John Deere recently concluded a new machinery deal worth £350,000, including other ancillary equipment, with the Northern Racing network. This follows the company’s original preferred supplier partnership agreement with Arena Leisure in 2010, which allowed old machines to be replaced and new technology to be introduced as and when required by individual racecourses.

Northern Racing and Arena Leisure plc have subsequently merged to form Arena Racing Company (ARC). ARC is now the largest racecourse operator in the UK, with approximately 38 per cent of the UK fixture list. Both deals covered the supply and after-sales support of John Deere equipment for use by grounds staff on the network’s racecourses, as well as associated golf courses and hotel complexes.

ARC owns and currently operates 16 racecourses at Bath, Brighton, Chepstow, Doncaster, Folkestone, Fontwell Park, Great Yarmouth, Hereford, Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Royal Windsor, Sedgefield, Southwell, Uttoxeter, Wolverhampton and Worcester, and operates a 17th course at Ffos Las in West Wales. Three of the UK’s four all-weather tracks are at Lingfield Park, Southwell and Wolverhampton, which is also floodlit.

ARC also owns and operates two hotels, the 4 star Marriot Hotel and Country Club at Lingfield Park and the Holiday Inn at Wolverhampton Racecourse, plus three golf courses at Newcastle, Lingfield Park and Southwell.

John Deere machinery covered by the new deal, as part of an overall John Deere Financial package, included the new 1026R sub-compact tractor, X748 4WD lawn tractors, HPX 4×4 Gator utility vehicles, ZTR zero-turn mowers, 5M Series utility tractors and a range of golf course equipment. Within this deal, a package of new John Deere machines has been delivered to Newcastle Racecourse and neighbouring Parklands Golf Club by local dealer Greenlay of Cramlington in Northumberland (pictured).

These include two 5M Series utility tractors on turf tyres, one equipped with a matching 533 front loader, for use by Newcastle Racecourse head groundsman Guy Woodward and his staff; and four golf course mowers for Parklands Golf Club head greenkeeper Tom Alexander and his team, including a 2653B tees & surrounds mower, a 2500B greens triplex mower, an 8700 PrecisionCut fairway mower and an 8800 TerrainCut rotary rough mower.