www.racecourseassociation.co.uk November 2019 November updatenewsletter CONTENTS Welcome 03 Showcase & Awards 05 08 Raceday Experience Forum 09 Did You Know... 10 Badges & Pass 2019 11 Racegoers Club 12 Five Minutes of Fame 14 GBRI 15 Racing to School 16 Racing Together 17 Racing Foundation 18 RaceTech 19 Racehorse Owners Association 20 TBA/TTC & HBLB 21 Careers in Racing 22 Women in Racing 23 Watt Fences 25 Duralock 26 TRIC 27 Overview of British Racing 28 Diary Dates / Contributors / Staff 29 Contact List 17 Front Cover: The Pontefract Racecourse team were crowned Champion 19 22 Racecourse at Showcase 2019 2 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page WELCOMEWords by Paul Swain the past 12 months. Our thanks again the turf Enable, during the Welcome to to Vivien Currie, Ashley Moon and the Yorkshire Ebor Festival. The judges were Hamilton Park team plus our partners unanimous in their choice and a hearty Moët Hennessy, Great British Racing congratulations goes to William Derby, and Racing Post for their unwavering Anthea Morshead, Adrian Kay and their support. team. Pontefract’s Showcase Champion As you can appreciate in the wake of the win was a fantastic moment as they Showcase & Awards, a good portion of became just the second ‘small’ November’s Update recaps the event racecourse to win our most prestigious and gives you the first-take from our accolade. Under the astute leadership winners. of Norman Gundill and Richard Aside from Showcase, the end of the Hammill, Pontefract have transformed year is always an incredibly busy time for their business over a number of the RCA team. We have been: around years and in 2019 were able to count the country with Marketing Services rising attendances, a phenomenally workshops, preparing for Racegoers successful new pizza restaurant and Club renewals, releasing racing data Guinness World Record amongst their packs, hosting Members’ Fora and Congratulations to Pontefract accolades. The Champion Award was a finalising plans for our final meetings Racecourse, the latest name in our fitting end to the year; I speak for many in 2019 across the business. It’s a real Showcase roll of honour. when I say we can’t wait to see what the highlight of our work to be able to get team come up with in 2020. The tenth annual Showcase & Awards out and about to meet racecourse certainly did not disappoint and it The Racecourse Groundstaff Awards in teams in person and we thank everyone was a pleasure to have hosted the association with Pitchcare, Watt Fences who’s welcomed us over the past few event alongside Hamilton Park. The and Fornells also crowned its 2019 weeks. daytime seminar was crammed full of Champion, York Racecourse. York’s It just gives us enough time to plan one inspiring presentations, best practice Knavesmire turf is renowned for being final big event—the RCA Christmas and camaraderie, whilst the evening amongst the best in world sport and party! awards gave us chance to celebrate this year was the stage for countless the best of British Racecourses over top-class horses, including Queen of 3 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page NEWS FROM THE RCA The latest from the Showcase Winners, Raceday Experience Forum and the Racegoers Club. 4 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page Cheltenham made it back-to-back wins in the Food & Beverage category A SPARKLING NIGHT for the stunning Horse & Groom, a gastro-pub themed hospitality concept that proved a sell-out success at this AT HAMILTON PARK year’s Festival™. Such was the fierce competition in this category, the judges awarded Perth a Highly Commended accolade for their partnership with Heritage Portfolio which has delighted racegoers throughout the season with The 10th annual Showcase & Awards crowned the best of 2019 fresh, innovative food and beverage options. • Pontefract Racecourse awarded Champion Racecourse accolade • 13 awards presented at Hamilton Park Racecourse by Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Employee of the year The Love of the Sport Award went Catriona Bissett and ITV Racing’s Chris Hughes the way of Salisbury Racecourse, who managed to beat off competition • Simon Bazalgette receives RCA Chairman’s Award in recognition of contribution to horseracing from some serious rivals to win with Hosts Hamilton Park were the Operational Excellence winners for their new onsite hotel development • Petra Gough of Sandown Park Racecourse honoured with RCA Outstanding Achievement Award their Harvey the Horse Easter Trail which managed to secure a host of new attendees to the racecourse and this category, the judges awarded a crowned with our most prestigious cement the racecourse amongst the Highly Commended accolade to Ascot accolade, Showcase Champion.” city’s tourist attractions. on account of their summer festival with Sebastian’s Action Trust. “This was an exceptional year for Ripon’s green travel maps were a hit Pontefract, having been selected as with the judges in the Spotlight Award, The Digital & Social Media Excellence Finalists in three categories. Under