Quarter 3 attendances rise across British racecourses

• Total Q3 attendances increase 4.5% year-on-year
• 2.2% increase in average attendance despite increase in fixtures
• Summer festivals perform well demonstrating the public's demand for top-class horseracing
• Summer jump racing sees significant increase in attendances

Quarter three attendances at British racecourses have seen a 4.5% increase compared to 2022 according to the latest recorded figures collated by the Horserace Bettors Levy Board (HBLB).

A total of 1,694,163 racegoers visited a British racecourse in the period July-September 2023 across 405 fixtures, giving an average attendance of 4,183. This is an increase of almost 75,000 racegoers from the same period last year.

The year-to-date figure shows a decrease for 2023 of just 0.49% when comparing to 2022 which is encouraging after a slow start in Q1 and Q2. Year to date average attendance has increased by 1.18%. It should be noted that the number of fixtures run has decreased and the number of abandonments in 2023 is 25% higher than the preceding year.

Major festivals across the period saw increased numbers of racegoers demonstrating the public's appetite for elite racing and summer celebration. Newmarket's July Festival (9.7%) and Cambridgeshire Meeting (21.6%), the Qatar Goodwood Festival (4.8%), Haydock Park's Sprint Cup meeting (8.2%) and the Ayr Gold Cup (4.3%) all saw marked attendance rises compared to 2022.

Summer jump racing in particular demonstrated it remains popular with the public with a near 25% increase year-on-year, with 74,803 attendees in August 2023 compared to 60,103 in August 2022.

Attendances throughout September have seen a significant boost and eclipsed both 2022 and 2019 benchmarks. The visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the St Leger Festival at Doncaster helped contribute to the 375,945 attendees during the month.

David Armstrong, Chief Executive of the RCA, commented: "I am heartened to see the attendance figures from quarter three continue to show a positive trend for British racecourses.

"This is our busiest period of the year with racecourses putting on fantastic events to celebrate the great British summer, and it is great to see the public's demand for horseracing remains strong.

"I am particularly pleased to see attendances stand up to a number of headwinds facing the country, notably the ongoing national industrial action and cost of living crisis. Both have had a significant detrimental effect on people's lives and we remain grateful that the public choose to spend their hard-earned time and money at a British racecourse."