www.racecourseassociation.co.uk January 2020 updatenewsletter CONTENTS Welcome 03 Horse Racing Ireland 05 06 Vivien Currie MBE 06 Did You Know... 07 Racecourse Groundstaff 07 Badges & Pass 2019 08 Racegoers Club 09 Five Minutes of Fame 11 GBRI 12 Racing to School 13 Racing Together 14 Rise and Rise of Ascot Supports 15 Racing Foundation 16 RaceTech 17 Britbet 18 TBA 19 HBLB 20 Racehorse Owners Association 20 Watt Fences 22 Duralock 23 2020 Horseracing Conference 24 TRIC 25 Diary Dates / Contributors / Staff 26 Contact List 09 One Fit Padded Hurdles Wattfences manufacture and supply the ash frames for One Fit Padded Hurdles to 14 Racecourses across the UK and Ireland. Our hurdles are available with covers & padding, brackets and rubber hurdle caps. 18 22 WEBSITE TELEPHONE EMAIL www.wattfences.com +44 (0)1748822666 [email protected] Watt Fences Ltd, Broken Brea Farm, Easby, North Yorkshire, DL10 7EY 2 | RCA Update Newsletter 2020 Back to content page WELCOMEWords by Paul Swain The good news keeps on rolling for next in what are big steps for the sport. racing fans as we can now say we’re In what can only be described as safely on the road to Cheltenham with being in our element, the RCA team a host of trial meetings taking place were fortunate to be invited to the across the country to determine which Horseracing Ireland racecourse seminar stars of the sport will take their place at to participate in discussions with our the legendary Festival in March. Irish friends on all things customer Away from the sporting action itself, experience and marketing. Our own the Cheltenham team have been busy Showcase Champions, Pontefract ensuring the world-class reputation Racecourse, were amongst the of the Festival is maintained from keynote speakers and the warmth and turf to trackside. This year will see hospitality shown by all who welcomed the introduction of The Park—a new us was most humbling. You can read enclosure created especially for more about the HRI seminar on page 5. racegoers to experience the Festival in Our own operating plan for 2020 is a different way, including big wheel for inspired by our brand values of which the best views of Prestbury Park and innovation is at the forefront. Across live post-racing DJ sets from some big our team we’ll be out and about working A warm welcome to readers of Update names. Carey Weeks, Regional Head with our members across all areas of to 2020! of Partnerships for the Jockey Club running a racecourse, be it customer South West, discusses The Park in detail experience, fixtures and funding, Congratulations must firstly go to Vivien here in a recent interview with Sports finances or turf husbandry. Currie of Hamilton Park who recently Industry Group. discovered she had been awarded Please do keep a look out for invitations the prestigious honour of MBE in the To develop a new enclosure at such a to events across the year—there’s truly New Year’s Honours list for services to prestigious event is incredibly exciting something for everyone no matter what racecourse management, business and and with Cheltenham and Ascot both your role within the sport! charity in Hamilton. doing so in the past few years, all at the RCA are eagerly awaiting what comes 3 | RCA Update Newsletter 2020 Back to content page NEWS FROM THE RCA The latest from Horse Racing Ireland, Vivien Currie MBE, Racecourse Groundstaff Courses and the Racegoers Club. 4 | RCA Update Newsletter 2020 Back to content page SHOWCASE CHAMPIONS ON TOUR—HORSE RACING IRELAND SEMINAR Since being crowned Showcase Champions at Hamilton Park Racecourse in November 2019, the Pontefract Racecourse team has been in high demand. Most recently Chief Operating Officer and Clerk of the Course Richard Hammill travelled to Kilkenny, Ireland, to present at the Horse Racing Ireland seminar. Richard introduced the Yorkshire track to his Irish counterparts, highlighting a number of key initiatives and events that had helped them to be crowned Showcase Champions and going through Pontefract’s 8 Golden The stage is set for the HRI seminar Rules of Customer Service. Insights and Planning Data Analyst at Horse Racing Ireland, who introduced Following the session, Richard said “it Dublin Airport, who spoke about the use HRI’s marketing & commercial plan was a real honour to be invited to speak of data in decision making and changing for 2020, explaining how they wanted at the Horse Racing Ireland Seminar to the mindset away from siloed customer to put the customer at the heart of share what the team at Pontefract has touchpoints to more of a holistic Irish racing and make the most of achieved in the last 12 months. It was a approach in the customer journey. #EveryRacingMoment. fantastic, inspirational day that was full Equally impressive was the racecourse The keynote presentation of the of brilliant ideas for me to take back to panel