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A press release I have just received:-
[i:5q7f5z4w]GREAT BRITISH RACING TO BE THE NEW PROMOTIONAL BODY FOR HORSERACING
Racing for Change project becomes permanent function
Additional responsibility for promoting investment in British RacingGreat British Racing is the new name of racing’s promotional and marketing function.
It will continue the work initiated by Racing for Change, whilst also taking responsibility for the marketing of British racing globally, currently managed by British Bloodstock Marketing.
The aim of Great British Racing will be to broaden the appeal of British horseracing at every level, with the objective of increasing participation and revenues, and protecting and growing the thousands of jobs that exist within the sport.
Great British Racing will be run by Rod Street, Chief Executive of Racing Enterprises Limited and British Champions Series Limited, who led the RfC initiative.
Racing for Change came into being four years ago as a project designed to tackle the challenges facing the industry and to broaden its appeal to new audiences. At that time, racing was paying to be televised, racecourse attendances were flat, the sport was losing relevance with the wider media and the sport was doing little to make the most of its premium assets.
Four years on, a new commercial TV deal with Channel 4 has created new revenues and racecourse attendances increased three years in succession, breaking through the 6 million barrier in 2011 with a record 6.1m paying customers. The sport is gaining relevance and exposure in the wider media and racing’s premium assets are being used more effectively to generate additional income and showcase the sport, both here and abroad.
Major new sponsorship deals from the likes of QIPCO and Investec are bringing long term investment into the sport at the highest level which is helping to attract the best horses, further enhancing Britain’s status as a world leader in horseracing.
By actively promoting British horseracing, Great British Racing seeks to increase public exposure to the sport, thereby making it more relevant to a wider audience and increasing interest in it. Greater interest means racing is more attractive to broadcasters, sponsors and potential racehorse owners, which creates further investment.
The creation of Great British Racing is supported by racing’s key stakeholders, including the BHA, RCA, Horsemen’s Group and Levy Board. It is felt that Great British Racing is an identity all of racing’s participants are proud to endorse.
In addition to its promotional responsibilities, Great British Racing will also lead the marketing of British horseracing to domestic and international high-net worth individuals, a role previously undertaken by British Bloodstock Marketing, which will cease to function from the end of March.
Great British Racing International will create a single focus for the sport’s promotion globally, seeking to attract investors with the mantra, Buy in Britain, Breed in Britain, Train in Britain, Race in Britain; Invest in Britain. Recruitment of a senior executive to lead this role is underway.
Chris McFadden, Chairman of Racing Enterprises Limited said:
“As the sport has evolved, so too, has Racing for Change. First introduced as a project, it is now seen as an essential central promotional organisation, mirroring similar permanent organisations in other major sports. In this day and age, no national sport can hope to survive without a long term strategy for growth, or without a national resource to market and promote it.“Now, as Racing for Change moves to become a permanent entity, it makes sense to give it a title that communicates its promotional role to the wider world. Great British Racing’s remit will be to continue the widening of the sport’s fan base, helping to grow its revenue streams, and maintaining British racing’s position internationally as the best in the world.”
Paul Roy, Chairman of BHA said;
“The BHA fully endorses Great British Racing, as it did Racing for Change. There is no doubt that British racing has come a long way in four years and it still has a long way to go. We’re confident that Great British Racing can help the sport to reach wider audiences, continue to innovate and provide our sport with a more secure future from which to grow.”Harry Herbert, Managing Director of Highclere Racing and Chairman of British Bloodstock Marketing said:
“The creation of a properly funded and formal marketing arm to promote the sport internationally is fantastic news. BBM has done a terrific job with minimal resources for many years and the fact that the industry will now invest properly in such an important function shows how far we have come”“British Horseracing is very special and there are many opportunities, both in the UK and overseas, to attract more investment. One only has to measure the overall benefit that racing’s current leading patrons bring to the sport to understand the impact of doing more.”
[/color:5q7f5z4w][/i:5q7f5z4w]Changing the brand from Colman’s to Bisto doesn’t change the name of the game.
Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar.
You’re gonna go far, you’re gonna fly high,
You’re never gonna die,….
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy
we call it Riding the Gravy Train.well there’s bollocks , complete and utter bollocks , and complete and utter waste of space ………..
Which one of these do you think fits the best ????
imo
Ricky
…will be to broaden the appeal of British horseracing at every level, with the objective of increasing participation…
So why not squeeze dollops of our top Gp1 races onto 2 days and in one corner of the UK? That’s sure to encourage those racing fans in Scotland, the South West, Wales, and Midlands to go racing isn’t it?
…will be to broaden the appeal of British horseracing at every level, with the objective of increasing participation…
So why not squeeze dollops of our top Gp1 races onto 2 days and in one corner of the UK? That’s sure to encourage those racing fans in Scotland, the South West, Wales, and Midlands to go racing isn’t it?
