Ian Renton, who takes over
from Edward Gillespie in running Cheltenham Racecourse from November 2, spoke
for the first time today since starting his role as Regional Director of Jockey
Club Racecourses for Cheltenham and the South West last week.
At a press conference, he
praised Gillespie for the successful development of Cheltenham Racecourse over
the last 32 years and looked forward to the future.
Renton said: "Edward
has been in charge for exactly 100 Festival days and has worked tirelessly,
enthusiastically and with great passion to make Cheltenham the success it is
today.
"Edward succeeded in
building up attendances to record levels - as witnessed last season. There were
almost a quarter million people here at The Festival and around 70,000 for the
three days of The Open meeting.
"I think Edward has
also ensured the prize money and the facilities for the horses and the
connections - owners, trainers and jockeys - are at a level that continues to
allow Cheltenham to attract the best steeplechasers and hurdlers to what is
undoubtedly the home of Jump racing.
"As well as the
improved facilities and attendances at Cheltenham, Edward should also be
credited with bringing much of the passion and unique atmosphere which is what
Cheltenham is all about. It is a very special place for all of us."
He then spoke about his
role: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to take over the management
of Cheltenham after such a successful year and at such an exciting stage in the
racecourse's history.
"Edward has assembled
a very strong and talented team here who are all united in their passion for
Cheltenham and Jump racing. I very much look forward to working with the team
and our chairman, Robert Waley-Cohen, to build on Edward's achievements and to
continue to take the racecourse forward.
"I am delighted to
have taken on this role which is now Regional Director of Cheltenham and the
South West. Jockey Club Racecourses has restructured the racecourse teams which
ensures that we all now have a regional role to play.
"I really look
forward to strengthening the team to allow us to have the time to use the
expertise of everyone here to assist with the other Jockey Club courses in the
south-west.
"Cheltenham was in
fact the first course acquired by Racecourse Holdings Trust, the forerunner of
Jockey Club Racecourses, in 1964. So it is fantastic news that the Jockey Club
has confirmed that the next major development within the group will be here at
Cheltenham.
"We are completing
the feasibility study and we look forward to submitting the project for
planning sometime next year. That will be a hugely exciting new phase in the
development of Cheltenham Racecourse.
"I only started in my
role here last week and I think today is my fourth day at Cheltenham so I am
not going to come here with a long list of changes to move on from Edward.
However, even though we know there is so much which is so right about
Cheltenham, we are well aware we cannot stand still and that there are many
areas that are open to improvement.
"Edward has referred
to capping the crowd on Gold Cup Day. We are well aware that over 65,000 people
brings its own difficulties - we are in some ways a victim of our success. So
we are going to have to continue to improve and I am sure we will always look at
changes in the future. To remain successful, we have to continue to meet and
exceed the expectations of our customers.
"I think particularly
with the development now firmly on the horizon, that will be a huge step
forward and a scenario we all want to see.
"Lastly, I would like
to extend a particular welcome to IMG who are here and will be broadcasting
their first race meeting under the new Channel 4 contract here on New Year's
Day and also to thank the Highflyer team, who will be broadcasting until the
end of this year, for all they have brought to Cheltenham over many
years."
Renton and Gillespie are
having a five-week handover period, which will encompass Cheltenham's first
race meeting of the new season, The Showcase on Friday and Saturday, October 19
and 20.
Gillespie reflected:
"2012 is proving an extremely successful year for Cheltenham. We started
on January 1 with over 30,000 people here for our New Year's Day meeting. Then
there was a hugely popular Festival Trials Day and record attendances at The
Festival with over 230,000 people. So that was a fantastic first quarter.
"Inevitably with
Festivals, issues come out. One of them was the sheer number of people here on
Gold Cup Day. If you recall, the weather was fine but it was still extremely
difficult to get around, particularly at the back of the site.
"It was decided that
the capacity for Gold Cup day would be further reviewed. This year we had
70,000 and it is amazing to think we had 73,000 here when Desert Orchid won in
1989 and that was before we built The Centaur and before we built The Best Mate
Enclosure up to the level it is at now. It is extraordinary to think how busy
it was that day (1989) and it poured with rain. Customer expectations and
behaviour have changed since then.
"The capacity will be
reduced for this season's Festival to 67,000 on Gold Cup Day, about a five per
cent drop, and we feel that will make a significant difference to comfort.
"There was also a
major traffic issue, particularly on the bus route from the station - the fact
that it was sometimes taking an hour and a half to get people up to the course
from the station. That whole issue has been dealt with and we are very sorry
for the inconvenience caused.
"The Festival was a
great platform for continuing the momentum into our new season and indeed this
new era - following my decision to step down in March and the announcement of
it in April.
"I am really
delighted to welcome Ian Renton. He started in racecourse management with me
here in 1985 to 1988. When he left, I think I said to him you will apply for my
job and he did! He has had a very distinguished career, at Wincanton and Salisbury,
clerk of the course at Aintree and 11 years at Arena Leisure. It is a real joy
to welcome him back here to enjoy the success and fun this place has given to
me.
"Next weekend's race
meeting will be pretty much a joint production between me and Ian. Our handover
is taking five weeks. It is great to have someone who comes in and knows the
language of racing and Cheltenham.
"My flight
(departure) leaves on November 2. My final solo, and I am very proud of it, was
back in the summer at the Olympic torch celebration, featuring Zara Phillips
aboard Toytown - 25,000 people here. It was an image which went global. I think
it was an occasion which said a lot about Cheltenham and the way events here
can be staged.
