In 1912 the company’s chairman John Lees died at the age of 89 after suffering a stroke. He was succeeded by Henry Staveley Hill, M.P., the son of the first chairman. The facilities at the course were improved in 1913 with work on the stands and the construction of the club premises. The Shifnal Selling Handicap was held in October and this resulted in a dead heat between Steve Donoghue riding “Kinglet” and Sidney Seymour riding “Tramp IV”. On such an occasion it was customary for the owners to divide the stakes, if the owners did not agree to do this, a deciding heat had to be run. On this occasion a deciding heat was run and “Kinglet” ended in first place by three quarters of a length.

The summer meeting in 1914 was cancelled due to the outbreak of war. Although the racecourse company offered the buildings and grounds to the government to help with the war effort, the offer was declined. In 1916 a strip of land on the edge of the course was sold to Courtaulds for the building of their new factory. As a result races were then restricted to 5 furlongs and 190 yards.