Broader horizons - Ascot is attract- ing a new crowd to events, including 20 to 30-somethings and families
Championing the races A
scot Racecourse will host the grand finale of the racing calendar’s newest event, the QIPCO British Champions Series, in
October. “Flat racing tends to peter out in the minds of those not closely associated with the
sport after August and many horses go on to race in France and the States – so to have this new event end- ing later in the year is great for racing,” says Ascot’s head of communications, Nick Smith. For Ascot and other UK racecourses, he says, the
creation of Racing for Change has been an invaluable addition to business. “Most racecourses tend to have small marketing teams. To have a separate new market- ing body that's very proactive has been fantastic for the industry. There is a new spirit of cooperation,” he says.
awards, the first of their kind in horseracing, will be a yearly event. Perhaps the most challenging of the four pillars has been the initia- tive to improve relations with the betting industry. With the well-publi- cised Tote sale earlier this year and an increasing number of bookmakers and betting exchanges going off- shore, this remains a challenging area. Fortunately for the sport, horseracing is the only year-round betting prod- uct (unlike football and rugby) and it's ultimately in everybody’s interest that racing and the bookmakers establish a mutually beneficial relationship. Racing’s prize money is, simply put, funded by a tax on the profit of the bookmakers so everyone has a vested interest in a thriving relation-
ISSUE 4 2011 © cybertrek 2011
An increasing focus for Ascot has been to attract a
new crowd to racing and offer events that create a fun, family day out. The racecourse recently hosted the final of the Filly Factor, a nationwide competition to find the first female racing commentator. "The two finalists bat- tled it out with live commentary on races, and public voting was done by text. It was a great event,” he says. Attendances at race meetings have been growing – this year’s “King George” at Ascot drew 30,000 visitors, up from 27,000 last year. To attract families, there is entertainment for children – such as a recent Peppa Pig themed event that attracted 4,000 highly-excited young- sters the day after the King George, he says. “Children aged 17 and under always go free at Ascot, which means parents with two young children can enjoy a day of entertainment for as little as £34 – there aren't many leisure attractions that can offer such value for money."
ship between horseracing and betting. With the air now clearing following the Tote sale and early successes bring- ing increased television audiences and bigger crowds at the racecourses, interest among bookmakers in rac- ing is once again moving centre stage. Watch for more initiatives in this field. It’s too early to chart comprehen-
sive results for the Racing for Change programme, but early indications show success. Attendances at racecourses are up, year-on-year, while TV view- ing figures are improving significantly. Consumer awareness of racing in the popular media is growing. Sponsors’ interest in horseracing is, after a long period in the doldrums, increasing. These are measures now being regu- larly monitored by the industry.
The sport appears to have turned an important corner. Racecourses are collaborating, the quality of the experi- ence at racecourses is increasing and every racecourse is now audited annu- ally by Visit England. This is believed to be a first among sporting venues. Perhaps the most important development has been the growing acceptance that change represents progress, not a ‘dumbing down’ of racing’s illustrious traditions. As RFC approaches its second birthday, much has been achieved, a great deal more has been marked for change – and the industry is working as one to return to the heart of popular British culture. l
David Fraser is director at Harrison:Fraser
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