About Us

History of Haydock Park

Haydock Park is often advertised as being conveniently situated at equal distances from both Manchester and Liverpool and yet in spite of this close proximity to industry, the actual course is in a setting of woodland and tree-lined avenues.  Indeed, it still retains much of the atmosphere of a park, a reminder of the days when it was in possession of the Leghs, a great Lancashire family, who on elevation to peerage took the name of Newton from their local connections and later moved to Cheshire, where they did much to enrich the story of the neighbouring County Palatine.

The true Lancastrian has always been fond of horses and there is a definite link between Haydock Park and a series of meetings first instituted at Newton-le-Willows, two and a half miles away, in 1752.

The Newton meetings, which apart from a break about the 1820’s, continued until 1898, seems in its initial stages to have been mainly sponsored and patronised by members of the Newton Hunt, one of the may Lancashire Hunts that thrived in the days before so much of the Southern part of the Country was given over to industry.

For some years, the Newton race meetings, which were held on an extensive stretch of common known as Golborne Heath, were similar to those in many other parts of the country.  Although mainly supported by hunting folk, the racing seems to have been open to all who cared to come along and enjoy the sport.  The arrival of industry in the area appears to have given a boost to the organisers and even 100 years ago the pattern of the present Haydock Park meeting as a gathered ground for the sporting folk of the county, apart from hunting interests, was being moulded.

Haydock Park must be one of the most used racecourses in the country with racing on 33 days in 2011, combining both the very best of Flat and Jumps Racing.  The Old Newton Cup is the last tangible surviving link between the original course and Haydock Park.

Owned and operated by Jockey Club Racecourses, Haydock Park has become the scene of some of the most popular and attended events in the Northern racing calendar, including the Grand National Trial in February, The Temple Stakes in May, the Old Newton Cup and Lancashire Oaks in July, the Sprint Cup in September and the Betfair Chase in November.

With a choice of four grandstands and 33 private viewing suites, restaurants, bars and leading conference facilities, Haydock Park is as well-known for world-class racing as it is for hosting spectacular events, attracting visitors in their thousands each year.
 

The Jockey Club Eight Core Values

Best Racing

We are dedicated to delivering best-of-class competitive horseracing in a safe and sustainable environment.

Best Experience

We will deliver an exciting and passionate experience that’s ‘close to the action’ and great value for money

Best For The Future

By maximising profit and continuing to re-invest we will ensure the long-term sustainable future success of our business.

Best People

Our commitment is to develop and empower our people within an inspirational environment.

Best Leadership

Our inspirational leadership builds on the respect of all stakeholders in the racing, sport and leisure industries.

Best Team

By utilising and maximising the strength of the Group and by working together as a team we will deliver our objectives, drive innovation and celebrate success.

Best Practice

We treat all of our customers, employees and the environment in an honest, trusting and caring manner.

Best Events

Maximise the uniqueness of our facilities to deliver consistently excellent value for money events. 

Sustainability and Environmental Responsibilities

Haydock Park Racecourse is set in woodland surroundings where we prioritise our environmental responsibilities and strive to incorporate sustainable principles in our business.

The Jockey Club has a “Green Champion” at each of the 14 racecourses who works with the group’s Sustainability Executive to ensure that we implement steps to reduce our impact on the environment without affecting the quality of the customer experience.

The sustainability strategy is constantly evolving and we have a mixture of short and longer term objectives to help achieve our aims. Some of the objectives that we have already completed at Haydock Park include:

• A significant reduction in annual energy consumption, both in electricity and gas
• More than 50% of our waste is now recycled with the proportion improving
• Water saving measures implemented throughout the racecourse
• Use of “Free Cycle” to dispose of large items such as furniture to minimise land fill
• All of our race cards are printed on recycled paper
• Incorporating environmental credentials in our procurement decisions
• A cycle to work scheme for our staff
• The Catering team source products locally where possible

We are always looking for ideas to reduce the impact of Haydock Park Racecourse on the local and wider environment. If you have any suggestions, we would be delighted to hear from you at environment@thejockeyclub.co.uk