Oct 2023
Newbury Shortlisted For Three Industry Awards With Community Raceday Announced As Finalist In Diversity & Inclusion Category
Newbury proved popular in the public vote as the Racecourse receives three finalist nominations at annual Racecourse Association (RCA) Showcase Awards
Newbury Racecourse has been announced as a finalist in three categories at this year’s Racecourse Association (RCA) Showcase Awards.
The Showcase Awards represent the best of British racecourses and celebrate the successes and new initiatives introduced across the country over the past 12 months with Newbury shortlisted for the Diversity & Inclusion award along with the Racing Post Readers’ and RCA/ROA Owners’ Racecourse of the Year awards.
An independent judging panel – made up of Ann-Marie Blake, George Foster, Louise Norma, Lee Mottershead and Martin Dalby – compiled the final shortlists with Newbury one of only four racecourses to receive nominations in at least three award categories.
Newbury’s nomination in the Diversity & Inclusion category was centred on the Racecourse’s Community Raceday, hosted in partnership with Community United, on Tuesday 29th August. The raceday reflected Newbury’s ambition to make racing as accessible as possible and saw the Racecourse welcome hundreds of first-time racegoers. The Community Raceday provided a platform for the celebration of a host of different nationalities, backgrounds, cultures and faiths with a programme of performances and activities hosted before the start of the afternoon’s racing.
The raceday was widely praised for its impact and marks the beginning of a partnership with Community United – a community interest group working across the region to promote inclusivity and equality – as Newbury looks to give as many of those in the local community as possible the opportunity to enjoy racing.
Newbury’s other nominations came in the public vote awards with the Racecourse a finalist in the RCA/ROA Racehorse Owners’ Racecourse of the Year – an award voted for by racehorse owners – as well as in the Racing Post Readers’ category, an award voted for by racegoers based on customer service, value for money and overall raceday experience.
Julian Thick, Chief Executive at Newbury Racecourse, expressed his pleasure at receiving three finalist nominations: ‘’It is always pleasing to see our work and efforts recognised and it’s particularly special when this recognition comes from the public. Receiving a finalist nomination for our Community Raceday – which threw the Racecourse’s doors open to a large number of new racegoers from diverse backgrounds and marked the start of a long-term partnership with Community United – is also something we’re very proud of.’’
The winners of the RCA Showcase Awards will be announced during a reception at Aintree Racecourse on Thursday 23rd November.
What’s On At Newbury
There’s plenty to look forward to across the remainder of 2023 – including BetVictor Flat Finale with Oktoberfest (Fri 27 & 28 October), the Coral Gold Cup (Fri 1 & Sat 2 December) and the Coral Challow Hurdle (Sat 30 December).
To take a look at upcoming racedays, simply click here.
At the same time, Newbury’s 2024 raceday calendar has been confirmed – you can register for priority access to be at the front of the queue for tickets (and get the best deal while you’re at it), while 2024 Memberships are also available – all at a lower price than in 2023.