In the post this morning I’ve had a letter from ARC Racing in which various improvements for owners on racedays are highlighted. The letter set me thinking : What makes for a good owners facility? In broad terms two things matter most – excellent viewing and comfortable facilities. To expand on this there are four criteria against which I’d judge whether a racecourse has a good owners facility.

Location

The owners facility should at the least have either have paddock views or be located in the stands with uninterrupted views opposite, or near to opposite,  the finish line.  If the owners facility is located away from the track there should be an owners area  located in the stands with uninterrupted views opposite, or near to opposite, the finish line.

Comfort

The owners facility should be large enough to fit the majority of owners and their guests seated.

Food & Drink

Food and drink should be available to a reasonable standard. Haute cuisine doesn’t have to be on offer, decent home cooking or a buffet is fine. I don’t mind paying as an owner if there is a decent selection on offer at a good value price.  Tea and coffee not in paper cups with tea served from tea pots and coffee that isn’t instant.

Badge Requests

It’s understandable that meetings such as Glorious Goodwood or Royal Ascot have restrictions on number of badges, extra badges and paddock passes. Both of these courses a the big meetings deal with owners requests  efficiently and with the minimum of fuss. Not all meetings are in such demand for badges and in these occasions flexibility on the part of courses is a plus.

Course Reviews

I’m going to post reviews of the courses I’ve visited in forthcoming blog pieces. More to follow!