Sport & Fitness

This weekend is the 60th anniversary of Victor Chandler bookmakers, and picking a location for the party was not difficult. ‘Given the family history at Walthamstow, it was my first and only choice,’ says Victor. ‘The company has changed immensely, not least the move to Gibraltar, but we felt we should head back for this celebration.’ Punters are invited, too, with admission, racecard, drink and entry into a prize draw all on the house. Three invitational races, sponsored by Chandler, will carry prize money of more than £12,000.

Despite the upbeat atmosphere, there remains a mood of uncertainty about the future of the track. Last May, Estates Gazette reported that the family had put the stadium up for sale at a figure of £30-40 million, with housebuilders George Wimpey later mentioned as possible purchasers of the 11-acre site. Even though Walthamstow is Britain’s best attended venue, with the legendary Charlie Chan’s nightclub on site for punters to blow their winnings, accounts reveal only limited profitability. Its demise would leave the sport in crisis and London with only one remaining track, at Wimbledon – itself the subject of speculation. In response, a clever canine called Flying Frank has set up a website, www.savethestow.com, insisting: ‘We don’t want to run anywhere else. We can’t allow that heritage and tradition to be bulldozered.’ Feature continues

‘With so many family members involved, it’s obvious that the emotional ties are very strong,’ says Butch Beaton-Brown, nephew of Victor Chandler. ‘My grandfather Charles first took me, and I used to run the stopwatch. My grandmother [Frances] still goes every Saturday night and has a 4-5-6 tricast on the last three races, as she has done for more than 50 years. But you have to wear your business hat as well, and it has become a struggle to keep attendances up. However, there have been no firm bids, and it’s business as usual. I wouldn’t believe the speculation.’

Reassurance? Let’s hope so. All the more reason, though, to make that visit to a London icon on Saturday night.