racecourse was used by the military, the 1940 Grand National was run. Proposed construction that would have made horseracing difficult was not installed. After the war ended, Topham Ltd obtained permits, materials and workmen to repair damage to the stands and course so the Grand National could resume in 1946. Under her Chairmanship the freehold of the Aintree Racecourse was purchased from Hugh Molyneux, Earl Sefton in 1949 for £275,000. She was involved at the start of a campaign for bookmakers to pay for information from the course that became the Racecourse Amenities Fund to distribute money from all bookmakers to the racecourses. In 1960 she took the decision to end 'Jump Sunday', a traditional event when up to 100,000 sightseers could walk round and view the Grand National course prior to the races. This was after advice from the police following letters threatening to damage the jumps. There were several new developments at Aintree during her Chairmanship. The Topham Steeplechase for the Topham Trophy was added to the Grand National in 1949. In addition, the 1 mile 4 furlongs Mildmay Steeplechase course was added in 1953 to increase the racing options. From the late 1950s attendance at horse racing declined. A new attraction of motorcar racing was introduced on a 3-mile Grand Prix circuit built within the racecourse at Aintree. The BBC concluded an agreement in 1959 for exclusive rights to televise both horse-racing and motorcar racing from Aintree for an initial 3 years. Between 1955 and 1962 Aintree hosted five British and one European Grand Prix, including in 1955 the first Formula One British Grand Prix won by Stirling Moss. However, 1962 saw the last British Grand Prix on this track. The full circuit was closed in 1964 although club events continued until 1982. Even though disused, the track survived into the 21st century. These developments were not sufficient for financial stability at Aintree. The racing calendar declined from the 1950s and 60s so that by the early 1970s it consisted of a single three-day meeting each year that included the Grand National. In addition, the stands and facilities had become notably dilapidated. When the Earl of Sefton sold the Aintree Racecourse to Tophams Ltd in 1949, he put a restrictive covenant in place that the land could only be used for agriculture or horse-racing during his life. (He died in 1972.) In 1963, Mirabel Topham, as chairman,