Six million and counting, racing pulls in the crowds

The Racecourse Association, which has kept attendance records going back to 1955, announced on Monday that 6.15million people went racing in 2011. It is only the third time more than six million people have gone racing in a year and beats the two previous occasions (6,048,000 in 2004 and 6,019,000 in 2003).

It is a popular myth that a declining audience is one of racing’s major problems. But while funding remains racing’s greatest issue because of the fall in the Levy and a drop in sponsorship and hospitality, its popularity is not on the wane and bucks something of a trend in a difficult time for the leisure sector.

Average daily attendances rose one per cent in 2011 and the 6.15million total, which was up for the third year in a row, was a year-on-year increase of 6.6 per cent. All racecourses now work hard on their marketing and the drip, drip, drip effect of Racing For Change, their Qipco series and their free-racing initiative, may all be having a positive effect.

The effort of individual courses was nowhere better exemplified than Carlisle, whose promotion of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Ultimate Ladies Night attracted the second biggest crowd ever, 10,555, to the Cumbrian course.

There are a few anomalies in the figures. The figures for 2010 were slightly skewed by the weather at the start and end of the year, which meant average attendance at jump meetings actually fell marginally in 2011.

It would be wrong for the sport to be complacent about the figures, too. The Olympics will make it a challenging summer, though the Queen’s Jubilee may well be a help.

Cheltenham, which started 2012 off on the right foot with a huge crowd on New Year’s Day, will be hoping for a good turnout at their trials day on Saturday.

Great horses are probably worth half a dozen marketing men and Big Buck’s should pull in a few extra punters as he goes for his 15th straight win in the Cleeve Hurdle.

The Argento Chase, however, should answer more Festival questions, with David Pipe’s novice Grands Crus set to take on Caruthers, Diamond Harry, The Minack and Midnight Chase.

Time For Rupert was all the rage last year but he was taken out with an infection. “He’s been in wonderful form and we’re pleased with him,” said trainer Paul Webber. “It’s an exciting race and looks like a decider for who should finish third and fourth in the Gold Cup although we’d all hope for better of course.”

Marlborough: racing tips.

Best bet: After promising in the bumper, Harry Trooper (1.20 Wincanton) drew attention to the nature of his victory over the hurdles of his debut and has room for improvement.

Then best: micro M Ission (11.50 Newcastle) won comfortably in Kelso in December and this form is a serious hand when placed on the second floor seedless, a benefit on the shot to Bangor yesterday...

• 12.10 Josam
• 12.40 The color King
• 1.10 Russian bullet
• 1.45 Efistorm
• Loyal Royal 2.15
• 2.45 Capone
• 3.20 Nibani
• 3.55 Legend of the city of

Newcastle

• 11.50 Mission micro (NB)
• 12.20 Upthemsteps
• 12.50 Stormy weather
• 1.25 Angel soul
• 1.55 My bow.
• 2.25 Night Arctic
• 3.00 Hole of a
• 3.35 Madame Blavatsky

Sandown

• 1.00 Kaffie
• 1.35 Firefighter
• The loan of a 2.05
• 2.35 Splendid Etoile
• 3.10 The Knox
• 3.45 Alarazi

Wincanton

• 1.20 Harry Topper (NAP)
• 1.50 Chesil Beach boy
• 2.20 Order of
• 2.50 Royal coup
• 3.25 Cathedral name
• 4.00 Mowed