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Maybe I am just lucky but in 35 years of going racing I have NEVER seen a fight and I can’t wait to start taking my little ones – in suits of course!
It isn’t really that bad – I go racing about 200 days a year so, statistically, I have more chance of seeing most things happen at a racecourse some time or other.
Put into context I probably see one or two fights a year, although I now deliberately avoid meetings where there is a near certainty of fisticuffs.
except for the royal meeting at ascot id like to see how long ascot and other tracks survive with out the so called common people being allowed in ! there is no argument in what a person chooses to wear but using a dress code as a stick to beat the people they dont want in is not the way to go
What are you talking about? When have Ascot or other tracks tried to stop "common people" coming in? If they were using it as "a stick to beat the people they don’t want in" why weren’t they just throwing people out of the racecourse?
You are talking rubbish.
ok thats your opion i read your other post the one quote workingmens sports like rugby football can do as they like well i count racing as a working mans sport too and its the opion of people like you the race courses are pandering too if i have the money to go in the dear section i should be able to wear as i please if i cause trouble then i would be expecting to get thrown out you were at wentworth i bet you did not walk around the 18 holes in a suit allday but i bet the ocaasion was not anyless enjoyable because of it dont take this personally everyones different opions is what make the world go round and christ the place would be a boring place if everyone was the same
The debate about whether you should have the right to enter the Premier Enclosure dressed as you want is another debate. I was pointing out the fact that you are saying that Ascot are using the dress code to stop "common people" coming in, and that they are using it as "a stick to beat the people they don’t want in." That’s ridiculous. Believe me, Ascot want as many "common people" as they can cram into the place to go there. They want them coming in, spending money on over-priced food, copious amounts of cheap alchohol, and gambling their money away as the booze flows ever more. Absolutely racing is a workingman’s sport, that’s why it is such a great sport. It is open to everyone.
But don’t talk about your "right" to enter a Premier Enclosure dressed as you want because you are prepared to pay the money. Ascot are a business enterprise. They have a "right" to set the terms and conditions of their business as they see fit, and if they see fit to have a dress code you either accept it or you go into another enclosure. It’s quite simple.
For the record, I rarely go to race meetings where I do have to wear a jacket and tie because I don’t feel comfortable. Although if it’s a meeting I really want to attend I will do so. Equally, I’m not that keen on Ascot since the monstrosity of a facelift they gave it a few years ago. I prefer to go to meetings where you have to be "smart" but where a jacket and tie isn’t essential.
Radio 4 presenter to Ascot’s Nick Smith today (without guile, simply curious): "For those of our listeners unfamiliar with racing who might be wondering what on earth a sport is doing enforcing a dress code in 2012, what would you say?"
And his answer was……?
"Ascot is world famous for its style and fashion blah, blah, blah"
What a number of people don’t seem to grasp is that it’s not the dress code on its own which causes problems, it’s the fact that many newcomers do not expect to encounter a DC. How many would check the website or ring the course?
I know if I’d set aside a day, travelled, parked and walked to the entrance offering my money as a new (and potential long-term) customer, I’d be well pissed off to be publicly embarrassed, turned away and pointed to another entrance because of the way I was dressed. (I wouldn’t mind betting that in a more litigious culture, someone would sue them).
I’d be heading for the racecourse office demanding recompense for my time and travel. And I would never return to that course nor, probably, to the sport.
Even casinos have now started realise that dress codes have gone.
When I first went to casinos years ago you had to look reasonably smart. Nowadays almost anything goes. They have realised that to attract the young things have changed and they have to change with the times, like it or not.
Radio 4 presenter to Ascot’s Nick Smith today (without guile, simply curious): "For those of our listeners unfamiliar with racing who might be wondering what on earth a sport is doing enforcing a dress code in 2012, what would you say?"
And his answer was……?
"Ascot is world famous for its style and fashion blah, blah, blah"
A single sentence? No wonder you are upset!
What a number of people don’t seem to grasp is that it’s not the dress code on its own which causes problems, it’s the fact that many newcomers do not expect to encounter a DC. How many would check the website or ring the course?
Er I would. Surely anyone with half a brain.
I know if I’d set aside a day, travelled, parked and walked to the entrance offering my money as a new (and potential long-term) customer, I’d be well pissed off to be publicly embarrassed, turned away and pointed to another entrance because of the way I was dressed. (I wouldn’t mind betting that in a more litigious culture, someone would sue them).
