In a historic year for the racecourse based at the site known as Pitchcroft, the raceday chosen to celebrate the 300th Anniversary of racing in Worcester will take place on Wednesday 4 July.
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to visit the racecourse
The day has been given an added boost of a royal visit from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, will be in attendance at the racecourse to help mark the occasion. Her Royal Highness is well-connected with Worcester Racecourse, having ridden a winner in the 3 mile Droitwich Handicap Chase, on her own horse Croc Na Cuille, on 3 September 1987.
Revival of the Worcester Grand Annual Steeple Chase
This is alongside the revival of the famous Worcester Grand Annual Steeple Chase, which is returning to Worcester Racecourse after an 85-year absence. Once one of the most important steeplechase races in the National Hunt calendar, the Worcester Grand Annual Steeple Chase ran from 1836 until 1933. The importance of this race was highlighted in 1853 when Bourton won the Grand Annual, then going onto win the 1854 running of the Grand National at Aintree.
Executive Director of Worcester Racecourse, Jenny Cheshire, said:
“With the visit from The Princess Royal, the revival of the Worcester Grand Annual and a special anniversary dinner in our marquee on the 4th July in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), our anniversary raceday is set to be a fitting celebration for a racecourse with such an illustrious past.”
As one of the oldest racecourses in the UK, the first race meeting hosted at the site in the heart of Worcester City Centre, known as ‘Pitchcroft’, took place on 27 June 1718. In the Racecourse’s 300-year history there has been everything from a bare-knuckle fight watched by a crowd of 30,000 to a record 229 runners on an 8 race card in January 1965.
