RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 INTRODUCTION

ANNUAL
REVIEW
RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
INTRODUCTION
ANNUAL
REVIEW
RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
INTRODUCTION
Introduction 4–5
Chief Executive’s Summary 6–7
Key Objectives 8–9
Promoting the Sport 10–13
Premier Racing 14–15
Promoting the Racehorse 16–17
Working Proactively with Bookmakers 18–19
The Raceday Experience 20–21
Looking Ahead 22–23
The Showcase Awards 24–25
Promoting Horseracing to Students 26–27
Measuring Success 28–29
The Team 30–31
They’re off at Chester
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
INTRODUCTION
MISSION STATEMENT
The aim of Racing for Change is to broaden the appeal of British
Horseracing, with the objective of increasing participation and revenues,
and protecting the thousands of jobs that exist within the sport.
BACKGROUND
Racing for Change is an industry-wide initiative with a
single purpose – to broaden the appeal of Horseracing
in Britain. Racing for Change was launched in August
2009 and became fully operational in January 2010.
Its arrival was preceded by extensive consumer
research and widespread consultation among both
stakeholders and the wider public. This highlighted
that racing had assets to die for, but these were not
exploited fully, and the industry’s financial stability was
being threatened as a result.
The Racing for Change initiative is funded by Racing
Enterprises Limited (REL), the commercial arm of
the industry. REL is a joint venture company whose
shareholders are the Racecourses and the Horsemen’s
Group: the latter represents the interests of owners,
trainers, jockeys, breeders and stable staff.
The Racing for Change Executive reports directly to
the REL Board.
6 The packed grandstand at Cheltenham
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S SUMMARY
Rod Street, Chief Executive
Change can be challenging, especially when it involves a sport steeped in
tradition and with an ageing customer base. Encouragingly, our research
shows that a substantial majority of the sport’s constituents now believe that
positive change is the way forward. What’s more, there are also strong signs
that this change is delivering higher Racecourse attendances, increasing TV
audiences and generating a growing interest in horserace betting.
Racing is also fortunate to have a large base of existing loyal fans and we
are increasingly capturing their enthusiasm to help promote and explain our
sport to newcomers.
No sport can survive long term without a regular
injection of new fans. Horseracing is no exception.
What we’ve seen here in Britain and in other major
racing nations is that we need to work harder to
attract new and younger customers who have
many other leisure choices.
Once we’ve gained their interest, we need
to sustain it, whether as a racegoer, an owner
or a punter. This means making a long-term
investment of time and energy rather than a
quick fix.
Society changes; customer habits shift, and
entertainment expectations evolve. We need to
be cognisant of these developments so that we
can ensure Horseracing is as relevant to the next
generation as it was to the last.
Successful change comes from innovation,
initiative and invention, and racing needs all three.
Over the last two years, we’ve been working to
create a more interesting and exciting sport, both
for existing fans and for new ones. We’ve been
actively promoting the sport’s undoubted assets,
while making it more accessible to novice racing
fans. Finally, we’ve been trying to communicate
with a much broader base of potential customers.
Thankfully, we’re not alone in trying to deliver
these goals. Many of the Racecourses are
embracing innovation in ways unheard of a few
years ago, while also working hard to improve the
customer experience and attract new racegoers.
Likewise, many in the betting industry are seeing
the value of supporting the sport and promoting
it better to their customers.
The Horsemen and, in particular, jockeys
and trainers have also been actively involved
in helping us to promote racing to a much
broader audience. And the media are giving
Horseracing unprecedented levels of publicity
that are enabling us to take our messages to
new audiences.
We ended 2010 with a win that united racing: AP
McCoy’s crowning as BBC Sports Personality of
the Year. In 2011, the success of the inaugural
British Champions Day demonstrated how,
together, we can deliver positive outcomes that
benefit the sport as a whole.
Over the following pages, we highlight some
of our most important achievements that have
contributed to broadening the appeal of British
Horseracing. We also set out how we measure
our success.
