Monthly Archives: August 2019

Chelmsford city racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing track located in Great Leighs, England. Having been opened in the year 2008, it is the newest racing venue in England. It is owned by the Betfred Company, and is a venue for flat polytrack races.

Initially, the racecourse was owned and developed by John Holmes, an entrepreneur. Its core aim was to exploit the British horseracing market. It was set to open up in October 2006, but was deferred due to a number of reasons. On the 20th of April 2008 was when the racecourse held its first race meeting. However, there was no invited audience to the meeting. The race was won by Temple of Thebes. It was until May of the same year when the racecourse held its first race meeting with full public attendance. Chelmsford racecourse faced a major setback in 2009 when its racing license was revoked. This was because the parties that had made bids for the racecourse did not have enough funds to run it.

The course officially reopened on the 11th of January 2015, with a crowd of approximately 800 people in attendance. Many people praised the condition of its racing facilities, but also criticized it for the incomplete hospitality facilities. It was fully opened for public attendance on the 22nd of the same month. Since then, Chelmsford has been developing gradually. Last year, it announced its plans to set up a casino as well as develop another turf course inside the tracks.

This year, a series of events are scheduled to take place in the racecourse. For example, on the 20th of April will be the Beer Festival. This event will be grazed with live music and a selection of different beers for people to try. Gates will be opening from 2pm and closing at 10pm. The racecourse provides fantastic facilities, guaranteeing an enjoyable race day.

Uttoxeter racecourse is a horse racing track located in Uttoxeter, England. It is owned and operated by Northern Racing, and is well-known for its National Hunt races. The course was opened in 1905. Back then, it only hosted a total of 5 race meetings each year, which is a small number compared to today’s 25. It is left-handed, and measures up to one mile in circumference. Being located on the border of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, the racecourse can easily be accessed through the M1 and M6, thus attracting a good number of people to its race meetings. Apart from being a horse racing venue, Uttoxeter offers a venue for all sorts of outdoor and indoor activities ranging from weddings, exhibitions and even conferences.

Racing at Uttoxeter dates back to early 1900s, when horse racing had become a popular sport in England. Its first grandstand was built in 1907. It was opened by a company which had been formed to manage Keele Park racecourse, after the racecourse ceased to operate. It remained fully functional with 2 races happening in May, 2 in October, and 1 in December. It however closed down in 1914 due to the outbreak of World War 1. Racing later resumed in 1921, with only four races taking place that year. The most notable race run there is Midlands Grandstand National, which
takes place every March. It is a handicap steeplechase race, with horses running over a distance of 4 miles and one furlong.

This year, the racecourse will stage a significant number of meetings. On Saturday the 19th of May will be the Music Live 2018. Heaven 17, a pop band will be performing and tickets will be going for 30 Euros. On the 27th of May will be the Great British Family Fun day. It will be the racecourse’s first family fun day in 2018, and is set to be quite the rage.

 

We continue to cover a wide number of racecourses on RaceDays.co.uk , and in doing so become accustomed both to what makes a racecourse a truly great experience for those attending and also what improvements can be made to keep punters coming through the turnstiles. In these days of online gambling and sports channels aplenty, bricks and mortar venues need to raise their game in ensuring that they stay relevant in 2019 and beyond!

 

Decent on course pubs

It all seems a bit makeshift on some of the racecourses, when really there’s nothing like having a nice cool pint with mates after putting a bet on, especially if the view of the racecourse is second to none. Plastic glasses, long queues, sub par interiors are all commonplace on many courses, even in pricey executive or members areas. It’s a bit much considering how expensive it can be to go to the races!

 

Entertainment

Now this is an area where some racecourses have definitely upped the ante in recent years. Some, like Newmarket racecourse, have really found the sweet-spot by offering a day at the races followed by a live show by performers such as Will Young, Tears for Fears, Olly Murs and the like. It really does help you to ‘make a day of it’ and can be really good value for money!

Can the entertainment value be dialed up yet further though? Well at Yarmouth Racecourse they have a tie-in with a local casino, where you have a free bet if you present your race course ticket. Perhaps courses could go one step further and get permission to have an onsite casino, ready for the end of the race day. Or have offers that tie in with an established online casino such as  https://www.bestcasinositesonline.com/ . The sky is the limit really, they just need the ambition to explore these options.

 

The Comfort Factor

Many racecourses fall down in this department too. Watching a race in some racecourse stands is a bit like scaling Ben Nevis, just without the sense of achievement once you reach the top. Hard concrete steps, as easy to fly head first down as sit down on can be a challenge too far for some of our more veteran racegoers! It’s often not much better if you intend to get closer to the action either. Some bring deckchairs, and it can fast turn into an impromptu maze to even get to the rail. There definitely needs to be a degree of sanity and organisation put into this area that isn’t currently present!

 

Great Grub

This is really variable by course and some with poor records in the past have got their act together in recent years, but there is still work to be done. The main issue with food at race courses is excessive pricing (it’s already expensive to get in) , lack of options (often chips or nothing!) and small portion sizes (would you like one chip or two, sir!). As I say though, I think a tipping point has been reached where some racecourses are starting to become more punter friendly with the variety on offer, so let’s hope that process continues. An ice cream van and a bloke with a potatoe in the adjacent van doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Anyway, that’s enough moaning for now!