RCA Showcase Awards 2024—Finalists Announced
The Racecourse Association (RCA), in partnership with Great British Racing (GBR), Racing Post, Racing Together and the Racing Foundation, is delighted to confirm the Finalists for the 2024 Showcase Awards following deliberation by its independent judging panel.
The RCA Showcase Awards invite all British racecourses to submit entries across eight core categories chosen to reflect all aspects of racecourse operations with particular emphasis on customer experience. In addition, two public-voted awards allow racegoers to have their say: the Racing Post Readers’ Award and Owners’ Racecourse of the Year (in collaboration with the Racehorse Owners Association). Both awards attracted record engagement in 2024 with over 6,850 votes.RCA Chairman Wilf Walsh has chosen to reward one initiative with the Chairman’s Award due to its exceptional execution and demonstration of best practice. This will be presented at the Showcase Awards ceremony.
2024 looks set to be a particularly competitive year with seven racecourses going to the ceremony with three Finalist nominations apiece. This includes former champions Ascot, Chester, Musselburgh and York as well as Chelmsford City, Ripon and Wincanton.
Reigning Showcase Champion racecourse Musselburgh has once again proved popular with the public, receiving nominations in both the Racing Post Readers’ Award and the Owners’ Racecourse of the Year. Alongside this, the racecourse has been shortlisted in the Marketing category for their Egging on the Favourite campaign.
Carlisle, Cheltenham, Goodwood, Newbury, Perth and Pontefract also impressed, receiving two nominations each. Overall, a total of 29 different racecourses and organisations have been shortlisted for an award, setting up what promises to be a fantastic evening at the Showcase Awards ceremony on Thursday 7th November at the Signet Library, Edinburgh.
Paul Swain, Head of Raceday Experience & Communications at the RCA said: “We are thrilled to announce details of this year’s Showcase Awards Finalists. Despite the well documented headwinds facing racecourses, the core principles of the Showcase Awards, excellence & innovation, are firmly embedded within our Finalists, and it is a genuine highlight of our year to share this best practice across all British racecourses and the wider industry.
“Once again, it is wonderful to see racecourses of all sizes and from all corners of Great Britain represented. Our sincere thanks to the racecourse teams who have carefully crafted the submissions and to our independent judging panel who intensively reviewed each of them.
“We look forward to crowning the Class of 2024 on Thursday 7th November at the ceremony in Edinburgh, which we are hosting alongside reigning Showcase Champions Musselburgh Racecourse.”
Showcase Awards 2024—Finalists
Marketing
Ascot—Royal Ascot 2024: Elevating the Ascot You
Chelmsford City—Pick a Winner
Doncaster—The Summer Series
Musselburgh—Egging on the Favourite
Plumpton—Premier Plumpton: Sussex National Raceday
Racing Foundation Green
Carlisle—Carlisle Garden Project
Pontefract—Sustainable Music Nights
The Jockey Club—Natural Capital
Wincanton—The Final Bend Busy Bee Apiary
York— The Bustardthorpe Stand Development x Green Knavesmire 300
Diversity & Inclusion
Ascot—Championing Women in Sport
Carlisle—Ladies Night
Goodwood—Markel Magnolia Cup x Riding A Dream Academy
Pontefract—The Journey to Being a Friendly Racecourse
Ripon—Accessibility for All
Racing Together Community
Chelmsford City—Remembrance Raceday
Go Racing In Yorkshire—Bowel Cancer Screening
Royal Windsor—Supporting Ovarian Cancer Raceday
Sandown Park—Supporting Our Local Families
The Jockey Club—Gallagher Community Partnership
Raceday
Chelmsford City—Good Friday Family Fun Day
Chester—Oktoberfest
Newbury—Al Shaqab Lockinge with Ladies’ Day
Ripon—Gold Medal Family Day
Warwick—Family Fun Day
Food & Beverage
Cheltenham—The Feed Room
Chester—The Clubhouse
Epsom Downs—Cedric’s
Perth—Old Stand Refurbishment
York—Guinness is Good for You (and so is Theakstons and Fish & Chips)
Non-Raceday Event
Bangor-on-Dee— Circuit Training for Fibrax Fenwicks Wrexham Cycling Club
Beverley—Racing to Success
Newcastle—Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festival
Ripon—Yorkshire’s Garden Film Set
Wincanton—Wincanton Rocks Together
Racing Connection
Cheltenham—Gold Cup 100
Goodwood—Racehorse Welfare
Haydock Park—JockeyCam Live at Betfair Chase Day
Wincanton—Frodon’s Friends
York—Under Jockeys’ Orders
Racing Post Readers’ Award
Ayr
Chester
Kelso
Musselburgh
Salisbury
Owners’ Racecourse of the Year
Ascot
Hamilton Park
Musselburgh
Newbury
Perth