Commentary karaoke in the interactive zone on British Champions Day
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
INTRODUCTION
KEY OBJECTIVES
Racing for Change’s objectives can be divided into four headings. Each is
connected by the broad objective to promote what is at the very heart of
our sport – the racehorse.
01
02
Tell racing’s compelling
stories 52 weeks a year
Attract customers to
premium branded events
with clearly defined
championships and finales
03
04
Work proactively with
bookmakers, to maintain
racing as a competitive
betting product
Improve the production
and delivery of the
raceday experience
Sam Waley-Cohen and Long Run after winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
PROMOTING THE SPORT
Nick Attenborough, Director of Consumer PR
The sport’s PR activities are delivering a growing volume of positive
publicity, much of it appearing beyond the racing pages. This editorial
endorsement is helping to raise levels of awareness about racing among
new audiences, and to engage them.
JANUARY 2011
The first week of the year saw
national media publicity for
‘The Jockey Diet’, a collection
of low-calorie recipes based on
a PJA nutrition booklet. Other
activities included the launch of
the Cheltenham Festival tipping
competition on Lovetheraces.
com, pre-publicity for the
delayed King George VI Chase
at Kempton Park and a Sun
newspaper promotion to ‘Bring
a Mate Racing for Free’
throughout January.
FEBRUARY
The tabloids and other
mainstream media gave
widespread publicity to RfC
research that listed the rudest
racehorse names ever
registered. TalkSport, which
had dropped Horseracing, was
persuaded to introduce a daily
breakfast bulletin based around
racing guests organised by RfC.
The month also saw the first of
several media training sessions
for Horsemen. While on
Lovetheraces.com, new content
was added in the form of
cartoon strips called ‘Spot
the Winner’.
MARCH
The main focus was the
Cheltenham Festival, with the
placement of national media
interviews, a partnership with
Guinness and a survey in
conjunction with Ladbrokes.
The latter, who proved that the
‘Luck of the Irish’ was a myth,
received widespread publicity.
The promotion of racing
to students was also at its
height with the launch of a
free ownership club involving
subsequent winner, Tae Kwon
Do. The month’s activities also
included the placement of
major features to promote the
‘Start of the Flat’.
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
Ant and Dec at British Champions Day
April saw the launch of the
first-ever Free Racing Month,
involving 26 courses which,
together, attracted 63,000
additional racegoers through
the gates. Publicity work was
also focused on the Grand
National, including a promotion
with Debenhams and the
distribution of sweepstake kits
via Lovetheraces.com. Further
media training sessions were
implemented, publicity was
achieved for Royal Wedding’s
victory on the Royal Wedding
day, and a new guide to the
racehorse was launched called
All About the Horse.
A search to find Britain’s firstever
female commentator
proved very effective at
achieving positive publicity for
racing. The judging of designs
for racing silks by students at
Central Saint Martins gained
the sport further attention in
the wider media. The celebrity
gossip website, popbitch.
com, joined forces with RfC to
promote an ownership club,
leasing Superinjunction. At
the same time, a racehorse
leased to Sky TV’s Soccer AM
show made a special studio
appearance to promote this
ownership venture.
In late May, RfC took over
responsibility for British
Champions Series PR and
quickly ramped up publicity for
the Derby and, in particular, the
Queen’s runner, Carlton House,
with the placement of media
interviews. The focus quickly
switched to Royal Ascot and
further in-depth features were
placed. Short-listed female
commentators were given their
first chance to star in front
of the paying public, and
the world’s first racehorse
for the Twitter community,
Tweet Lady, was introduced
at www.thepeopleshorse.co.uk.
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
PROMOTING THE SPORT THE SPORT
Led Nick by Attenborough, Nick Director of of Consumer PR PR
Promoting the sport was made easier in 2011 thanks to the exploits of
so many equine heroes, including the spectacular performances of both
Frankel and Kauto Star.
