Aintree Racecourse is up for three awards after being named a finalist in three categories at the 11th annual RCA Showcase Awards.
Aintree maintained an ever-present showing in the Racing Together Community Award while also showing versatility as a venue by being nominated in the Raceday and Non-Raceday Event categories.
In the Racing Together Community Award – which the course won for a fourth time in 2019 – Aintree is nominated again for the ‘Harnessing The Power Of The People’s Race’. Ascot, Catterick, Chester and Scottish Racing are the other finalists.
Aintree is also nominated for the Raceday Award for their Liverpool’s NHS Day, which opened this year’s Randox Grand National Festival back in April. The course celebrated the NHS for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and donated 10,000 free tickets for the region’s health workers.
Others courses nominated are Epsom Downs, Musselburgh, Lingfield Park and Newmarket.
Aintree is also nominated in the Non-Raceday category for their Champions League Final Screening event – the showpiece football event in Paris in which Liverpool FC lost 1-0 to Real Madrid at the end of May.
The other finalists are Bath, Cheltenham, Goodwood and Musselburgh.
All winners, plus the overall Showcase Champion and Racecourse Groundstaff Awards Champion, will be crowned at the gala ceremony to be held at Pontefract Racecourse on Thursday, November 10.
The annual Showcase & Awards is the industry awards for British racecourses, celebrating excellence and innovation in racecourse operation and raceday experience.
The highly-coveted awards are held in partnership with Great British Racing, Racing Post, the Racing Foundation and Racing Together. This is the first time the event has taken place since 2019 due to a pandemic-enforced hiatus.
Following a day of intense deliberation by the five-person panel of independent judges, each of the nine categories have been shortlisted with finalists.
In a rare occurrence, the judges felt suitably moved by one entry to award the Judges’ Choice Award in recognition of an initiative which they felt was worthy of individual praise.
Paul Swain, raceday experience & communications manager at the RCA, said: “After three long years it has been both humbling and inspiring to welcome back the Showcase Seminar & Awards. Racecourses have had to work harder than ever before to offer a wonderful experience for customers and I believe this is reflected in the diversity and quality of our Finalists.
“I would like to thank all racecourses for entering and sharing this best practice with their colleagues and of course the judges for their considerable time in scrutinising all of the entries. We now turn to Pontefract on Thursday 10th November to find out the winners and the new additions to the Showcase hall of fame.”
Rod Street, chief executive officer of Great British Racing, said: “GBR is proud to be associated with the RCA Showcase Awards. We look forward to its return at Pontefract, following a long absence due to the impact of COVID. I am sure the event will be welcomed back warmly by racecourses, all of whom benefit from the share of best practice and celebration of innovation.”
Lee Mottershead, senior writer at the Racing Post, said: “Having served as a judge when the Showcase Awards were last staged, it was a privilege to once again be part of a process that underlines how so many racecourses are working incredibly hard to look after the sport’s customers.
“The Racing Post is always keen to celebrate outstanding achievement, whether that has come from our stars on the track or the tracks themselves. We are therefore thrilled to be part of this marvellous competition and I can say with complete sincerity that the standard of entries made judging a difficult delight.
“I congratulate all the finalists on their efforts to ensure our industry thrives.”
Rob Hezel, chief executive officer at the Racing Foundation, said: “The Racing Foundation is pleased to be supporting the Green Award at the RCA Showcase this year.
“Environmental sustainability is vital to protect racing’s future and racecourses have a massive opportunity to contribute, not only in their operational practises but in positively influencing the behaviour of racegoers and their communities.
“We’d like to congratulate the three finalists on their environmental sustainably efforts and look forward to working with the winner to develop their project.”
John Blake, chief executive officer of Racing Together said: “Congratulations to the finalists and all the entrants for this year’s Racing Together Community Award and thanks to the Racecourse Association for promoting the importance of racecourses’ community engagement for the past eight years.
“Last year’s RCA Racecourses Together event underlined the immediate, creative and generous responses of racecourses nationwide to the impact of Covid on their communities. Since the sport has resumed a more normal pace, it is so encouraging that varied outreach programmes have not only continued but have both grown, and targeted their efforts to meet some specific priorities of their neighbours. Racing Together is committed to support and showcase how racecourses add value and achieve real impact year-round.”
Showcase Awards Finalists 2022 (Finalists listed alphabetically by racecourse).
Diversity & Inclusion: Cheltenham – Aamilah Aswat; Goodwood – The Magnolia Cup; Market Rasen – Sensory Raceday Experience; Newbury – Female Commentary Initiative – Dani Jackson; York – Pride Raceday.
Food & Beverage: Arena Racing Company – Reimagining Jockeys’ Catering; Ascot – The Mindful Bar; Chester – PARADE at Chester Racecourse; Pontefract – Huggamug @ The Pavilion; York – Champagne Pavilion
Marketing: Ascot – Royal Ascot 2022: Global Audience Growth; Epsom Downs – The Cazoo Derby; Newton Abbot – Sunday Smiles; Pontefract – OAPs & Silver Surfers; The Jockey Club – The Jockey Club’s TikTok Account.
Non-Raceday Event: Aintree – Champions League Final Screening; Bath – Cider Festival (Non) Raceday; Cheltenham – Gold Cup Community Tour; Goodwood – BBC Good Food Festival, Musselburgh – This Was The Greatest Show!
The Raceday Award: Aintree – Liverpool’s NHS Day; Epsom Downs –The Cazoo Derby; Musselburgh – Superhero Day 2021; Lingfield Park –The Winter Million; Newmarket—Cambridgeshire County Day.
Racing Connection: Go Racing in Yorkshire – The Yorkshire Wonder Horse; Hamilton Park – Our Commitment to Owners & Trainers; Ripon – Goodbye Flys Ripon Stables Championship; Scottish Racing – Scottish Racing Academy; The Jockey Club – Junior Racing Experience Days
The Racing Foundation Green Award: Newmarket – Sustainable Style Awards; Ripon – Greening Up; The Jockey Club – Going Green 2022.
The Racing Together Community Award: Aintree – Harnessing The Power Of The People’s Race; Ascot – Celebrating The Platinum Jubilee; Catterick – Platinum Jubilee Raceday; Chester – Chester Loves Racegoers. Love it Back; Scottish Racing – Scottish Racing In The Community
Racing Post Readers’ Award: Hamilton Park, Lingfield Park, Pontefract, Salisbury, York
