Annual Review and Outlook 2019
many millions of people in the UK alone. Now we need to ensure that we place ‘the fan’ at the heart of it all. As a sport we need to do much more to convert the people we reach into fans of racing as a sport and not just an exciting social occasion. I believe The Jockey Club can be at the vanguard of this, working with industry partners including Great British Racing, other racecourses, media rightsholders, sponsors and of course the participants whose stories are the ones that people are interested in. At the same time, have we done enough as a sport for existing fans and racehorse owners? We are not a sport that should ever fall into the trap of alienating our biggest advocates while innovating
and expanding beyond our current borders, which I have been surprised to see has happened most notably of late in cricket and elsewhere. Despite a number of improvements, I remain of the view that technology has a far greater role to play in British Racing. Better use of technology can aid the enjoyment of the racing experience and support our sport commercially. Other sports gather and use data and graphics in innovative and engaging ways. We have seen some good examples in recent times, but a step-change is held back by a lack of capital for major investments and a lack of coordination across all stakeholders. Racing events welcome
people of all ages. It is key that we reach young people as they are the next generation of fans. British Racing is cognisant of this, with U18s racing for free, The Jockey Club’s 18-24 RacePass ensuring cost is not a barrier and the great work of organisations such as Racing to School. At The Jockey Club we have the ambition to do more, including using an ‘influencer’ network of existing fans to bring others to enjoy our sport and working with brand partners who resonate with young people. When young people attend the races we need to make the sport accessible to them, as well as them having a great time with us and without dumbing anything down.
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