Spectators galloping to the horse races in Ayrshire
Total attendance at Scotland’s five racecourses topped 308,000 visitors in 2015, the largest number for seven years, Scottish Racing revealed in its Annual Review published today.
The country’s second most popular spectator sport, which benefits the Scottish economy to the tune of an estimated £173 million annually, thrived during the year.
Prize-money paid out to successful racehorse owners reached a record £6.7 million, while the racecourses won a series of national accolades.
Among the highlights during 2015:
Crowds at the 101 fixtures rose to 308,258 (+3.5% in a year; +13.7% over three years);
The Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr Racecourse paid prize-money of £210,000, second only among handicap jump races to the Grand National at Aintree;
Three of the five racecourses – Ayr, Hamilton Park and Musselburgh – were rated among the top 12 in Britain (where there are 60 racecourses in total) by racehorse owners.
Sir Ian Good, Chairman of Scottish Racing, said: “During 2015 the horseracing industry in Scotland continued to make a considerable contribution to the wider economy. Direct annual expenditure has been estimated at £55 million, with a wider economic benefit of approximately £173 million. The sport itself helps to maintain a total of some 870 full-time equivalent employees, both directly and indirectly, playing its part in a buoyant leisure market.
“The racecourses are being rewarded with increased attendances through their brilliant promotion of the sport, offering fantastic days and evenings out. Accompanied children are admitted free at every meeting, making a trip to the races a really affordable family occasion. People love a day at the races, it’s safe, it’s fun and there’s a chance of winning with a small flutter.”
The advances being made by horseracing in Scotland were welcomed today by the ruling body of the sport in Britain.
Nick Rust, Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority, who attended his first race meeting at Kelso Racecourse when he was a boy, said: “The great strength of horseracing in Scotland is the united approach adopted by the five racecourses. Scottish Racing benefits from collective methods both inside Scotland and beyond. One of the success stories is how the racecourses attract runners from not only south of the border but also overseas. While the sport is in such capable hands, the future is bright for horseracing in Scotland.”
The Annual Review also turns the spotlight on the contribution made by the racecourses to their local communities, including the launch of Musselburgh’s Community Engagement Plan and staff at Hamilton Park raising tens of thousands of pounds for the Marie Curie Glasgow Hospice.
Racehorse trainers in Scotland are doing famously too, with the likes of Lucinda Russell, from Perth & Kinross, and Sandy Thomson, from Berwickshire, competing at the highest level with their horses.