Wolverhampton Racecourse

 

Racecourse number: 25

First visited: 1991

Number of visits: 2

My two visits to Wolverhampton racecourse in the 1990s marked some very big changes for both the racecourse and for myself. In November 1991 Wolverhampton racecourse was a traditional, solid, left handed national hunt grass circuit. When I returned in May 1995 the surface, like the lighting, was now artificial. The racecard promised “Racing as you have never seen it before,” at Europe’s first floodlit racecourse! The Queen had opened the new course in 1994. By my second visit my time spent around Leicester was coming to an end and a key aspect of my future was about to be agreed. More on that later. Back in November 1991 I was really excited to attend Wolverhampton for the first time. It was my twenty-fifth racecourse and being aged just twenty I was literally on course to visit them all. Like Nottingham the racecourse is quite a walk from the train station and also passes a local football stadium, in this case Molineux, home of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

I did some lengthy wandering of my own to get to the course, eventually following some bloke carrying a Racing Post to get to my destination. Once there I was ready to explore these wonderful new surroundings and perhaps place just one bet. Whatever You Like, trained by Nicky Henderson was a favourite horse of mine from around that time. If I could get the price I wanted that was my bet. If not, I was confident that the Martin Pipe Racing Club runner Passed Pawn would win the claiming hurdle a little later. When I was offered even money on Whatever You Like I snapped it up and almost felt sorry for the hapless bookmaker who had clearly lost focus. I was very much minded that if he got round OK in this two mile chase he would win. Indeed, I felt he was far superior to second favourite Highfire, trained by Kim Bailey. As the race developed my runner sat in second place behind Highfire, initially jumping well. However as they jumped what would be the last fence in a circuits time, my certainty blundered badly, clouting the fence. It was a seriously good piece of horsemanship from Richard Dunwoody to stay on board.

As the contest developed, avoiding that fall looked like a race defining moment. As the field began the turn for home Whatever You Like was starting to get the better of a protracted battle with Highfire and Sikera Spy. It would take a major effort for any of the others to get involved, who were now a little way behind and had already dismissed by me pre-race from a form point of view. My leader was now four lengths clear three fences out. At this point I was already planning my route back to my foolish bookmaker when I noticed one of the also rans from the back of the field starting to gather some serious momentum. Two out we were still leading but Dunwoody’s previous confident aura was now being replaced by a forceful drive on a clearly very tired favourite. The strong pace combined with the bad mistake was starting to take its toll. I was still hopeful that the leader’s class would come into play as he approached the last now being challenged by the well named Major Effort! The two briefly dueled after the last but my bet was soon destined to be a loser as Whatever You Like was unable to quicken after his staying on rival.

A fairly dramatic race resulting in a three length defeat. Whatever You Like would likely have won without the bad mistake but that is very much the nature of the game, so I had no complaints really. A month later he did win a similar race at Lingfield. Of course, just an hour later Passed Pawn won the claiming hurdle with ease, ridden from the front, as usual, by Peter Scudamore at 8-13. The race in between was actually a grade two contest, The Reynoldstown Cup, a hurdle race won by Bollin Patrick. I am so glad I went to this meeting prior to the massive change that was coming at Wolverhampton racecourse. I may never have backed a winner at the old set up but I have really fond memories of that day. Incredibly, the trainers of the first three home in Whatever You Like’s race namely Oliver Sherwood, Nicky Henderson and Kim Bailey all still train as I write in December 2021, over thirty years later!

Four years later I was back at Dunstall Park, the newly created Wolverhampton racecourse which now featured an all-weather surface, floodlights and an on-course hotel. The original old stand was still there at this point, awaiting demolition, looking lost and lonely way beyond the new winning post location. Accompanying me on this visit was my long term girlfriend Claire. We had a meal and hotel room booked for the evening which would allow a very unusual combination – a night of watching The Eurovision Song Contest on TV in between some live low grade all-weather flat racing! Not for everyone I am sure but we both shared an interest in Eurovision, at a time when the structure meant the United Kingdom were still competitive. The new racing set up at Wolverhampton was quite impressive and certainly different. Watching racing under floodlights was indeed a new experience. However, the low grade racing, even on a Saturday had not really captured the imagination of the local racing fans. The attendance was low and the atmosphere could only be described as soulless. Low grade racing and only a small number of spectators is not a great combination. No surprise then that I have no great tales of excitement from the nights racing. I do remember we showed more speed than my selections to keep nipping back to our room between races to watch various song contest entrants. Claire remembers fondly the Lasagne she had that night but little else! Looking back at the racing results winning jockeys included John Carroll, Simon Whitworth, Jason Weaver and Franny Norton who like the trainers noted above is still active on the racing circuit. For completeness I can report Norway won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Nocturne by Secret Garden. The United Kingdom performed respectably with Love by City Groove back in tenth place. An unusual but very enjoyable evening.

Looking at the racecard from 1995 quite a bit of focus was given to the trotting racing taking place at that time. There also seemed to be a tight grass circuit in place. I have vague memories of an abortive attempt to stage national hunt racing again there in these early days of the new Wolverhampton circuit but I could definitely be making that up. The course these days seems entirely focused on all-weather flat racing and with around eighty annual fixtures has become a significant feature of our eclectic racing heritage. I am so pleased to have seen this transformation of the course first hand. The day following my second visit to Wolverhampton racecourse Claire and I made a significant decision. Following the upcoming end of her time as a student in Leicester we agreed she would come to live with me here in Lancashire, but not before we were engaged to be married. A few weeks later I popped the big question, as instructed, in the romantic setting of the botanical gardens in Leicester. However, in reality this key decision was really taken at a Pizza restaurant not far from the new all-weather racecourse at Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton!