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Sunday horseracing — new raceday, new racegoers

British Horseracing Board, 42 Portman Square, London W1H OEN

Until 1995, horseracing with betting in Britain was not allowed, by law, to take place on a Sunday, reckoned by many observers to have become the most popular leisure day of the week. This clearly put horseracing — a multi-billion-pound live spectator sport, and betting medium, watched by millions off- and on-course annually — at a significant competitive disadvantage when compared with other sporting and leisure attractions.

Following a 30-year-long lobbying campaign to Governement, a change in the law, through the Deregulation Bill, was gained in May 1994, allowing the British Horseracing Board (BHB), the newly-appointed governing authority for the industry, to plan 24 Sunday fixtures, on 12 Sundays, for 1995. Research undertaken by both the industry and the BHB had identified an ageing and static pool of racegoers, who were making fewer visits to the racecourse. There was also a longstanding belief among many industry observers that racecourses needed to expand, and adopt, more innovative and up-to-date promotional techniques and ideas in order to compete more effectively for its share of leisure spending in the 1990s.

This case study explores the resultant coordinated promotional strategy that was designed to appeal to a new, younger and more family-oriented audience, and to stimulate trial of the attractions of 'a day at the races'. It also examines the results achieved, and the wider implications for the industry in the promotion of racegoing as a leisure activity.

Key Words: Horseracing • Sunday • promotion • racegoer • family • racecourse

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