Cheltenham racecourse is to clamp down on drunken and anti social behaviour after this year’s Festival was tarnished by professional footballers urinating into plastic glasses and women flashing in a hospitality box.
Ian Renton, the chief executive, said that a line had been crossed and that after a review of the Festival, extra measures to ensure there would be no repeat were being put in place.
Today’s racecards (not available on the app)
These include an increase in security personnel, a reinforcement of the code of conduct on tickets and in contracts with hospitality agents, and a “get-tough” policy that would see those who overstep the mark immediately ejected from the course.
The company that organised the event in question, Unique Sports Management, which also represents international footballers, has been banned from ever again having clients at Cheltenham.
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“After one or two unsavoury incidents we feel it is very important to crack down on this sort of behaviour to ensure racegoers can enjoy the sport without this sort of thing going on,” Renton said. “We do not want this showpiece event to be linked with any thought of a drunken culture.
“We are reinforcing what we have tried to do in the past, encouraging people to behave properly.
“The vast majority of people enjoy the sport and have a good time; but if people are to drink excessively they will be removed.
“We do not want this showpiece event to be linked with any thought of a drunken culture
“It is not just hospitality agents who will be reminded of their responsibilities. On tickets and contracts we have with people, it will be very visible that excessive drinking will not be tolerated.
“The stronger security presence will ensure we have the capability to remove people should we need to. There will be more visible presence in areas where we think problems may occur, such as around the bars, the Best Mates and Guinness enclosures. When a line has been crossed we can react.”
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The annual review of the Festival had demonstrated that many racegoers were becoming concerned at bad behaviour. “This is beginning to move higher up the list of things we need to tackle,” Renton said. “The feedback was that there is a small percentage of the crowd who are going to the Festival solely to drink rather than enjoy the sport. We want that to stop. It is a relatively small number of people but we have to clamp down on it.
“What we saw this year was a surprise because we don’t expect that behaviour at Cheltenham. Thankfully it is a very rare problem, but we want it to remain a very rare problem.”
On the first day of this year’s Festival, Samir Carruthers, the Milton Keynes Dons footballer was photographed urinating into a pint glass on a balcony at the racecourse. James Collins, a Shrewsbury Town player on loan at Northampton Town, the champions of Sky Bet League Two, was also apparently seen pouring a glass of urine over the balcony. Police condemned their behaviour as “disgusting”.
They were part of a 40-strong party in a private box at the opening day of the Festival. When photographs emerged the following day, the company had their next booking immediately cancelled.
The two players were each fined two weeks’ wages. Carruthers, who was also suspended by his club, apologised saying that he had let down his family. “I don’t want to be known as this idiot that urinated in a pint glass,” he said at the time, adding: “I’m meant to be a role model and I have to live by my actions now.” Pete Winkelman, the MK Dons chairman said the player’s behaviour left him “very angry and concerned”.
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● Willie Mullins has entered Nichols Canyon and Shaneshill in a three-mile hurdle near Nashville, Tennessee, on May 14. Mullins is seeking to win the $500,000 bonus being put up for any horse that wins the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle at Percy Warner Park a week on Saturday and the World Hurdle on March 16 next year. The initiative is known as the Brown Advisory Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge.
Concorde can strike for Weld
Dermot Weld has won big races all over the world in the past 30 years and the Irish trainer can add the Betway Chester Cup (3.10) to his collection through Silver Concorde today (Rob Wright writes).
Winner of the Champion Bumper at the 2014 Cheltenham Festival, Silver Concorde has not taken well to jumps, losing a shoe when well beaten in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in March.
He has a fine record on the Flat, though, winning three of his four starts, including the Irish November Handicap at Leopardstown last October. The eight year old was always travelling best there and, with this still stiffer test likely to suit, he can defy a 6lb rise in the weights