What will be the first thing for discussion this year, asks Nick Luck? Car parks, says Ian Renton, Regional Director Cheltenham and the South West at The Jockey Club, without hesitation. And will there be changes to the race programme? Have a watch to see what Ian has to say.
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Luck on Sunday brought to you by world pool bet with the world first of all and I know at the end of every Festival you and your your Senior Management will have a big wash up meeting what do you think will be the first item on the agenda this
Year uh I would think probably carox uh it’s obviously been one of the more difficult uh weeks we’ve had for carar it comes around every six or seven years when we do have uh conditions such as we’ve had this this last week and uh there’s been not surprisingly a fairly
Negative reaction uh is this is there a an obvious and fast solution I Kim and and Neil were both saying that you’d you’d wanted to concrete them but it was it was a bit of a planning issue yeah I’m not sure I would want to concrete them uh I don’t particularly
Like trashing the countryside but uh there’s there’s never been an option of being able to put hard standing on 70% of our car marks because they they are in the green belt and we wouldn’t be allowed to do that so uh there is no easy solution I’m afraid or we would
Have uh put it into place a long time ago um we uh spend a lot of money now every year on trackway when the conditions are such as they are this year but I would love to find and we will carry on investigating um a more permanent solution that does meet the planner’s
Requirements what was your response to the the suggestion earlier in the week that there hadn’t been enough agility in the in the forward planning and that really you should have been prepared for an adverse weather forecast um I was extremely disappointed particularly for our team who put so much effort and hard
Work into it um the planning goes back months uh when we try to get as much sort of temporary track we as we can to the course we make that decision in January uh when things are looking pretty wet um we uh informed all our
Race goers that uh uh they if they could avoid coming uh they they should not not come and we would be refunding them if they had bought carart labels and Advising them that if they hadn’t uh we wouldn’t be admitting them admitting them on the day which is not easy at
Chelham because obviously the transport infrastructure is not as good as you’ll have if you’re uh a London based venue or something so we do everything we can to accommodate them but uh I thought some of the criticism was uh made without knowledge of the true facts
Um just coming back to Neil’s points I don’t know if you if you heard him talking about ways in which chelham can work with uh rail companies local authorities to to make the situation better and he talked particularly about um park and ride and getting people in from Big Towns Swindon Oxford Gloucester
Uh how where where do you stand with that at the moment and and could you could you explore plans to to increase and enhance that to to take away the traffic stress from the course yes I mean it’s something we’ve looked at regularly and interestingly U I went for
A day or two to the rder cup uh outside Rome which I felt the infrastructure there was very similar to cheltam in that they purely had Park and Ride um and were transporting people on buses for 40 minutes to an hour to go to The Venue uh and very very few people parked
At the course it is something I think is a potential solution very difficult to implement because uh We’ve uh talk to racegoers and many other people coming to the race course it is the last thing they want to do uh that people are race goers are probably creatures of habit
Love to come and park at the race course um and it is not it’s not an easy solution we’re talking to the council who are building a multi-story car park on the west of cheltonham which will have a thousand places uh to try and Reserve that for the festival when uh
When it is completed so we we certainly look at all areas like that but we’ve also got to look at what what our customers really want in what did you make of Julie Harrington’s statement about uh British racing and what need needs to be done with it released just
Um a day after the chelon festival had finished yeah I I think I mean I I agree with uh parts of it that we know we really do need to work incredibly closely with dcms to improve the funding and you know we are facing material headwinds at the moment due to the
Affordability checks and that is something we’ve we’ve got to sort we’ve got to get more money into the sport in in the UK uh but looking at the the other side you know we are looking at one man Willie Mullins who has proved his Brilliance now for several several years and as a
Result is attracting the best owners with the best horses and that is something we you know we always say is cyclical uh this cycle has been lasting a little while uh speaking to to Nevin trusdale earlier in the week the chief exec of the Jockey Club his sort of
Suggestion was that the Jockey Club is reason happy with the race structure at at the chelman festival now this will be debated and debated and debated some more in your view have you got the numbers right or do you need to make a few little nips and Tucks to increase
The competitiveness of one or two of those grade One races yes I mean we we will review all the races as part of the wash up process and if there is something either a particularly weak race or we feel uh is impacting adversely on other races that that will