Issues relating to integrity and equine welfare can affect how we convey the
sport. These are the responsibility of the BHA and we will be working more
closely with them in 2012 to ensure a more cohesive approach.
JULY
Throughout July, work was
focused on the main British
Champions Series fixtures with
particular effort given to Goodwood’s
‘Duel on the Downs’
between Frankel and Canford
Cliffs. The winning student’s
designs from the Central Saint
Martins competition were
turned into silks and worn in a
race at Ascot which also hosted
the final of the ‘Filly Factor’
search for a female commentator.
A survey by RfC of racing’s
stakeholders was also undertaken
and the results published
under the banner Racing 2015.
AUGUST
PR and marketing work commenced
on British Champions
Day with particular effort placed
on publications with a longer
lead-time, while negotiations
were also started with potential
partners for the day. Our focus
switched to York’s Ebor meeting
and again pre-publicity was
achieved via in-depth interviews
with Horsemen. Lovetheraces.
com introduced a set of ‘collector
cards’ relating to the Flat’s
main performers and launched
a young racing blogger competition
in conjunction with
The Guardian.
SEPTEMBER
Pre-publicity for the St Leger
was high on the list of activities,
alongside a campaign to
promote the Leger Legends
race to a wider audience. Final
preparations were also put in
place to increase the number
of racing clubs at universities
ahead of Freshers’ Week.
Further preparations and publicity
activity was undertaken
to support British Champions
Day and plans were executed
to promote Jump racing in the
wider media, including a media
trip to the British Racing School
in Newmarket.
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Racing silks designed by students at Central Saint Martins
All PR effort during the first half
of the month was focused on
the publicity build up for
British Champions Day,
organising hospitality, liaising
with promotional partners,
finalising the advertising
campaign and overseeing
other marketing efforts. Final
plans were agreed between
RfC and the Daily Mirror for a
10-race sponsored series over
hurdles, culminating at the 2012
Grand National meeting at Aintree.
Work was also undertaken
to promote the Flat Jockeys’
Championship.
November saw the culmination
of the Cock o’ the North award,
sponsored jointly by RfC and
the Yorkshire Post. Agreement
was also reached with Soccer
AM to lease a second horse to
promote racing, with the story
receiving significant airtime. In
addition, publicity was achieved
for Paul Nicholls’ milestone of
2,000 winners alongside prepublicity
for The Hennessy at
Newbury. This month, the RfC
team also collected its second
consecutive PRCA award for
best Media Relations Campaign
of the Year and supported the
Racecourses’ Showcase Awards.
The main focus during
December was the publicity
build up for the King George
VI, including a public vote on
Lovetheraces.com for Kauto
Star’s best ever performance.
Work was progressed on the
annual Godolphin Stud and
Stable Staff Awards, a joint
initiative with the BHA. ‘Collector
cards’ were also created for
Jump racing and distributed at
Racecourses. At the same time,
a survey on the luckiest saddle
cloth numbers received publicity
in the national media.
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
PREMIER RACING
Rod Street, Chief Executive of British Champions Series
In April 2011, the launch of the QIPCO British Champions Series at
Newmarket – and its culmination at Ascot in October with QIPCO British
Champions Day – was a major turning point for the sport.
The introduction of a Series, based around racing’s
premier events, gave the sport a framework upon
which to promote Britain’s finest Flat racing to a
broader audience. In addition, the creation of a
new high-profile finale provided British racing
with a much needed climax that has captured the
attention of many potential sports fans.
The Series and British Champions Day enabled
the sport to attract a major new sponsor to the
sport with QIPCO. Furthermore, the BBC secured
the privilege of broadcasting British Champions
Day and succeeded in selling their rights to
76 countries.
Although the strategy for British Champions
Series is a long-term one, much was achieved
in 2011 with increased attendances and TV
audiences proving that promotion of our premier
events can, and does, deliver more customers.