Totally agree with you there,I have long argued Champions Day should alternate between Ascot and a top track in the north each year York, Donny or, possibly, Haydock.
but Paul, why choose the 3 northern tracks that already have a GP1 race? Why not take a leaf out of the yankee Breeders Cup model and shuffle the GP1 races around the tracks. Modify that by shuffling them around those tracks that don’t already have a GP1 race and THAT would be bringing the best of the flat to all potential racegoers – not just those who lived near to the favoured few courses.
What’s wrong with Chepstow, Ayr, Hamilton, Newcastle, Carlisle, Thirsk, Ripon, Chester, Leicester, Wolverhampton etc. getting a GP1 race every now and again? Sure, one could argue that places like Carlisle don’t have the "facilities" to stage a top event. But just maybe if they had a GP1 race every now and again they could make enough dough to improve things (and Haydock is not exactly my idea of tip-top spectator facilities.)
Furthermore, just about the worst course in the UK for actually watching a race in person and being able to see WTF is going on is Newmarket – a course overloaded with GP1’s.
Let the likes of the DEWHURST, JULY CUP, CHAMPION STAKES, KING GEORGE V & Q.E11 STKS, QE11 STAKES, swap tracks every year. It might just create more enthusiasm for people to go racing than just park their bums in front of the tele to watch it. Shouldn’t that be a worthwhile aim for the sport?Quite an emphasis on international marketing of brand GBR. Maybe the recent news about the potential opening up of the Chinese market sometime soon is somethign they (rightly) have their eye on.
What’s wrong with Chepstow, Ayr, Hamilton, Newcastle, Carlisle, Thirsk, Ripon, Chester, Leicester, Wolverhampton etc.
I take your point but most of the alternative courses you mention would not be able to cope with the crowds.
Chepstow is like an equine Alton Towers so bad are the undulations and viewing is rubbish.
Ayr – would they be able to produce decent going conditions?
Hamilton – too small
Newcastle – a possibility
Carlisle – poor viewing, poor ground conditions, poor facilities and in the middle of nowhere.
Thirsk and Ripon – both too small
Chester – I personally wouldn’t even hold a donkey derby there, plus the races would be decided by draw rather than ability
Leicester – poor facilities
Wolverhampton – if more than 300 ever turned up they would not be able to cope.
In all seriousness a top class event needs a top class course with top class facilities. Ascot, possibly Goodwood are the only ones in the South who could stage the event and probably the three I suggested, plus possibly Newcastle as you suggested, ooop North.
Furthermore, just about the worst course in the UK for actually watching a race in person and being able to see WTF is going on is Newmarket – a course overloaded with GP1’s.
Absolutely agree with you 100% After Chester it is the course I least like visiting, moreso the Rowley Mile course. The July Course, at least, has some character.
Changing the brand from Colman’s to Bisto doesn’t change the name of the game.
Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar.
You’re gonna go far, you’re gonna fly high,
You’re never gonna die,….
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy
we call it Riding the Gravy Train.Favourite post this year.
Had a word with Ben and Brian about this.
Ben said: "OMG! Triffic new idea. Great that they’ve parachuted in this lights-on initiative, if we recontextualise things properly and bubble-it-up, we’re talking about a teed-up game-changer."
Brian told me to **** off as he’d got a bet running at Monmore dogs.
Mike
So why not squeeze dollops of our top Gp1 races onto 2 days and in one corner of the UK? That’s sure to encourage those racing fans in Scotland, the South West, Wales, and Midlands to go racing isn’t it?
It takes
at most
7 hours to drive from any corner of the UK to Ascot.
It takes a week to drive from New York or Kentucky to Los Angeles. That is why the Breeders Cup must switch venues! No need for British Champions’ Day to do that.
…
Ayr – would they be able to produce decent going conditions?Hamilton – too small
…I’d rate Hamilton better spectator wise than Ayr. Plenty of circulation room and viewing is still reasonable from the slope in front of the stands. Still too small though.
I went to Ayr this afternoon and was reminded how cr*p it is in so many ways….
1. Whitletts Road is a nightmare approaching from the A77, even on a quiet day.
2. At the entrance you are competing at traffic lights and a roundabout with traffic from Tesco and the McDonald’s drive-in. I’m sure Tesco would close for a Champions Day…, not.3. Once you get past that the entrance then the ‘roadway’ to the car park is potholed (and there was a funfair stored on a good part of it today… should have moved on having used as a winter store apparently…
..and having got in a stew getting there…
4. It’s a long walk from car park to entrance and…
5. …the spectator facilities, despite being tarted up inside, are pretty moderate. The stands are desperately in need of repair work, with rotten woodwork and some of the stepping in a poor state.
6. …and from past experience their ticket pick up arrangements are at best disorganised and at worst a shambles.
Other than that, it’s not bad I suppose!
Rob
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