I’m sure you would but not so sure it happens as much as you make out.
I’d be heading for the racecourse office demanding recompense for my time and travel. And I would never return to that course nor, probably, to the sport.
You would be wasting your time as you didnt read the condidtions and would have absolutely no case. If it was me I would be cursing myself for not being clever enough to check beforehand.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
If a gentleman offered to take me to a race meeting and turned up at my door to collect me for the excursion wearing jeans, I can only envisage two possible outcomes;
1; He would be summarily dismissed, never to be seen again
2; If he showed enough potential, he would have to be taught the error of his ways resulting in days for excessive use.
I think people are getting slightly confused here. Ascot or any other course I have been to this season are doing anything but trying to stop the pissheads from turning up they love it. It’s just easy money to serve crap food & crap beer for far too much money.
I would much rather be surrounded by racing fans than idiots in fancy dress screaming at the horse as it goes by on the 1st circuit which he has his 50p e/w on at 5/4. But as many have stated most of these idiots are in suits anyway.
As far as dress code I do think it’s nice that people are fairly smart. But smart can be a polo top, a decent pair of jeans & shoes. One point I will make though is it’s not difficult to follow a dress code. I’m happy to go racing in a shirt & a pair of smart trousers or jeans but if I’ve got to wear a suit then I wear one. It really isn’t difficult to get dressed is it? Some racecourses want certain meetings in particular to feel like a special occasion & everyone dressing smartly like for example you would at a wedding or w.e. It certainly adds to or changes the atmosphere and image of the racecourse.From what I remeber when I went to the Melbourne Cup a long time back it was anything goes.
About twenty years ago I went to the old racecourse in Singapore. They had a policy of no shorts. One enterprising lady had set up a table outside selling cheap trousers at $5 a time. She was raking in a fortune from the tourists who all turned up in shorts.
Something similar happened to me in Italy in the early ’90’s. I was active duty US Navy and my ship pulled into Naples. To preface, just to leave the ship, you had to be in a collered shirt and if you wore shorts, they had to be hemmed. Since it was July, off I went, dressed as stated. Well, I arrive at the racecourse and was refused admittance. Why? I was wearing shorts. Bemused and disappointed, I found something else to do. Later in the port vist, they had another fixture. This time, I was sure to show up wearing a pair of slacks (didn’t even want to chance it wearing denim).
The dress code issue is really about the racing culture of a given country or in some cases the type of racing within that country. Here in the US, you can turn up racing in whatever you like. Some racecourses might execpt smart/casual dress for the dining room, but then again, some don’t. As an owner, when I have a runner on the flat, I show up wearing slacks and a nice polo or button down. When we’re in over the jumps, it a little more posh, and a coat and tie are expected.
For me it doesn’t really matter, I really enjoy going racing. I dress the part, go, and have a great day 99.99% of the time.
When I was a youngster my parents would take us racing during our holidays. We’d go to the silver ring or general enclosure, wear jeans / holiday gear and blend in fine. Everyone was happy.
However if my folks went racing on their own (and went to the dearer enclosures) they’d dress up a bit more. It was all part of the occasion and, dare I say it, my mother actually liked getting dressed up, as woman do.
As I got older (late teens) I’d start to go racing with my friends normally head down to Ayr for the Western and National meetings. Friday would be dress down day and Saturday would be jacket and tie – again all part of the occasion. I don’t have an issue with racecourses having dress code rules. Some of our best laughs at the racing would be taking the mickey out of our pals who’s new gear was anything but fashionable! I actually believe the majority of people enjoy putting on their better gear to go racing.
Where I do have an issue is the racecourses that continue to sell alcohol to individuals who are clearly worse for wear but as has been pointed out cash is king. Maybe the orange stickers would be better utilised for these individuals?
One final point…I’m good pals with some OAP’s who are ex-racing guys. They will not attend a race meeting without a tie on. That’s what they were brought up with. The horse looks well, they look smart. That impresses the trainer, the owner etc and I think that’s a tradition racing should hold onto rather than lose.
Many of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
Unless you think they’d behave better in jeans and t-shirt, I don’t get the point you are making.
When I was a youngster my parents would take us racing during our holidays. We’d go to the silver ring or general enclosure, wear jeans / holiday gear and blend in fine. Everyone was happy.