Racecourse attendances on the 28 days that
made up the new Series were up 7% on 2010,
adding 44,000 to the gate. Average terrestrial
viewing figures on the BBC and Channel 4, which
broadcast the racedays between them, have
seen a 33% increase on last year, delivering an
extra 4.4 million viewers.
Not all of this increase is attributable to the
creation of the QIPCO British Champions Series,
but it is certainly an encouraging trend for
the future.
British Champions Day delivered equally positive
results, having been blessed by excellent
weather and Frankel’s participation. The day was
watched by 27,000 racegoers, an autumn record
for Ascot. According to International Ratings,
British Champions Day was the best day’s racing
anywhere in the world in 2011, based on quality
of the top four finishers.
The TV audience for the first-ever British
Champions Day was impressive, with a peak
of 1.5 million viewers, equivalent to the best
achieved by the BBC at Royal Ascot.
Racegoer research was also reassuring, with
98% of those surveyed rating the day as good or
excellent. 76% of racegoers rated it among the
best racedays they had ever attended, and 90%
said they were likely to attend in 2012.
These results and others convince us that
promoting the very best of our sport in more
creative ways can enhance the experience for
existing fans while also attracting new ones.
However, this year, we won’t necessarily have
either Frankel or excellent weather so we’ll need
to work even harder if we are to deliver our
strategic goal of broadening the sport’s appeal.
Frankel winning the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
PROMOTING THE RACEHORSE
The racehorse is central to a full appreciation of the sport. Our focus is
to educate the wider public about our equine stars, with the aim of
promoting racehorse ownership and increasing participation in racing
among younger adults.
In 2011, this was delivered in a number of
different ways, the most high profile of which
were several leasing arrangements with media
outlets which helped us to convey the magic of
racehorse ownership.
One of the most successful was the launch of The
People’s Horse, the UK’s biggest free racing club
specifically designed for the Twitter community.
Followers of the aptly named Tweet Lady were
provided with regular bulletins regarding stable
life, her training regime and her hopes for the
season – all in less than 140 characters.
Tweet Lady’s followers, all 1,900 of them, have
been given the opportunity to be ‘owners’ when
she’s run, attend stable visits and participate
in other Horseracing-orientated activities. For
many, it was a particularly magical introduction
to racehorse ownership since the filly managed
to win twice. Followers were also tasked with
deciding which charities should benefit from the
prize money that Tweet Lady accumulated.
The People’s Horse initiative, which continues
in 2012, has enabled us to reach the social
networking community and, in particular, younger
adults who represent an important long-term
audience for the sport.
The same is true for our leasing arrangement with
the cult sports show, Soccer AM. The Sky football
programme attracts a weekly audience of over
500,000, many of them younger adults.
During the early part of 2011, viewers
were updated weekly on the progress of
Teaforthree, with filming from the stable
interspersed with race footage and even a live
appearance from the horse on the show. In
total, some 20 minutes of airtime on racehorse
ownership was seen by potential followers of
the sport.
Soccer AM was so enamoured with the initiative
that a second leasing arrangement has been
agreed for the latest Jump season, with the
Charlie Longsdon-trained Accordintolawrence
running in the Soccer AM colours. The horse also
boasts over 5,000 followers online.
Two other media partners came on board during
the year with leased racehorses managed by RfC,
the Mirror Punters Club and popbitch.com, and
both provided very significant editorial publicity
for the sport in return.
The same leasing device was also used to
promote racing through university racing clubs.
During 2011, we succeeded in growing the
number of clubs to 28, actively supporting them
with discounted racedays, stable visits, racing
literature and a leased racehorse called Tae Kwon
Do. His subsequent victory at Fontwell Park gave
many of the clubs a first experience of the thrill
of ownership.
Racecourses assisted us greatly in the process
of education about racing by giving away copies
of an RfC booklet entitled All About The Horse,
with over 25,000 copies distributed to date. The
literature is also available in pdf format from
Lovetheraces.com.
