Boost for British racing with attendances up by 2.5 per cent in first quarter of 2024

Crowds at the Cheltenham Festival may have been down but overall attendances in Britain rose by 2.5 per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to figures collated by the Levy Board.

A total of 681,741 racegoers visited one of the 294 meetings staged from January to March, making an average turnout of 2,319, which is 4.6 per cent higher than in 2023 when 664,974 people attended 300 fixtures in that period.

Comparisons are slightly skewed by the fact that Easter fell in April last year but there were significant boosts in attendance at some meetings designated 'Premier' in the new fixture list.

Morebattle Hurdle day gave Kelso its highest crowd for that meeting since 2015 and there was a 15 per cent year-on-year increase at Uttoxeter’s Midlands Grand National meeting.

Racecourse Association chief executive David Armstrong said: “The small, but encouraging, increase in attendances is welcome news. Racecourses continue to face significant headwinds and are constantly aspiring to offer the best experience to all visitors, from a raceday-experience perspective for paying customers to the best racing surface, facilities and competitive prize-money for participants.

“While it is very early days, the increased attendance at some of our Premier fixtures is heartening to see. Premier racing was designed to promote the highest-quality racing, and it is great to see the public react favourably. Work to promote our sport, be it at Premier or Core fixtures, continues at pace as we look forward to major promotional campaigns launching this summer."

A total of 50,679 people went racing over the Easter weekend, despite abandonments at Musselburgh and Newton Abbot being among 36 fixtures lost in the first quarter – up from 31 in 2023.

Met Office data shows the south of England had its wettest February since records began in 1836, while there was a 27 per cent increase in rainfall across Britain compared to the March average.

Armstrong said: “We are all aware of the very wet weather, but seeing the Met Office statistics brings into perspective the challenge our members have faced in fulfilling their fixtures.

"My sincere praise goes to the groundstaff who work tirelessly in difficult conditions to ensure their racing surfaces remain ready to race.”

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