www.racecourseassociation.co.uk July 2019 updatenewsletter CONTENTS Welcome 03 Raceday Experience Forum 06 06 On Track 08 Did You Know... 10 RCA Medical Group 11 Badges & Pass 2019 12 Racegoers Club 13 Five Minutes of Fame 15 GBRI 16 Racing to School 17 Racing Together 18 Racing Foundation 19 Injured Jockeys Fund 20 HBLB 21 ROA 21 RaceTech 22 TBA 23 Careers in Racing 24 Duralock 26 Overview of British Racing 27 Diary Dates / Contributors / Staff 28 Contact List 09 17 19 Front Cover: Image courtesy of Sandown Park Racecourse 2 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page WELCOMEWords by Paul Swain and those of us who were fortunate to can’t wait to welcome Harry Phipps to be present will never forget the roar of the team—look out for August’s Update the crowd and the celebrations. Such where Harry will have his own column to events are a genuine feather in the cap introduce himself. of our sport and all who played a part in British Racing’s career development is that moment should be proud of the one that is of the envy of many other memories they were able to create. industries. Whether you have grown Of course, the good times continued up in an equine environment or have to roll for the Gosden/Dettori team no background in the sport other than with the heroine Enable proving she as a fan, there are opportunities to retains every bit of star quality in the embark on a career within the sport. Coral Eclipse. The admiration from This month’s On Track explores how the crowd and the sheer number of racecourses are looking to the future cameras pointed at the duo as Frankie and developing their own talent did his trademark dismount were proof with bespoke management training that racing’s superstars still hold a academies. special place in the hearts of the nation. Also in July’s Update is the latest from Sandown Park and Coral did a fantastic our Raceday Experience Forum at Royal job over the two days in staging a the Windsor, a mid-year review of activity festival which is always a highlight of the from the Racegoers Club and news of a Oh Frankie Dettori, Oh Frankie summer. Dettori… wonderful day at Newmarket which saw These events should serve as year 5 pupils from all schools in the town If you close your eyes and think of Royal inspiration and a high bar to this year’s attend a day’s racing. Ascot the unbelievable scenes of Gold BHA Graduate Development intake Cup Day come rushing back; the sound who are shortly leaving the two-week of thousands chanting for the legendary residential in Newmarket and heading Italian and dual-Gold Cup hero out across the sport into a variety of Stradivarius and the sight of the bookies jobs. The RCA has been a long-standing satchels being emptied by racegoers. supporter of the programme and many Frankie’s four-timer will go down as of our alumni have gone on to hold one of the great Royal Ascot moments senior positions within the sport. We Big Mac: A broadcasting legend Finally, all at the RCA would like to extend our best wishes to Jenny McCririck following the sad news of her husband John McCririck’s death. ‘Big Mac’ was a legendary broadcaster and fierce journalist who played a significant role in increasing the popularity of the sport during the 1980s and 1990s. A look at his finest moments on YouTube will not be a waste of an hour of your time. Her Majesty and Frankie Detttori with the presentation of the Gold Cup 3 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page 4 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page NEWS FROM THE RCA The latest from the RCA, Raceday Experience Forum, RCA Medical Group and the Racegoers Club. 5 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page RACEDAY EXPERIENCE SIX THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW FORUM FROM REF… The latest Raceday Experience Forum took place at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Monday 8th July. A brand-new award for Showcase 2019 The 10th RCA Showcase & Awards at Hamilton Park Racecourse will see the introduction of a brand-new award as well as the repackaging of an old favourite. The Diversity & Inclusion award will celebrate the fantastic Attendees: Good Ideas Roundtable 1. work being done by racecourses in this sector and aim to inspire others to make our venues as welcoming and inclusive as possible, whilst #TopSpot has been renamed Spotlight to honour the origins of why this award was Paul Swain (Chair) Our Good Ideas Roundtable session was based around the Great Value strand of created. Joanna Wales (Ascot) our Have a Great Day at the Races strategy. In this meeting the Forum shared ideas Fraser Garrity (Chelmsford City) and initiatives on the theme discussing pricing journeys, themed racedays and food Gregg Taylor (GBR) & beverage offerings. Highlights included: Fred Motley (GBR) Ashley Moon (Hamilton Park) • Always encouraging racegoers to try the next level of hospitality with David Fraser (Harrison: Fraser) aspirational packages available—Pontefract’s Premier Gold package is a great A red-hot summer for Under 18s Go Free Sophie Yates (Harrison: Fraser) example GBR’s Gregg Taylor and Fred Motley introduced this year’s Under 18s Go Free campaign to the Forum. 