JON BARNETT
“There was a sense of pride that we were selected for the pilot – it was very much about doing it for racing”
we had the pilot cancelled on us 23 hours from the gates opening. “It cost us a not-inconsiderable amount of money,
but even if it had gone ahead it was never going to be a commercial venture. “We pulled it together in less than two weeks and
went through an approval process where we were effectively selected, based on what we had submitted through the Racecourse Association to DCMS. “There was a sense of pride that we were selected
for the pilot, and it was very much about doing it for racing. “It was a huge amount of work in a tiny space of
time.” Before he began work with Goodwood nine years
ago, Barnett fulfilled roles in the hotel and airline industries, where a contract is a contract. The closure of the doors entitled racecourse
20 RACING TV CLUBMAGAZINE
members to a refund – but less than 3% of badge holders exercised the option. “We have over 4,000 members and they were
incredibly loyal,” adds Barnett, a graduate in history and archaeology at Birmingham University before taking a post-graduate course in hospitality management at Manchester. “A lot of them giſted their membership. Basically,
they said, ‘I’ve had no racing this year, but keep the money.’ “At Goodwood, it’s more than a contractual
arrangement – the letters we received were genuinely touching. “So we have a duty now – it’s something we want
to do, rather than a duty – to give those members a fantastic racing experience.” The four-step roadmap to ease coronavirus
restrictions has scheduled the return of up to 4,000
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