Goodwood asks members to gift 2020 subscriptions to ease Covid-19 financial harm

Goodwood has written to members asking if they will gift their 2020 subscriptions to the course to help stem the losses brought on by Covid-19, despite being unable to attend a single raceday this year.

Estate owner Charles Gordon-Lennox, the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, laid out the stark situation facing the course as a result of having to operate behind closed doors, including for Glorious Goodwood.

“The impact the global pandemic has had on our lives is huge and Goodwood, along with everyone else, is feeling the consequences,” he wrote. “With near complete reliance on hospitality and large events, our business has been direly affected, with virtually no income since March.

“For a business like ours, which is all about bringing people together to enjoy the things they love, social distancing has a catastrophic impact on our ability to operate. It is a worrying time and we are doing all we can to salvage a future for Goodwood, which is so reliant on its sporting events.”

A packed Goodwood watch on as Frankie Dettori leaps of 2019 Sussex Stakes winner Too Darn HotCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Members allowing Goodwood to keep their fee for 2020, which cost £564 for new members, £384 for existing members and £190 for 18-24s, will be recognised with an inscribed stone on a new walkway near the paddock.

Goodwood managing director Adam Waterworth said they had been “pleasantly surprised” by the initial response to the letter, but stressed members were able to get a refund if they wanted to.

He said: “What we’re asking members to do this year is to become supporters of the course if they are able to. Essentially, we’re asking if they’ll be prepared to gift us their membership fee for this season. If they’re unable to do that, we’ve asked if they would be able to roll their membership to next year and if they don’t feel they can do that then we’re refunding.

“We’ve really been pleasantly surprised by the number of people who feel that they’re able to support us. Of course not everybody has done it, but we weren’t expecting that, and that’s why the option for refund is there for people who feel they cannot leave the money in.”

He added: “Racing behind closed doors, especially for big courses, doesn’t cover the overheads so we’re going to face a considerable loss this year. The revenue tap was turned off in March and it hasn’t been turned on again.”

The tone of Goodwood’s letter has been questioned by some members, with one, who wished to remain anonymous, asking why a more balanced approach was not put forward.

He said: “Goodwood is very good at looking after its members but you pay for it in terms of price, both in terms of the fee and when you’re there with things like drinks.

“Maybe if they’d have said something like, ‘If you gift us your fee this year then over the next five years we’ll give you an annual ten per cent discount on your renewal,’ that would have been better.

"You’ll have given them half and then they’d have used half to help you out over the longer term. Instead it feels like they’ve said, ‘It’s been tough on us’. But then it’s been tough on everyone.”

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