CHESTER RACE COMPANY CELEBRATES ALL THREE RACECOURSES BEING AWARDED 2022 GOLD STANDARD STATUS BY THE ROA
Chester Race Company is celebrating all three of its racecourses being awarded Gold Standard status for 2022 by the Racehorse Owners Association, as part of the ROA Accreditation Scheme.
The group’s tracks at Bangor-on-Dee, Chester and Musselburgh are amongst just 12 of 60 racecourses in the UK to receive the highly-coveted accolade, with all three finishing inside the top 10 for providing an exemplary experience for racehorse owners.
Launched in 2019, the ROA Accreditation Scheme, assessed by AA Hospitality Services, independently reviews the raceday experience of owners using a defined set of criteria, providing each course with a quality mark based on performance. Those achieving a rating of at least 80 per cent are then assessed for the ROA Gold Standard award, which was first handed out in 2006.
Measuring 50 aspects of the raceday, from pre-arrival, through to all aspects of the day, the departure and post-raceday contact, the ROA’s Accreditation Scheme works in close collaboration with racecourses to enhance the experience for owners, and to help recognise the commitment and contribution that they make to the sport.
Chester Racecourse, consistently in receipt of the Gold Standard award ever since its inception, cemented a top two finish in the ROA Accreditation Scheme table and was one of only four courses to receive a quality score above 90 per cent, while Musselburgh, which has achieved Gold Standard since 2011, was the highest-placed track in Scotland, sitting third in the overall table.
The introduction of Owners’ Feedback to the Accreditation Scheme in 2022 also allowed owners to share their thoughts on the raceday experience within the assessment, with Bangor-on-Dee, of Gold Standard status since 2017, scoring joint-highest on this front.
Renowned for providing a first-class offering and managing relationships with care and attention, Chester Race Company has invested significantly in its facilities and offerings for owners and trainers over the last 10 years and is delighted to see that this continues to be recognised in such a way.
Louise Stewart, CEO of Chester Race Company, said:
“Chester Race Company has consistently set high standards for delivering a truly memorable experience for racehorse owners and is delighted that the ROA has recognised that we have three of the UK’s leading courses in the latest ROA Accreditation Scheme.
“Our dedicated teams who look after owners and trainers work extremely hard to provide a level of service that caters for all requirements, and the retention of these Gold Standard awards is testament to that.
“We want to exceed expectations for owners and trainers attending our racecourses and continually welcome horses from their stables to compete at our meetings.”