Come into review um it is interesting when we were looking at the sort of four five day debate uh we got a very strong message from our race goers that they wanted seven seven races per day so if we were to consider One race is too weak
We probably need to replace it with another and that potentially uh could create a bigger problem than we’re solving um why do you feel that crowd numbers were lower this year and why did it take quite so long to really Drive interest in in the festival particularly the first three
Days yeah I don’t think it’s taken long to drive interest I mean we actually had uh the in the buildup I mean we we go on sale for next year’s Festival tomorrow and the early sales uh leading up until or probably November December were well ahead of any other year so I think
There’s a huge of interest there I think where we hit the blocker is we the our devoted race goers want to come racing uh attracting new race goers who want to come as a one-off maybe every second third fourth year uh to experience uh what we hope to provide as a really
Great event they were the ones who felt the economy is looking pretty tough this year uh mortgages have gone up fuel bills are high and uh certainly economic the economic environment uh was all all the messing we got back as to why people were not filling the the last few thousand uh
Gaps we had um the the major grumbles in terms of people attending the F in seem to surround um ticket costs particularly in areas like the best mate enclosure which has habitually been you know an affordable enclosure and that’s been its its USP and not a particularly pleasant
Experience in certain part of the race courses when the afternoon develops antisocial Behavior with with drink and drugs and um slightly more restrictive policies around letting people move around the track you know more checks and so forth how do you balance keeping people safe and happy and in a a
Convivial environment with um with giving everybody a uh a good time and allowing them to feel you know Freedom at a sporting event yes I think you know you’ve mentioned two things there which in essence are sort of contradictory because if we are to uh try to ensure
Best behavior all our race goes which is something we are uh passionate about uh we have to have some form of enforcement uh checks on arrival checks on drugs on arrival and I know you know it it is important to maintain that level of security so that is essential to try to
Maintain the behavior we would like to see from 100% of our race goers and that that is something you know we uh ensure uh that those people who and it’s is a very very small percentage who misbehave uh we have a zero tolerance on that and and work very closely with security and
The police to ensure that’s enforced watch live racing now on racingtv.com
31 Comments
Looks like a well paid civil servant – but same outcome – lives in a ivory tower . The costs have spiralled out of control and for a normal man of the street – who enjoys racing and would like to come to Cheltenham … its huge queues , costs of food and drink are eye watering , getting there is expensive and stress to and fro and the price for the tickets are just too high .. they are simply pricing themselves out of normal people who passionately enjoy racing … its better and cheaper to stay at home , plus with state of economy and monies tight for a lot of people I can see many more thousands not turning up – they are already thousands down from previous years and it will continue to go down – this bloke cant see it or wont admit to it to keep his gravy train job .
With this guy and Julie Harrington the CEO of the BHA in charge jump racing in Britain is doomed.
Instead of trying to attract drug taking louts, try getting back your ordinary racing punter who's had enough of being ripped off .
Kim Bailey has got it spot on
To the folk moaning about prices – wake up and look around you, it’s not just the Cheltenham festival that have price increases princesses – – welcome to 2024!!
You need to get the basics right. Getting stuck coming into or getting out of a muddy field is unacceptable. The conditions were not unexpected as it literally hasn’t stopped raining since November. Charging £20/£30 is a money grab. Racegoers are travelling from all over the UK, hotels are booked, you need to drive. Park & ride works fine if you’re travelling by train or staying in town but it’s not getting me back to my hotel 30 miles away. I’ve been coming 30 years and it’s getting just a little less appealing every year.
he went to the ryder cup in Rome, all expenses paid, thats nice
whatever he says hes protecting his job
Think Mr Renton doesn't quite understand the meaning of 'accommodating' based of his example of telling customers they would be turned away from the car park if they arrived on the day without prior car park booking. That is quite the opposite to accommodating. In regard to weak races. Presume we all agree the more variations of races available, the weaker the race, yet the Triumph & Boodles are still pretty strong numbers wise. Maybe making some of the newer races, such as the Turners a handicap may have a similar affect. Sure it won't be to everyone's liking, but personally I want to see strong numbers of runners in races and hopefully less odds on shots, while hopefully pushing all the best to run against each other off level weights instead of giving lumps away to inferior runners and consequently make the options clearer for ante-post betting.
We in America need discussions on the same issue!!❤😊!!