the reserved for initiatives that were Award was reclaimed by Goodwood astute leadership of Norman Gundill standalone and could be adopted by following a new initiative to leverage and Richard Hammill, the racecourse other racecourses to enhance the social media influencers around the has continued to develop and innovate. customer experience. These maps Qatar Goodwood Festival, ensuring a In 2019, with both an increase in embrace the environmental nature of stream of organic, positive content. attendance and racegoer satisfaction Ripon’s brand and provide racegoers scores, Pontefract demonstrated an In its first year, the Diversity & Inclusion with scenic cycle routes to the outstanding raceday experience for Award was won by Scottish Racing and racecourse. customers.” their fantastic partnership with William Aintree continued their outstanding Hill and Alzheimer’s Scotland to ensure "The foundations of our Showcase record in the Racing Together that racing in Scotland was dementia- & Awards, excellence and innovation, Community Award by making it four friendly and a welcoming day out for all were on show amongst all of our wins in five years thanks to the recent who attended. Beverley’s stellar work Finalists and the eventual winners. With innovations in the Aintree Community in welcoming Syrian refugees to the record numbers of submissions, the The Pontefract Racecourse team were crowned Champion Racecourse at Showcase 2019 Strategy. Aintree worked alongside racecourse was Highly Commended by competition in 2019 was the strongest the Royal Marines to introduce a the judges. we have seen. Our winners and highly health & wellbeing element to their commended have shown exceptional The Racecourse Association (RCA) is Hamilton Park Racecourse, there were a evening to be nominated by racegoers. Maggie Carver, Racecourse Association work and managed to interact with commitment to delivering outstanding delighted to announce that Pontefract total of 13 awards handed out by special Chairman, said: "I'm absolutely delighted Musselburgh were crowned best hundreds of local people. Due to the customer experiences.” Racecourse has been crowned guests Catriona Bissett and Chris that Pontefract Racecourse has been racecourse for Owners’ Experience Showcase Champion for 2019 at the Hughes. outstanding calibre of submissions in thanks to their fantastic raceday team tenth annual RCA Showcase & Awards. Beginning the night, the two awards led by Jane Walker. Racehorse Owners Held this year at Hamilton Park for individuals were presented. The Association (ROA) Members were Racecourse, the Showcase & Awards, Chairman’s Award for Outstanding instrumental in placing Musselburgh partnered by Moët Hennessy, Racing Contribution to the Racing was given on the shortlist for this award, with Post and Great British Racing (GBR), to Simon Bazalgette who recently their nominations demonstrating how celebrate excellence and innovation in stood down as Chief Executive of popular the racecourse is amongst this racecourse customer experience. the Jockey Club after 11 years at the vital customer group. helm. Petra Gough of Sandown Park As well as being named overall The 2019 Best Campaign Award was Racecourse was honoured with the Showcase Champion, Pontefract’s won by ARC & Doncaster for their RCA Outstanding Achievement Award Guinness World Record-winning innovative take on family days. The for her continued commitment to Uniquely Yorkshire raceday wowed dino-themed days were a mammoth promoting racing at the Esher venue. the judges in the Events category by success with racegoers, so much so creating the world’s biggest image York Racecourse celebrated a wonderful that the campaign and raceday was of a whippet made up of racegoers. evening by being crowned Champion rolled out across the ARC group. Newmarket was also rewarded with Groundstaff team in the Racecourse Operational Excellence was awarded a Highly Commended award in this Groundstaff Awards in association with to the 2019 hosts Hamilton Park on category for the world’s first official Pitchcare, Watt Fences and Fornells. account of the business-change project Peaky Blinders Raceday which proved York were also named winners of the to include an onsite hotel, transforming exceptionally popular with racegoers. Racing Post Readers Award to celebrate Hamilton Park from racecourse to York Racecourse celebrated a wonderful evening by being crowned Champion Groundstaff team in the Racecourse Groundstaff Awards in association with customer service, the only award of the Pitchcare, Watt Fences and Fornells. Across a sparkling awards night held at resort. 5 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page 6 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page 7 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page 8 | RCA Update Newsletter 2019 Back to content page A DECEMBER CHRISTMAS CRACKER The final Raceday Experience Forum of started to embrace diversity & inclusion, Racecourse, seeing what they had done 2019 is taking place in December and and why this is so important.