A SCOTS racecourse has been named as the Champion Racecourse at the 12th annual Racecourse Association (RCA) Showcase Awards.
Musselburgh racecourse in East Lothian picked up three individual awards enroute to being named as the overall Champion for 2023 – the Racing Post Readers’ Award and the Marketing and Food & Beverage awards.
The Racing Post Readers’ Award asked the racing public to nominate their favourite racecourse based on raceday experience, customer service and value for money.
Musselburgh scored the highest average across these metrics and polled almost 20% of the overall votes.
The racecourse’s continued drive for excellence in Food & Beverage was evident in the Pinkie’s Deli, a Taste of Scotland’s Larder initiative.
A move to more a locally-sourced and evidence-based menu was a resounding success with racegoers, with the racecourse seen as best-in-class throughout British racing for its fantastic food and drink offerings.
As a highly successful one-off event in 2019, the Corgi Derby returned to Musselburgh and this time was integral to a campaign which won the Marketing category.
Musselburgh’s use of data to target specific demographics and tailor the messaging, ticket packages and raceday experience was deemed best-in-class by the judges.
The East Lothian racecourse was also a finalist in two other categories on the night, with the judges calling it a racecourse operating to the highest standards on multiple fronts.
Musselburgh Racecourse General Manager Bill Farnsworth said: “Musselburgh’s joins a small group of eight illustrious Showcase Champions.
“It certainly felt as if all the other racecourses represented at the Awards were particularly pleased that Musselburgh had won.
“I am incredibly proud of the team here at Musselburgh who have shown incredible resilience over the past few years and have been resolute in their commitment to the racecourse and to putting on a fantastic experience for our customers and participants.
“The staff at Musselburgh never stand still and are totally committed to making sure all our visitors have the best possible ‘Musselburgh’ experience.
“To deliver on so many levels with limited resources is a truly fantastic achievement and we can all be extremely proud of what Musselburgh has achieved.”
The gala event, held at Aintree Racecourse, was presented by the RCA and partnered by Great British Racing, Racing Together, the Racing Foundation and Racing Post.
Alongside Musselburgh’s three award wins and Champion crown, it was a fantastic night for Scottish Racing as a whole with wins for Hamilton Park, Perth and Ayr.
Kelso also received a Highly Commended accolade from the independent judging panel.
RCA Chairman Wilf Walsh said: “Our class of 2023 represents a range of racecourses operating at the highest level in their respective fields.
“I am encouraged by the levels of innovation shown as we look to attract and retain racegoers.
“Musselburgh Racecourse are worthy Champions and join our esteemed Showcase list.
“With five Finalist nominations and three victories, there can be little doubt this is a racecourse team that deeply cares about their customers, participants and place within the local community.”
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