later in the afternoon where Vicki day came from the inspirational Paul Yorkshire.” Donlon of Leopardstown Racecourse, McNeive who discussed how he John Flannelly of Ballinrobe Racecourse The mix of speakers throughout the overcame huge challenges at a young and Sinéad Cassidy of Galway seminar highlighted best practice age to become Managing Director Racecourse discussed best practice examples from key racecourse areas, of Savills Ireland, highlighting the across their venues in sponsorship, including marketing, operations, importance of a long-term goal and operations and raceday experience facilities, sponsorship, staff mindset and having a plan to achieve this. customer experience. respectively The RCA’s Brand & Experience The day was introduced by Paul Of particular interest to racecourses Manager Paul Swain commented “It Dermody, Chief Executive Officer of was the excellent Hannah Burmanje, was fantastic to attend the HRI seminar at the beautiful Lyrath Park Estate. It was brilliant to see our Showcase Champion Racecourse presenting at the seminar—Richard’s presentation highlighted to the delegates everything that is great about the Yorkshire track and the journey that they have been on to become our Champion Racecourse. “It was impossible to leave without feeling inspired with a long list of ideas. The day also showed that many of the challenges that Irish racecourses are facing are similar to our own so the more we can work together and share best practice the better.” Paul Dermody welcoming delegates from across Ireland 5 | RCA Update Newsletter 2020 Back to content page MBE FOR HAMILTON PARK CHIEF Vivien Currie, Chief Executive of Hamilton Park Racecourse, has been honoured with an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. The prestigious award is in recognition of Vivien’s services to racecourse management, business and charity in Hamilton. The recognition comes after an incredible period of success as she enters her 12th year at the helm of Hamilton Park, during which the racecourse has been subject to a series of accolades including RCA Showcase Champion in 2018, a VisitScotland five star venue and ROA Gold Standard. Upon hearing the news of the MBE, Vivien said “the horse racing industry is such a wonderful sport to work in. Every day is different and I have been so fortunate to work alongside so many great people from so many different organisations within it. “My career has been so rewarding thus far; it doesn’t feel like work. To be Vivien with husband John Currie and Chairman Sir Ian Good at the 2019 Showcase & Awards honoured for doing something that I Under Vivien’s management, Hamilton Most recently, the racecourse enjoy so much makes me one of the Park has developed an award-winning completed a £10million hotel luckiest people ever.” reputation within both the business and development which opened to the horseracing communities. public in the summer of 2019. It was also home for a night to British Racecourses when the sport travelled north of the border for the tenth annual RCA Showcase & Awards in November. Offering 118 rooms, the new development created more than 20 new jobs and is projected to generate an additional £5.9m in annual visitor expenditure as well as deliver significant economic impact for the surrounding area. Arguably the first of many, the hotel was the recipient of the RCA Showcase Award for Operational Excellence in 2019, with the independent judging panel commending the vision demonstrated in developing the hotel and the involvement of the full team in its build. The Hampton by Hilton has transformed Hamilton Park since opening in summer 2019 6 | RCA Update Newsletter 2020 Back to content page DID YOU KNOW... Further to the publication of the Sixth representatives and the RCA Safety The updated document has now been Edition of the Guide to Safety at Sports and Medical Groups to review and finalised and can be downloaded from Grounds (The Green Guide), the RCA update the RCA Guide to Safety at the RCA Website Racecourse Services Team has worked Racecourses. with specialist advisors, local authority RCA MEDICAL, VETERINARY, RACING & TURF MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2020 The RCA Medical, Veterinary, Racing & Racecourse Veterinary Teams, Clerks For further information or to book a Turf Management Conference 2020, of the Course, Racecourse Groundstaff place, please contact Holly Cook or partnered by Duralock, will be held at and other members of racecourses Katya Browne at the RCA Doncaster Racecourse on Monday team who would be very welcome to 10, Tuesday 11 and Wednesday attend. 12 February 2020. The event has been developed based on feedback There are a small number of spaces still from racecourses and is designed to available for the event, at a charge of appeal to Racecourse Medical Teams, £105+VAT per person per day.