April 1989.

Scudamore said: "It's a shame and it was a thriving part of the jumps scene in the Midlands when I was riding. It was vital to us and suited a certain type of horse as it offered a unique test.

"Horses that won around there often didn't win elsewhere and some good quality horses ran there. I suppose life moves on but it's sad to see it closed."

For the freshest betting advice, based on latest going and market conditions, don't miss the Live Tipster every afternoon. Just click Raceday Live at racingpost.com or the mobile app