For younger racing fans, we created two sets of
‘collector cards’, one for the Jumps and one for
the Flat. The packs feature the best racehorses of
the season, along with a few rising stars, and
were distributed at Racecourses and at
Lovetheraces.com.
Many courses have also worked closely with us
to set up interactive areas at major meetings
when racegoers are given the chance to meet
ex-racehorses and learn more about their care.
War Horse Joey meets Monsignor at British Champions Day
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
WORKING PROACTIVELY WITH BOOKMAKERS
Nigel Roddis, Development Director – Betting
The sport’s relationship with the bookmaking industry has not always
been a positive one, due almost entirely to the adversarial nature of
each annual Levy negotiation. However, many in the racing and betting
industries believe that a better working relationship will deliver significant
financial benefits for both parties, and a healthier future for the sport.
A busy betting ring before the QIPCO 2000 Guineas
Racing for Change is taking active steps to help build a
more positive and proactive partnership for the future
of the sport. Bookmakers have been clear that they
want racing to be better promoted and to appeal to a
wider audience. We are mindful that punters contribute
enormously to the industry and one of our key aims is
to broaden racing’s appeal as a betting activity.
Our PR work focuses on the main protagonists in the
major races so that the wider public have a greater
interest in the outcomes. We believe that if we can
stimulate this interest, people will have an opinion and
ultimately be moved to back that opinion with a bet.
Our editorial surveys aim to show that ‘lady luck’ can
play a part in any flutter and that having a bet on the
horses is an important part of a great day out.
Where we can, we also try to educate novice racegoers
about some of the factors to consider when having
a bet, and try to demystify the jargon that might be
alienating to first-time punters.
Our website for novice racegoers, Lovetheraces.com,
has special areas that help explain betting and form
study. The site has also hosted ‘free play’ tipping
competitions and will soon include a fun betting
game that illustrates the experience of having a flutter,
seeking to educate new and inexperienced punters.
We’re also working much more closely with the betting
industry generally and have implemented a number of
joint initiatives that benefit both parties.
their retail outlets, on Coral TV and on their website.
The initiative gave racing a strong presence in their
shop windows, while in-store promotions gave Coral
customers a strong reason to engage with the UK’s
richest ever raceday.
Ladbrokes also partnered with us in 2011 via a joint
PR initiative ahead of the Cheltenham Festival. Their
betting data over a 12-month period was used to prove
that the age-old adage about the ‘Luck of the Irish’ was
a myth. The joint press release received coverage in
several national newspapers, various regional papers
and a number of overseas publications.
Similar partnership activity was undertaken with Betfair
ahead of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
Stakes and with William Hill ahead of the King George
VI Chase at Kempton Park.
A particularly notable event in the betting industry
during 2011 was the sale of the Tote. REL provided
significant resource in advising and supporting the
racing industry during the sale process, working closely
with the DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and
Sport) and the various stakeholders. REL is now actively
engaged in the process of ensuring that the sale
proceeds are delivered to racing in the most effective
way possible.
Our remit also includes all negotiations regarding
commercial terms for racecard data – effectively the
supply of runners and riders to betting and media
outlets. New arrangements have been agreed with a
number of users of this data, the revenue from which
SOCIAL MEDIA
The social media revolution has transformed the
lives of millions with the use of digital technology,
instant messaging, social networks and email growing
exponentially in recent years.
Horseracing initially struggled to capitalise on these
new communication mediums. But, thankfully, the sport
is now making good use of these important marketing
tools in order to talk to younger adults and technologysavvy
users.
Our Lovetheraces.com website was launched in August
2010 and now has 200,000 unique visitors annually,
many of them new to racing. Its content is designed
to present Horseracing in a fun and engaging way
to novice racegoers and other fans, providing them
with beginners’ guides, fashion features, quirky news
stories, competitions and video blogs from our Voices
of the Races.
