S
tockton Racecourse was once considered ‘the finest in the north’ and was located near the banks of the River Tees.
Stockton Raceourse had hosted racing since 1724 at three different sites. At one point racing became so popular that every August, 
local factories closed down especially for Stockton Race Week. Its demise began after World War II when the races had to compete with other attractions such as TV and cinema. Falling attendances forced its closure in June 1981. The last winner was a horse called Suniti.
Teesside Park is is built on the former site of Stockton Racecourse, hence many of the park’s roads being named after famous racecourses such as Aintree and Goodwood.
Picture Stockton Archive 
Who owned the race course at its point of sale?
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Racehorse Trainer J W Watts better known has Bill Watts, now Retired.
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Hello. Does anyone know who trained SUNITI? I’ve searched all the usual avenues with no luck!
Thanks.
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Suniti won the 5.15pm race at Stockton on 16 June 1981. He (?) was trained by J W Watts.
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Every year Cleveland Constabulary used to sponsor a race named after them at Teesside Park. The Mounted Section would also don best dress uniform and demonstrate their skills with the lance, picking up coiled rope rings at the gallop.
In 1977 the Queen and Prince Philip visited Teesside Park on one such occasion during her Silver Jubilee Tour of the area. As a young bobby, I remember having to man various points throughout the day of the visit, but in particular using Teesside Park as the ‘feeding station’ and all of us being given a pint of beer to toast Her Majesty’s health ! The only time I’ve been permitted to ‘drink on duty’ in uniform !
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No it was always called Stockton Racecourse but it was within the Parish Boundaries of Thornaby-on-Tees and indeed definitely in North Yorkshire whereas Stockton was in County Durham. All before the boundary changes of course!
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I find it strange that adjoining the racecourse a huge open air landfill refuse tip was built, on which was tipped at a guess over a million tons of household waste. This tip ran from the racecourse fence to the Erimus River bank about 500 yards away, whose banks were the muddiest and filthiest you’ve ever seen and where “water rats could be seen swimming in the water”. As a child I found an unexploded small bomb on the tip, and took it home to be used has a door-stop. A passing Policeman spotted it keeping the door open and sent for the bomb squad who exploded it on the racecourse. It was probably a mortar shell (not a bomb) from the Newport Bridge Battery that had came down over the tip area. Almost opposite this tip was the Erimus Settlement, just a few streets of terrace houses built in the middle of the “Wilderness”, this being the No Mans Land between Middlesbrough and Thornaby.
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I think that we have the same engraving in our hallway. I’ll take a photo and send it on to this site.
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Stockton Race week indeed a holiday for many pre-war. The Garage {once stables} at 5 Mill Lane Norton would be swept out, truckle beds brought down from the loft and hams cooked ready for the influx of our relatives from New Brancepeth to arrive by train for a long weekend.
They were all miners, the men slept in the garage including me, a great adventure to a wee lad the women in the house though where they all got I have no idea, must have slept nose to tail. All the women did the cooking and then they all went off to the races by bus.
I think there must have been some riotous nights in the Norton Pubs although my Dad did not drink the women had bottles at home including a noxious mixture of a cocktail called Green Goddess, I tried it secretly it was horrible.
They all went back Sunday after a good breakfast of our own bacon and eggs then on to the train and away until next year.
To them it had been a wonderful break to Mother who had to clear it all up a bit of a chore, to me exciting listening to the stories told after a night in the Top house and all good memories never forgotten.
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Was latterly called Teesside Park
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Always thought it was called Thornaby racecourse…
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I have a copy of a hand coloured early 19thC. engraving hanging on my wall, that shows the view towards Stockton from the bridge (before the later Victoria Bridge) that spanned the river Tees. There are high-masted sailing ships at anchor along the quays, with grandstands and enclosures crowded with race-goers, enjoying a Stockton Races meet on the opposite bank (then part of Yorkshire). This would be exactly where Ropners Ship-Yard and later Head Wrightson’s later stood.
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