Devon racecourse ranked one of the best in Britain

Newton Abbot Racecourse has been named as one of the best racecourses in Britain for racehorse owners, after once again achieving Gold Standard from the Racehorse Owners’ Association (ROA).

Out of 60 racecourses in the country, Newton Abbot was one of 12 racecourses to be awarded the accolade, with others including Hamilton Park, Kempton Park and Market Rasen.

The Gold Standard award strives to recognise excellence for owners at each racecourse in the country and looks to improve the experience for racehorse owners year on year.

Patrick Masterson, Managing Director of Newton Abbot Racecourse, spoke about the accolade: “At Newton Abbot, we place great importance on ensuring that racehorse owners experience nothing but the best when they race at our course.

“After all, it is the racehorse owners that help to attract the crowds and we have had the support of very well-known owners in the sport over many years. We constantly endeavour to ensure that they have a great experience each and every time.

“This year we have added even more of a focus on the owners’ experience, with a clear, dedicated section on our website, clear signage for owners on racedays and excellent catering.

“We’re delighted to receive the Gold Standard from the ROA for the fourth year running. It really makes the hard work of our team worthwhile to know that owners enjoy visiting our racecourse.”

This year saw racecourses be judged competitively for the first time, with ROA representatives visiting every race track in Britain between January and October. Alongside this, feedback was also provided by ROA members after their visits.

Divided into two categories, large and small racecourses, judges looked at a number of factors including the quality of racing and attendance figures to name a few. In total, six large and six small racecourses walked away with the honour.

Alan Pickering, Chairman of the ROA’s Raceday Committee, said: “We are delighted to name the 12 racecourses that have been awarded Gold Standard status for 2015, the inaugural year that the awards have been a competitive process. Many congratulations to those that have been successful.

“Racing is a competitive sport. Racecourses are competing with one another for their share of the nation’s leisure spend. Improving the owners’ raceday experience should be at the heart of this competition, and we changed the basis of the Gold Standard Award so that tracks are now competing with each other to be one of the six best of class in their own category.

“As our team have travelled the country, we’ve seen many improvements and enhancements to the owners’ raceday experience, including additional complimentary admission badges, a significant improvement in the provision of complimentary food and drink, a greater emphasis on racecourse staff providing a business-class experience, plus entertainment for placed connections as well as winners after races.”

Newton Abbot Racecourse will hold the award for the upcoming 12 months. The racecourse is currently counting down to the start of their new racing season on Saturday 26th March 2016. More information about Newton Abbot Racecourse can be found at www.newtonabbotracing.com.

The Racehorse Owners Association has represented racehorse owners for 70 years and currently represents more than 7,300 members. The organisation plays a vital role in the world of horseracing through prize money, help with sponsorship and organising fixture lists for the year. For more information on the ROA, visit www.roa.co.uk.