Racing for Change uses Facebook and Twitter to
communicate positive racing stories to a growing band
of followers. We’re also in the process of preparing
Wikipedia entries for many of the leading protagonists
in the sport so new fans can learn about racing’s
leading stars. And we regularly supply racing content
to YouTube, with help from the sport’s broadcasters.
Prior to British Champions Day, for example, we
joined forces with Coral to promote the day through
helps to fund Racing for Change activity.
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
THE RACEDAY EXPERIENCE
Responsibility for improving the customer experience at Racecourses
shifted to the Racecourse Association in 2011.
Building on the early successes of 2010, the
responsibility for delivery of an improved raceday
experience transferred to the RCA in 2011.
Continuity was maintained by retaining and
growing the activities of the Raceday Experience
Group, which is attended by representatives of
some of Britain’s most proactive and innovative
Racecourses. The Raceday Experience Group
continues to encourage innovation by introducing
and sharing ideas from both within and outside of
racing. Racecourses are encouraged to share their
latest innovations with their peers – something
that would be unlikely to take place in other sports.
During 2011, the RCA introduced an ‘On Tour
Blog’ in order to provide creative stimulus.
Prepared on the RCA’s behalf by consultants
Harrison:Fraser, the blog showcases ‘best in class’
customer service from competing sport, leisure
and commercial attractions. During the year, the
On Tour team visited, among others, The O2,
Twickenham Stadium, Silverstone, Chatsworth
and Tokyo. The On Tour blog will continue to be
developed in 2012.
A new introduction, building on the Showcase
theme, was a series of specialist masterclasses.
These were designed to illuminate emerging
issues of importance to Racecourse management
teams. During the year, masterclasses were held
in the north and south of the country and tackled
subjects ranging from the use of social media to
the interpretation of the Visit England Racecourse
audits and the VAQAS (Visitor Attractions Quality
Assurance Service) award scheme.
External speakers led presentations and working
sessions with teams from the Racecourses and
excellent participation was achieved from both the
Racecourse groups and independent Racecourses.
During 2012, masterclasses have been arranged
to explore the training of temporary staff and new
food and drink concepts.
A series of customer experience audits were
carried out at Racecourses throughout the year
with an increased emphasis on smaller and
independent Racecourses.
The culmination of the Showcase programme
took place in November at Epsom Downs
Racecourse with the second annual Showcase
Awards. This expanded event has grown into a
one-day conference and black tie awards dinner.
Both the conference event and awards dinner
were a great success, with increased attendance
from Racecourses. Doncaster Racecourse was
crowned the 2011 Showcase Champion – a new
award introduced for Racecourse teams who
were seen to be innovating across the board,
from new food and drink concepts to innovative
use of marketing and social media. The judges
noted that both the number and the calibre of
submissions had increased since the inaugural
event in 2010 and that there was clear evidence
that the pace of innovation and improvement
in the customer experience at Racecourses was
accelerating – with healthy competition between
Racecourses much in evidence.
Racegoers enjoying the spectacle on British Champions Day
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
LOOKING AHEAD
Chris McFadden, Chairman
The total cost of RfC in 2011, including staff costs, was £950,000. This is a
reduction of £350,000 on 2010. The REL board believes that the level of
output and achievement based on this budget provides excellent value.
We continue to learn from our experiences and this has guided our plans
for 2012.
Kauto Star leaps the last at Kempton Park
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
THE SHOWCASE AWARDS
First instigated in 2010, these annual awards recognise Racecourse
innovation and enterprise and have gone from strength to strength.
The 2011 awards received 86 entries from 37 Racecourses, twice the
number received in 2010.
The awards were designed to celebrate the
excellence and innovation being delivered by
Britain’s Racecourses in their work to improve the
customer experience. A panel of independent
judges shortlisted 30 Racecourse initiatives across
six categories – events, food and beverage, free
racing days, operational excellence, marketing
and raceday experience.
