Orchestrate take over the racing lease at Towcester

Towcester lease to move over to Orchestrate in November

Greyhound racing operations at Towcester Racecourse will be run in its entirety by Mike Davis and his team from Orchestrate from November 1, 2025. 

Orchestrate has evolved to invest in and operate businesses in the Sports and Leisure sector.

Davis had already taken over the marketing and hospitality side of the venue ahead of the Star Sports and TRC English Greyhound Derby, a competition that won unanimous praise from the sport as the best Derby seen in a long time. 

The appointment of Richard Thomas as Chief Executive of Orchestrate was a clear, early sign of intent to return Towcester to its former glory with the ex-Chester boss bringing a wealth of experience of building an audience through innovative ideas.

The Hesketh family, who owns the site that Towcester racecourse sits on, have agreed an initial 10 year lease deal with Orchestrate for the racecourse. Trainers have already been informed of the changes and discussions are underway to ensure the best deal for owners and trainers is delivered. 

Kevin Boothby as part of Henlow Racing Ltd will be in charge of the on-track action up to 31 October when Orchestrate will take over the racing. 

Towcester has long been one of the best running surfaces in the country with the English Greyhound Derby being held there since 2021. Orchestrate will be looking to ensure that the quality of action on the track is as strong as possible for their weekly cards.

Mike Davis said “This is an exciting time for Towcester. I want to make sure the venue becomes a focal point for the local community and ensure greyhound racing is a central part of that."

Kevin Boothby added “It has been a pleasure to run greyhound racing at Towcester for the past six years and I wish every success to Mike and his team going forwards."

Towcester’s CEO Richard Thomas commented “ This move means that we can concentrate on combining greyhound racing with a successful Event and Leisure business on a site that has huge potential."