British Racing to Launch 'Premier' Marketing Initiative

Jan. 1 marks not only a new year but a new era for British racing as Cheltenham will host the first Premier raceday, a cross-industry initiative aimed at growing the sport by showcasing its best races in a clearer and easier-to-follow way. As part of the 2024 fixture list, 170 meetings are designated Premier fixtures, with many due to be run in a protected two-hour window on Saturdays. Racing leaders hope the new Premier initiative will boost betting turnover and attract new fans by making it easier to identify and follow the sport's best action. Trainer Jamie Snowden is set to be represented at Cheltenham Monday by La Marquise in the listed bumper and is supportive of the ambition to promote the best of the sport and reward those competing in the higher-grade races. While the marketing effort launches with jump racing, it will include flat racing as it continues through the year. "The two main things that will hopefully come from it is a greater focus on the better races in the sport and increased prize money as a result of that," Snowden said. "I believe in racing that you have to aspire to want to have the better horses competing in the better races, which is what we'll be focusing on. "Take the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. The prize money for that race, which is a grade 1, wasn't as high as it was for the handicap hurdle at the end of the card—that's totally wrong. We have to have better prize-money going into the better races with people aspiring and being incentivized to put horses in together in those races to promote to the public. Hopefully that's what can be achieved through Premier racing." Trainer Olly Murphy is also scheduled to have runners at the first Premier meeting and said that beginning the project, which is being run as a trial over the next two years, at Cheltenham provides the perfect launchpad. "I think it's going to provide more accessibility for people and I hope that we all support it and give it the best shot of working out," Murphy said. "Starting it off at the home of jump racing is a really important step as it's a fitting venue for enhanced prize money and, hopefully, good crowds. Hopefully it's a positive start and that positivity builds from there." Most Premier meetings will be broadcast on ITV Racing with purses for the races boosted in an attempt to create competitive fields and encourage owners to keep horses in training in Britain. However, concerns have been raised after it was revealed the initiative has not been supported by new marketing funds, while only limited details have emerged so far about how the meetings will be made to look and feel different for racegoers, television viewers, and bettors. What is Premier racing? Premier racing was unveiled in October in the biggest shake-up to the British fixture list in recent memory. There are 170 Premier meetings scheduled for 2024, the first of a two-year trial, and they will feature greater prize money and the sport's biggest races. Other meetings are to be rebranded as 'core' fixtures, with limitations placed on the number of such fixtures that can take place between the 2-4 p.m. protected window on most Saturdays in order to allow Premier meetings room to breathe. Why has it been brought in? In short, Premier racing has been introduced in an effort to revitalize the top end of the sport in Britain. British racing has been hit by a number of headwinds in recent years, including the loss of major owners, a talent drain abroad, and falling field sizes. Attendances have also been an area of concern. By separating Premier meetings from the sport's 'core' product, it is hoped this will be the start of a shift to addressing those concerns, attracting new audiences and better engaging existing racing fans and customers. What are the key elements to it? In addition to the protected window, which will see other meetings shifted to morning start times or the late afternoon, there are several other key parts to Premier racing. Sundays have been an area of increased focus in the 2024 fixture list and 29 Premier racedays will take place on that day of the week. The BHA has subsequently revealed its own measures for what counts as success for Premier racing and the 2024 fixture list. The headline figure is the hope Premier racing could yield approximately a £90 million (US$114.23 million, £1=US$1.27) improvement for racing's finances over a five-year period compared to standing still with the current fixture list. Improved betting turnover on slimmed-down Saturdays, and slowing the overall decline of betting interest across the year as a whole, is a primary target, while a boost in attendances, a reduction in the number of races clashing on TV, improved average field sizes and an increase in the number of horses in Britain (plus a greater number of classier horses) are other notable and specified aims. Prize money is central to the Premier racing project with the ambition for a £6-£7 million improvement at Premier meetings in 2024.