Hamilton’s parade ring experience wins UK award

Hamilton Park has been recognised for its “Raceday Experience” after winning a UK-wide award in that category at the Racecourse Association’s (RCA) Showcase Awards Dinner, held at Epsom racecourse.

The Lanarkshire track was voted the best of five finalists after an independent judging panel praised its new Parade Ring Theatre Project as a great example of explaining to customers “what the sport is all about”.

For its 2011 season Hamilton introduced a number of activities and features as part of the parade ring theatre project. These included educating racegoers on the anatomy of the racehorse, a rota of celebrity raceday and live interviews with top jockeys such as Paul Hanagan, Silvestre de Sousa and Hayley Turner, and visiting celebrities such as Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. Meanwhile, today’s meeting at Ayr will need to survive a 7.30am precautionary inspection due to the threat of heavy rain. More than 40 millimetres of rain has already fallen at the venue with another 25mm scheduled to fall in the next 48 hours on already soft ground.

“At the moment we are perfectly fine and raceable, it’s just the forecast which is slightly worrying,” said clerk of the course Emma Marley. “We’ve had 44mm in the last week so we are on the soft side with over an inch of rain forecast. We thought it prudent to call an inspection. If we get what is forecast on saturated ground we’d have to see (if the track could handle it). It could come all at once or over a prolonged period.”