In pictures: Racecourse of the past and the future

Horse racing saw a major boom during the Victorian era when increasing prosperity, especially among the middle and upper classes, saw an increase in the number of racecourses being built. Hurst Park, beside the banks of the Thames near West Molesey in Surrey, was one such course. It opened in 1890 but closed in 1962 and nowadays a supermarket and school stand on the site. During its heyday it hosted the Triumph Hurdle, which later switched to Cheltenham.