However if my folks went racing on their own (and went to the dearer enclosures) they’d dress up a bit more. It was all part of the occasion and, dare I say it, my mother actually liked getting dressed up, as woman do.
As I got older (late teens) I’d start to go racing with my friends normally head down to Ayr for the Western and National meetings. Friday would be dress down day and Saturday would be jacket and tie – again all part of the occasion. I don’t have an issue with racecourses having dress code rules. Some of our best laughs at the racing would be taking the mickey out of our pals who’s new gear was anything but fashionable! I actually believe the majority of people enjoy putting on their better gear to go racing.
Where I do have an issue is the racecourses that continue to sell alcohol to individuals who are clearly worse for wear but as has been pointed out cash is king. Maybe the orange stickers would be better utilised for these individuals?
One final point…I’m good pals with some OAP’s who are ex-racing guys. They will not attend a race meeting without a tie on. That’s what they were brought up with. The horse looks well, they look smart. That impresses the trainer, the owner etc and I think that’s a tradition racing should hold onto rather than lose.
Lovely post. Reminds me of my Grandad who always insisted I wear a tie when he took me racing even at age 6!
"Why though Grandad?"
"Because we are going racing and you should look smart when you go racing."
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
I personally don’t have a problem with dress codes and tend to dress differently depending on the course/enclosure I am visiting – wellies and scarf and gloves at freezing Fakenham and smarter dress and shoes etc at places such as Newmarket or Ascot (being a female I would look a bit daft in a shirt and tie!) My 12 year old son comes racing with my husband and I a fair bit and is already keen on the dressing up smart side of the experience… after all, we get so little chance to dress smartly nowadays – and there is always the option of other enclosures if you don’t want to go posh
What happens in France, Germany, US, Australia, Hong Kong, etc?
In Germany, you can dress however you like pretty much. For example, Mannheim is one of the smaller courses in the country and doesn’t have any Group races, so the feel is almost that of a point to point in the UK – all very relaxed, although those of us that work there do tend to be ‘suited and booted’ so to speak. The most ‘highbrow’ meeting would the be ‘GrosseWoche’ at Baden-Baden, where you will see posh frocks aplenty – it really is Germanys answer to Royal Ascot. However, here you will find no actual dresscode. OK, the official line is that in the more exclusive areas such as the Brenners Lounge or Champions Club (the top two enclosures), a smart jacket would be advised, but overall, you can wear what you want – smart or casual, hat, jeans or T-shirt. That is the official line from the Baden-Baden committee, however I was in the Brenners Lounge restaurant back in 2009, and I saw people there in plain white T-shirts and smart jeans – I do think they would draw the line at ripped jeans though.
Personally, I always tend to wear a suit at the races, but that’s because I’m either working for trainer Christian von der Recke, going there as an owner, or in the pressbox working for myself or the RP. On the odd occasion I’m at the races just as a standard racegoer, I used to wear smart casual, but to be honest, I got so used to wearing a suit at the races that I tend to wear it even just as a racegoer as well now.
As for dresscodes – well, my opinion is, if you want to wear a suit and tie, or jeans and t-shirt, you should be allowed. Racing want to attract all kinds of people for all walks of life, so really all dress codes should be allowed in my opinion. Just don’t go naked!!!
Shouldn’t we (the customer) be saying to the likes of Ascot….ok fair enough we accept and comply with your dress code.
However you (the racecourse) need to raise your standards of customer care.
For example a decent PA system and course commentary which can be heard at the front of the stands, reduce the overcrowding in certain enclosures and cut food and drink prices to more reasonable levels.Given 60,000 people attend some days of the Royal meeting, and the grandstand price is in the region of £65 I won’t hold my breath. The customer is a cash cow but it is true to say that standards should work both ways and my dollar will be spent where I feel I get treated well and also get value for my money.
Many of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
ALL of the worst behaved people I’ve seen on racecourses have been in suits and ties.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Long time no post!
I personally have no issue with dress codes for big days, gives the day a sense of occasion. Granted, I’d be more willing for the flat season, where it tends to be slightly warmer! Though if people object, vote with your feet and don’t go racing where there are dress codes in place?
RE the point someone made about how it’s just another expense, i have never understood people who eat on course? I’m sure you won’t starve or collapse if you don’t eat overpriced food on course, and i’ve never been to a course where if i haven’t asked nicely i haven’t been given free tapwater, ascot 4 days ago included! Never had an alcoholic beverage on course! Don’t see the need.
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