The judges named Doncaster Racecourse as
the Showcase Champion, and the course also
collected an award in the Free Raceday category,
thanks to their Royal Wedding meeting. The
crowd of 23,000 was one of the largest free Royal
Wedding events in the UK and was marketed
almost exclusively through social media.
In the individual categories, York Racecourse won
the Marketing Award, following expansion of the
fashion aspects at the Ebor Meeting, especially
the ‘Fashion in the Field’ initiative. Musselburgh
Racecourse was awarded the top prize in the
Operational Excellence category for maintaining
and improving the Racecourse’s status as a
5 star attraction.
Hamilton Park Racecourse was victorious in the
Raceday Experience category, following the
development of the theatre of the parade ring to
inform racegoers about horses and racing in an
entertaining and engaging manner.
Goodwood Racecourse triumphed in the Food
and Beverage category as a result of their
partnership with Diageo to design and implement
a new Tanqueray Bar.
In the Events Category, Carlisle Racecourse came
out on top thanks to their Edinburgh Woollen
Mill Ultimate Ladies Night in August, where the
Racecourse hosted the first-ever six-race lady
riders’ only card.
Newcastle and Plumpton Racecourses also
received highly commended awards for
new initiatives.
The team from Plumpton Racecourse receive their Showcase award
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RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
PROMOTING HORSERACING TO STUDENTS
Horseracing has a loyal fan base but it’s considerably older than other
comparable sports, with seven out of ten customers aged 46 years or
over. This needs to be addressed urgently if we are to guarantee a secure,
long-term future for the sport.
Much is now being done to address this,
including a major campaign to market racing
more effectively to university students. When
RfC started this project in 2010, there was only
one university racing club in existence. By the
beginning of 2011, we’d grown this number to
22, with six new campus racing clubs launching
during the year.
Our first task has been to identify students with
a racing interest that are sufficiently keen to set
up a club on campus. We then provide them with
advice and marketing assistance to help them
start their club.
Feedback from ‘racing ambassadors’ on campus
suggests that it’s the social aspects of a university
racing club that’s the biggest draw for first year
students, based around raceday trips with their
mates. This is one of the main reasons why we’ve
preferred to develop local clubs rather than a
national ‘student racing’ entity. However, we
strongly support the Student Racing magazine,
produced by Mike Spence and Alex Bell, as it
gives our ambassadors a regular and relevant
publication to distribute to club members.
During last year’s Freshers’ Week, we provided
racing clubs with 1,500 goody bags as well as
literature, posters and other display material.
Once term time began, we helped club
ambassadors to organise trips to the races and
stable visits.
In 2011, 33 Racecourses provided discounted
tickets or free entry for students from university
racing clubs. Some of these trips have proved
particularly popular. Liverpool University Racing
Club took 70 students to Aintree, with Glasgow
University taking 25 to Ayr and UCL organising
a trip for 30 students to British Champions Day
at Ascot.
Several Racecourses have now agreed
permanent offers for local students, and some
university clubs are proving particularly active.
The Birmingham racing club has organised
three racing trips since term began, taking in
Cheltenham, Wolverhampton and Warwick.
Exeter has also been busy with a trip to Paul
Nicholls’ yard, and a day at Wincanton races.
Club ambassadors have also been actively
promoting the sport in their campus magazines
and newspapers. One such article in The
Oxford Student newspaper was based around a
two-page interview with AP McCoy. The
Champion Jump Jockey and other Horsemen
have also engaged with the student racing clubs
on course, adding to the excitement of their day.
In 2012, our racing ambassadors will also be
eligible to apply for a Chartered Institute
of Marketing certificate, provided they’ve
undertaken certain important tasks during the
year relating to their club’s promotion. This
should help us grow our club base further as CIM
awards are valued by employers.