"We are very much on
track for the progress of the development plans. As we have told you
previously, we have been working on the feasibility study. The extensive
feasibility study is being converted into a design for submission to planning
sometime next year.
"I will be taking
very much a backroom role in that to try and make sure it runs smoothly
locally. It is hugely exciting for launching the next stage of Cheltenham's
journey and it is great to be part of that. I am sure Ian and the team will see
it to a successful conclusion.
"My great sadness
this year has been the loss of John Oaksey - I first met him when he was the
president of the York University Turf Club when I was at university. We owe him
an enormous debt of gratitude. I have been in touch with Chicky (Lord Oaksey's
widow) about making an appropriate celebration of his life."
In answer to a question,
Gillespie spelt out a bit more about the proposed development.
He explained: "Since
this occasion a year ago, we have appointed a design team and they are now
working with us and our partners.
"This is a very
substantial building we are looking at here and replaces all the buildings
which were constructed prior to 1970 - the Royal Box and the A & R block
from the 1920s, 1930s and 1950s. We have 45 boxes there which are mostly
privately let and they are fairly basic. The plan is for those buildings to be
demolished at some time in the future.
"They will be
replaced with a substantial grandstand and it will take more than one year to
build, continuing through one Festival. It is nearly a two-year development. We
will start immediately after one Festival and we have already assured the
boxholders that nothing will happen until after the 2014 Festival at the very
earliest.
"It will be the
single largest development we have done at Cheltenham by some distance. We have
spoken with a fairly large proportion of those A & R boxholders, who are
very much part of the DNA of Cheltenham. The intention is to provide within the
new development an environment in which the existing boxholders will enjoy a
21st century version of what they will be losing. So far we have got very
strong positive feedback."
Simon Claisse, Regional
Head of Racing, revealed that for the first time since 2007 no pre-season
watering has been necessary. He described the going today at Cheltenham as
good, good to soft in places.
Between 24 and 34
millimetres of rain is expected before the first meeting of the season at
Cheltenham, The Showcase (October 19 & 20).
Claisse said: "The
countdown - nine days - to the first meeting of the 2012/2013 season is under
way. The new season begins here in earnest on Friday week.
"It hardly seems
seven months since The Festival and five months since the season ended - the
time has flown by. During the summer months I have been lucky enough to visit
over a dozen trainers across the country from Graeme McPherson to Paul Nicholls,
from Martin Keighley to Tim Vaughan. I have this overwhelming sense that the
momentum of recent years continuing its upward curve.
"What has been really
encouraging, particularly in the smaller yards, is the optimism about the
future and the number of horses they have got. Expansion where I have been is
the theme - perhaps I have been lucky with the trainers I went to - but the
desire to run and win here at Cheltenham seems to be as strong as ever.
"Over the past 10
years we have made substantial improvements in the infrastructure for the
participants, whether on the track, at the stables or somewhere in between,
with horse welfare remaining our number one priority.
"Of course rewarding
owners' investment via prize money is still a key objective. And this season we
will be contributing £3.4 million towards a total pot of £5.5 million, with an
average race, if there is such a thing at Cheltenham, being worth £51,000.
"Over the entire
season, we exceed the Horsemen's Group tariff by £3.2 million. I think last
year I told you that a couple of our races had not quite reached the tariff
levels but this season we are 100 per cent compliant.
"A key to this
delivery has been the performance of the commercial team and the further
development of a sponsorship strategy which in 2012 delivered to the business a
record figure of £3.3 million. A feature of this growth has been, and will
continue to be, the Road to Cheltenham offering. You are probably all aware
that something like 60 per cent of the Pattern (black type) races - the Grade
One, Two and Threes, are staged here.
"We are a shop window
for the major brands and, though we support a significant portfolio of
bookmaker sponsorships, we also attract great interest and constant inquiries
from other brands.
"This Road to
Cheltenham includes a sequence of Grade Two contests, interspersed with a
mid-season Grade One, followed by The Festival or in some cases Aintree. There
are now seven sponsors supporting Pattern races here and at other courses -
Stan James, OLBG, Neptune Investment Management, Glenfarclas, Sportingbet, JCB
and Albert Bartlett - which shows that the appetite for Jump racing is a strong
as ever."
He announced that the
feature race at The Open in November, the Paddy Power Gold Cup, will be worth a
record £160,000, with other races, particularly those at Class Two and Three
level, gaining more prize money.
The opening two days this
month have prize money of £275,000, an increase of £70,000 over last year.
Andy Clifton, Cheltenham's
Communications Manager, spelt out the importance of social and digital media.
Cheltenham Racecourse's
Facebook page now has accumulated 24,771 fans, 35 per cent higher than a year
ago, while the Twitter feed- @CheltenhamRaces - has over 11,000 followers.
Cheltenham Racecourse's
Apps, for iPhone and Android, have been downloaded over 11,000 times already.
More of the advertising
spend has been switched to digital media, while the Cheltenham Racecourse
website, relaunched in October, 2011, is going from strength to strength.
It was named the Sport
Website of the Year 2012 in the Online Retail Awards and now about 75 per cent
of tickets bought by racegoers are sold online, plus increasing numbers of
restaurant covers and annual memberships.
The site,www.cheltenham.co.ukattracts huge traffic,
with 1.3 million unique visitors and 7.5 million page views in last 12 months.
There were 20,000 page
views per second for three hours on the Monday of Festival week in March.
Twitter: @CheltenhamRaces
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