Ascot Racecourse Named Showcase Champion 2014

14 Nov 14

The Racecourse Association, in conjunction with Great British Racing has announced Ascot Racecourse as Showcase Champion at the annual Showcase Awards. The RCA Showcase Awards, now in their fifth year, celebrate excellence and innovation on Britain’s racecourses, with individual Awards handed out over seven categories. The 2014 Awards were hosted by Haydock Park Racecourse on Thursday 13 November.

There were a record 74 entries from 40 racecourses this year, with seven categories each featuring five Finalists, as well as three Awards recognising the Groundstaff Champions and Customer Service and @RCAShowcase #TopSpot Awards which were open for nomination from the public.

The title of Showcase Champion recognises overall excellence throughout all aspects of the racecourse, with Ascot also scooping the Events and Food & Beverage categories for the Red Bull Air Race and their new catering facility ‘On 5’.

Other winning submissions on the night included Arena Racing Company’s All Weather Racing Championships in the Events category, Cartmel’s ‘Our Community’ work in CSR,  Goodwood’s ‘Sunday School’ in All About the Horse, Musselburgh’s ‘Mission Impossible’ which saw them double attendance for Scottish Sprint Cup Day in Operational Excellence and Kempton Park’s ‘Upgrading the Owners & Trainers Experience’ initiative.

Following on from the recently announced Racecourse Groundstaff Awards, in association with Pitchcare, Watt Fences and ALS, the team from Plumpton were named Groundstaff Champions 2014, adding to the Neil Wyatt Lifetime Achievement Award that was awarded to long standing Clerk of the Course, Mark Cornford.

Following submissions from the racegoing public, Pontefract received the RCA Customer Service Award whist York were the winners of the @RCAShowcase #TopSpot Award. The twitter feed has once again spent the year highlighting great ideas big and small that enhance the customer experience. This year, the judges were impressed by York’s flower bed bins, which helped to add a touch of colour to a generally overlooked piece of racecourse furniture.

The Awards followed on from the daytime programme of seminars and idea sharing between racecourses, which also featured guest speakers from Coral, Liverpool FC, Everton FC, Seven League and Center Parcs.

RCA Showcase Awards 2014 – Category Winners

All About the Horse – Goodwood– Sunday School

Best Campaign – Arena Racing Company – The All Weather Racing Championships

Corporate Social Responsibility – Cartmel – Our Community

Events – Ascot – The Red Bull Air Race

Food & Beverage – Ascot – On 5

Operational Excellence – Musselburgh – Mission Impossible

Owners’ Experience – Kempton Park – Upgrading the Owners & Trainers Experience

Groundstaff Champions – Plumpton

RCA Customer Service Award – Pontefract

#TopSpot Award – York

 

Notes to editors: 

  • The fifth annual RCA Showcase & Awards took place at Haydock Park Racecourse on Thursday 13 November 2014.
  • The Awards followed a daytime programme of seminars and idea sharing between racecourses and guest speakers from outside of racing including Great British Racing, Coral, Liverpool FC, Everton FC, Seven League and Center Parcs.
  • Previous Showcase Champions were 2011 – Doncaster, 2012 – Goodwood, 2013 – Chester
  • For details of all finalists, please visit www.britishracecourses.org.

For more information, please contact Sam Cone or Paul Swain on 01344 626067.