One of the other ways that we boosted university
racing club membership in 2011 was via the
leasing of a racehorse with Tim Vaughan, called
Tae Kwon Do. We ran a competition among
students to be one of the 200 owners of the
horse, with us paying all the costs and the
students sharing any winnings. The new owners
were invited to see him run, to visit Tim’s yard,
and to receive regular updates on his progress.
However, their biggest thrill was to witness his
victory at Fontwell Park, and to receive a share of
the prize money.
Although students are a major target, they’re
not the only younger adults that we’re trying to
reach. Much of our editorial work is aimed at
the younger media and, through them, younger
adults in all sectors of society.
Bristol University students enjoying a day’s racing at Cheltenham
28 29

RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
MEASURING SUCCESS
Seven key areas have been selected to monitor the industry’s overall progress.
We believe each of these measures can be influenced by RfC activities.
SHARE OF BETTING 32% (est.)
Based on 2010 figures and aggregated data from some
bookmakers in 2011, racing’s share of gross win is circa
32% and there is evidence to suggest that a figure that
had been falling consistently in prior years has steadied,
confirming racing’s popularity as a betting product when
promoted effectively.
RACECOURSE ATTENDANCE:
6.1 MILLION (5.8M IN 2010) Note 1
Excellent marketing by the Racecourses, combined
with improved central promotion and national
initiatives such as ‘Free Month’ have helped to
take the racegoing audience to record levels. This
is a stunning achievement in the face of current
economic conditions.
With competition from both the London Olympics
and Euro 2012, it is likely to be a challenging year
but racing has built a strong racegoer base and
proved that the sport has wider appeal when
promoted effectively.
Note 1: Source RCA
Note 2: Based on estimate of HBLB (Horserace Betting
Levy Board) returns. Excludes income from betting shop
picture sales.
AVERAGE ANNUAL
TERRESTRIAL AUDIENCE
(CHANNEL 4) 506,000
Channel 4’s average audience increased for the
second year running to 506,000 from 484,000.
We use the Channel 4 figures as the channel
broadcasts every week and provides a more
consistent average. BBC Television nonetheless
posted an average peak time audience for its
summer Flat meetings of 1.5 million viewers – up
over 400,000 on 2010.
RACECOURSE SPONSORSHIP/ TERRESTRIAL
AND BROADCAST REVENUE £16M. Note 2
This is on a par with 2010 and reflects that racing is holding its own in
the currently tough commercial environment.
REACHING A YOUNGER
AUDIENCE – 200,000
WEBSITE VISITORS
The Lovetheraces.com website was designed
as an entry point for new racegoers, with a
particular focus on a younger demographic.
The site attracted over 200,000 unique visitors in
2011, up from 60,000 in 2010.
STUDENT RACING
CLUBS – 28 CLUBS
In 2010 there was just one formal
Student Racing Club, which
we increased to 22 in the first
year. The rise to 28 in 2011 is a
little disappointing as we had
targeted 50 and reflects both
the need to find ambassadors at
new universities and to replace
former ambassadors who have
graduated. We have plans in
place to increase the number of
clubs again in 2012.
NEW MEASURE –
PROMOTING OWNERSHIP
In 2012, RfC will be actively promoting
racehorse ownership at British Racecourses and
at stable open days. A ‘find a trainer’ website
will be developed, allowing us to track the level
of customers’ interest in ownership and enable
us to follow up.
30 31

RACING FOR CHANGE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011
THE TEAM
REL Board
Chris McFadden
Ian Barlow
Simon Bazalgette
Paul Dixon
Rachel Hood
Tony Kelly
Alan Morcombe
RfC Team
Rod Street, Chief Executive
Nick Attenborough, Director of Consumer PR
Nigel Roddis, Development Director – Betting
Amy Sherman, Senior PR & Promotions Manager
Milly Baker, PR Manager
Stephanie Jones, PR Executive
32 33

How to keep up to date with RfC:
info@racingenterpriseslimited.co.uk
Tweet: @Rod_RfC
www.lovetheraces.com