RACECOURSE VIEW PLUS CLUB HAD AN EFFECT FOR ME PERSONALLY.
My first jump meeting loved the day at Cheltenham but people are massively getting ripped off was quoted £30 for a 2 mile taxi ride and £60 into Cheltenham we stayed 8 miles away got the bus in it felt if you missed a bus you was going to be stuck in Cheltenham as you couldn’t get a taxi or was really struggling
229,999 people attended the 4 days down 10,600 from 2023 and 30,500 down on 2022
No but you don’t mind ripping people off for parking,which is a total P💥SS TAKE and you know it and get the meeting back to 3 days PRONTO🙈
Spoiler Alert – Main problem car parking – Popped to Rome on a freebie – back to car parks. Nobody shown in this video has to pay in, get ripped off or can solve a single problem.
How use can think it’s acceptable to let a trainer put 5 runners in a race when there’s only 7 runners is a joke never mind listening to Walsh saying if you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win the prize
Shuttle buses were a nightmare getting to Cheltenham from the train station on Tuesday, everyone had to just get out and walk the last 40 mins
Best way is to categorise ratings, 2mile-2-3 (A) 2-3-2.6 (b) etc this way the Ryanair for example could be for 155 plus b graded horses, this will keep good horses out of lesser races and will mean they need to be targeted at a race taking away the options of waiting to see who runs
Why were steward parking cars in sloppy wet ground , really after racing car submerge in 6 inch of water unreal .
Car parks? They think thats the biggest issue Cheltenham has?
The argument about greenbelt land for parking is absolutely ridiculous, I live in Coventry and the area around us has been decimated by developers being allowed to build on greenbelt. There’s no way that ivory-towered representatives should be able to use the excuse “oh well there’s nothing we can do it, we just don’t want to bother the council by asking them if we can use the land.” It’s just a load of tosh, they make it look like they’re thinking about these issues when realistically they’re letting the sport crumble around them.
Give it a few more years and we’ll have thousands of unsold tickets per day all because the BHA, Jockey Club etc are run by public school boys who can’t make an informed decision to save their lives.
On a different tack:
One other race badly needed.
Two and a half mile Hurdle Grade One race : a specialist distance – recall Nickie Henderson's horse years ago ' Oscar Whisky
Cheltenham has attracted the cocaine junkies folk snorting blatantly with kids about Sniffer dogs on gates needed to be fair happens at my local course too seems the norm young men and woman coming for a snort a drink a bet and a fight drugs ruining racing atmosphere 😢
Defensive. Not feeling they'll improve things
This man needs taking to a care home,asap, it's like listening to Joe Biden.
Get rid of the National Hunt Chase bring back the Novice Handicap Chase.
Get Pissed Destroy.
Open golf park and ride is brilliant and they have different venue every year . I know it is summer but you have plenty time to plan
It seems the Cheltenham executive is undermining the National Hunt Chase so they can abolish it soon. Seven runners in this year's renewal?? I remember when the race would attract a full field: mix of pointers and horses being aimed at the Scottish Grand National. I think this race has suffered from British steeplechasing's preference for French imports instead of the more sturdy Irish pointers.
How about £10 a pint definitely puts folk off
Huge outlet prices and just no razzle dazzle or colour or atmosphere like aintree has
Ian Renton took over a thriving racecourse that had been voted Racecourse of the Year for 15 years, the redevelopment of the course, overseen by Ed Gillespie, is the best redevelopment imaginable – yet under Mr Renton's watch Cheltenham is no longer in the the top ten of racecourse people want to visit.
As a member for decades I can understand having bags checked for drugs and guns- but not sandwiches. Cheltenham charge so much for a stand that £14 for a pint and sausage roll has to be charged.
Is Mr Renton aware that if you go to Cheltenham as a member, you are disallowed from standing with your trainer unless you have a horse running in a race? As a member I can go the Members Steppings, but no trainer is allowed to stand there. I cannot go to the Members and Trainers area where my trainer is standing as my horse is not running that day – so sort that out Mr Renton.
If you have no Owners, there will be no trainers and Horse Racing – or perhaps the aim of Mr Renton is to bankrupt Cheltenham and to sell Cheltenham off a prime real estate.
Nicky Henderson, please step in and buy back Cheltenham and return it to a racecourse where people are happy to go to watch racing and are not ripped off at every point.