Uttoxeter Racecourse: Big crowd increase at Midlands Grand National meeting
- Published
The crowd for Midlands Grand National Day at Uttoxeter was 1,100 up on last year
Uttoxeter Racecourse are delighted with the efforts made to ensure Saturday's big Midlands Grand National meeting went ahead after being rewarded with a 13% increase in crowds.
The Midlands Grand National has been run on the Saturday immediately after the Cheltenham Festival since 1969.
But, while crowds were down at weather-hit Cheltenham, the cheaper-priced Staffordshire course bucked that trend.
"We had an excellent day on Saturday," said executive director Brian Barrass.
"The Midlands Grand National is the highlight of the year here," he told BBC Sport.
"The weather certainly caused us a few headaches, but our excellent team of groundstaff worked incredibly hard to make sure we were good to race - and we got a very worthy winner in Beauport.
"Our cheapest ticket is £11, booked in advance, for our centre course. Our most expensive was £40 for the Premier ticket. Also all under-18s are free. And, once again, the racegoers came out in force.
"We enjoyed a bumper crowd of over 9,600 - a 13% increase on last year - with 1,300 hospitality covers sold out a month in advance. It's a huge achievement for everyone involved.
"We attract people from all over the UK which has a beneficial impact on the local economy as well as employing around 700 staff on the day."
Barrass continued: "Horseracing is still the second-highest attended sport in the UK. And Uttoxeter attracts over 100,000 visitors over our 23 racedays, an average of 4,348, well above the industry average of 3,394.
"Planning and logistics can be eyewatering and you have to build in the prices with the overheads it takes to run the place, but it's a real success story.
"We remain a massive part of the town. And we are now looking forward to our summer season, including Ocean Colour Scene, live after racing on 18 May, our Dino Family Fund Day on 26 May and the return of our popular Ladies Day on 26 July."
Uttoxeter's main stand was packed for the Midlands Grand National
The lure of the Midlands National
The total prize pot for the Midlands Grand National was £150,000, of which the winner scooped £84,000 - part of a purse for the entire meeting of £375,000, a record for Uttoxeter, up £90,000 from 2023.
The Midlands Grand National was also the richest handicap chase of the week - better prizemoney than any of the handicap chases at Cheltenham, although less than a quarter of what was banked for Galopin Des Champs winning the Gold Cup.
The four mile two furlongs at Uttoxeter, three laps of the Staffordshire track, is the second-longest race in the country - beaten only by the Grand National course at Aintree, which measures just over four and a quarter miles.
Beauport led almost from start to finish to become the 53rd winner of the Midlands Grand National
Only one horse, the 1975 winner Rag Trade, has gone on to win the Grand National at Aintree, which it did the following year.
But Synchronised, the 2010 winner for AP McCoy, went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup two years later.
And Lord Gyllene, the Staffordshire-owned Shropshire-trained 1997 Grand National winner, finished runner-up in the Midlands Grand National, just a few weeks before claiming glory at Aintree.
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