Loss of Gold Cup meeting deals seven-figure blow to Ayr finances

Ayr was forced to call off its flagship meeting - but opened the course to tickerholders

Ayr was forced to call off its flagship meeting in 2017 but opened the course to ticket-holdersCredit: John Grossick

The financial impact of losing its most prestigious Flat meeting has been laid out in Ayr racecourse's financial results for 2017, recently lodged with Companies House.

All three days of last year's William Hill-sponsored Ayr Gold Cup meeting were lost to waterlogging, although the course did open on the Saturday despite the lack of action. Flat racing didn't return there until May.

Turnover fell by £1 million to £11.4m, while profits after tax dropped 68.5 per cent to £323,285 according to the accounts from the Western Meeting Club 2003 Ltd, which operates Ayr and the Western House Hotel on the racecourse.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock

Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data

Already a subscriber?Log in

Bill BarberIndustry editor

Published on 10 October 2018inNews

Last updated 09:38, 11 October 2018

Copy