2019 Lucinda Riggs (Jockey Club London) • Stormzy and sign language, an unexpected yet powerful collaboration making sees Tess Daly become the new campaign ambassador as well as a small army of regional ambassadors to Alan Davis (Jockey Club London) this year’s Glastonbury even more accessible 2. ensure that every racecourse with a summer family fixture can generate suitable coverage, leading to an Steve Parlett (Jockey Club London) • ‘Plenty For £20’—a simple ticket offer to attract new racegoers with value built increase in families attending. Carl Pastor (Jockey Club North West) in at Sandown Park Mandy Lane (Live Tourism) • Ribs and racing—a match made in heaven for £25 giving racegoers the Annie Givens (Live Tourism) opportunity to try the stylish panoramic restaurant at Kempton Park Sarah King (Newbury) • A quality food offering at a low price—stone baked pizza at Hamilton Park David Armstrong (RCA) combined with a ticket offer to feed the whole family Matthew Jones (RCA) The importance of Mental Health Awareness As an industry we are quickly becoming more aware of the importance of gaining a greater understanding of mental health and hidden disabilities. The RCA’s Paul Swain presented a series of best practice case-studies from racing and other industries and proposed two industry-wide initiatives (sunflower lanyards and safe 3. spaces) that should be adopted for the benefit of racegoers. The Forum then discussed how racecourses could improve the raceday experience on offer to racegoers with hidden disabilities focussing on mental and emotional health. Is it time for a Golden Gap Year? Baby Boomers, people born between 1946-1964, are the biggest demographic in the UK and their juvenescence period is lasting longer than ever. Harrison:Fraser explained the trends and desires of this 4. demographic and the Forum discussed how racecourses could continue to attract this important customer group River Boats & Racing at Royal Windsor Racecourse After the meeting the Forum was treated to a tour of Royal Windsor Racecourse to showcase the latest initiatives and projects the Berkshire team have undertaken to continue to improve their raceday experience 5. offering. Starting on the famous Royal Windsor river boat, the Forum experienced the raceday cycle from the eyes of a customer seeing everything from the new steakhouse to the Windsor & Eton craft ale bar. Live Tourism & Your Racecourse The RCA’s Quality Assured Racecourse Scheme is now run by Live Tourism. Mandy Lane, Managing Director of Live Tourism, introduced herself to the Forum and highlighted what trends the assessments had uncovered 6. thus far before describing how racecourses could use the scheme to maximise the enhancements to their raceday experience offering. Via the RCA, the Forum will provide feedback on the scheme ahead of a full review The Royal Windsor Team treated our Raceday Experience Forum to a wonderful tour of the venue, including riverboat cruise in Q4 to ensure that the scheme is futureproofed and fit for purpose. 6 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page 7 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page The Jockey Club also run a Trainee Clerk “The programme gives people a real Pollard, explaining: “He was the second of the Course programme that follows a understanding of the business as a chef at Wolverhampton and head ON TRACK similar format and brings Clerks through whole by covering conferencing and chef at Worcester but wanted to be an – RACING'S the business and has seen huge hotels as well as racing. Some are internal food safety auditor. We’d never benefits. single-day events, but there are also dealt with this situation before, because dual days where people can network it was a job we outsourced, so we paid ARC has been running two programmes and bond, so as they grow through the for his training and qualification and now (MANAGEMENT) HOT PROSPECTS for seven years, refining them over time business they have colleagues, allies he works 50 per cent of his time for the to today’s schemes - Under Starter’s Searching for the next generation “My ambition was a run a leisure venue, and Carlisle. Before I could finish the and names to refer to.” group and the rest at Worcester. of horseracing fans is an industry- and in February 2015 I was lucky full two years of the programme, the Orders, which has a wide brief, and The wide conundrum, but what of the enough to join the new JCR Trainee GM Huntingdon job popped up and I started Final Furlong, which is more specifically Spincer estimates that around 50 “Matt’s had a promotion, has a new skill next generation of Racecourse Programme.