NEWS | BLOG

21, January 2011

PR Week

13, December 2010

Ellerstina win 2010 Argentine Open Final and the coveted Triple Crown

Ellerstina defeated La Dolfina 14-13 in the 117th Argentine Open Final on Sunday 12th December 2010, and thereby completed the final leg of the coveted Triple Crown in Argentina. Ellerstina won the Final in dramatic style, which was delayed a day after just one chukka due to heavy rain with Ellerstina holding an overnight lead of 2-1. Ellerstina’s Juan Martin Nero was named MVP.

The Triple Crown, 2010

The Argentine Open is the third tournament of the Triple Crown in Argentina, which was concluded on Sunday 12 December 2010 in Palermo.

Tournament: Tortugas Open, Argentina
Place: Tortuguitas
Club: Tortugas CC
Date: September 28 – October 16, 2010

Tournament: Hurlingham Open
Place: Hurlingham
Club: Hurlingham Club
Date: October 19 – November 6, 2010

Tournament: 117th Argentine Open, Argentina
Place: Palermo
Club: Palermo
Date: November 20 – December 11, 2010

Teams playing in the 2010 Triple Crown

Ellerstina: Facundo Pieres 10, Gonzalo Pieres (h) 10, Pablo Mac Donough 10 y Juan Martín Nero 10. Total: 40.
LA Dolfina: Adolfo Cambiaso (h) 10, Lucas Monteverof (h) 10, David Stirling (h) 9 y Bartolomé CastagnoLA 10. Total: 39.
LA Aguada: Javier Novillo Astrada 9, Eduardo Novillo Astrada (h) 9, Miguel Novillo Astrada 10 e Ignacio Novillo Astrada 9. Total: 37.
Pilará: Agustín Merlos 9, Santiago Chavanne 8, Sebastián Merlos 9 y Marcos Heguy 10. Total: 36.
Chapa Uno: Bautista Heguy 9, HiLArio Ulloa 9, Juan Ignacio Merlos 9 y Matías Mac Donough 8. Total: 35.
Indios Chapaleufú II: Alberto Heguy (h) 8, Ignacio Heguy 9, Matías Magrini 8 y Eduardo Heguy 9. Total: 34.

For more information visit www.aapolo.com

Rolex and Polo

Rolex are proud sponsors of four of the most illustrious events on the polo calendar:

• the Argentine Polo Open Championship
• the Hurlingham Club Open Championship
• the Tortugas Country Club Open Championship
• the Buenos Aires Jockey Club Open Championship

Renowned Polo player, Gonzalo Pieres Jr, is a 10-goal handicapper and a Rolex Testimonee.

13, December 2010

Steve Guerdat celebrates winning the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final with the Trophy in front of Lake Geneva, the morning after having won the competition in the Geneva Palexpo on Friday 10th December 2010.

Riding Jalisca Solier, Guerdat won the two-round event featuring the World’s Top 10 riders as based on the Rolex Rankings, ahead of 2nd place Denis Lynch (IRL) riding Lantinus and 3rd place Eric Lamaze (CAN) riding Hickstead.

 The results of the 10th Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final:

1. Steve Guerdat (SUI), Jalisca Solier
2. Denis Lynch (IRL), Lantinus
3. Eric Lamaze (CAN), Hickstead
4. Marcus Ehning (GER), Plot Bleu
5. Penelope Leprevost (FRA), Mylord Carthago
6. McLain Ward (USA), Sapphire
7. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (SWE), Casall La Silla
8. Kevin Staut (FRA), Silvana de Hus
9. Edwina Alexander (AUS), Cevo Itot du Chateau
10. Pius Schwizer (SUI), Ulysse

The Times’ Racing Correspondent Alan Lee praises initiatives which includes the 2010 PFA Football Furlong that are helping to change the shape of horseracing in the UK

15 October 2010

Mick Fitzgerald, winning jockey of both the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup and the John Smith’s Aintree Grand National, today officially opened the newly refurbished Golden Miller champagne bar at Cheltenham Racecourse, the culmination of a £900,000 investment in the bar and catering facilities made by Jockey Club Catering (JCC) at the course since October 2009.

Golden Miller is the only racehorse to have won both of the UK’s premier steeplechase races – the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National – in the same year, so it was fitting for Fitzgerald to open the bar’s first bottle of champagne on the opening day of the Racecourse’s Jump racing season.

JCC’s investment to upgrade the existing, and hugely popular, Golden Miller has transformed the previously enclosed bar into a modern, spacious and fresh looking environment.

Gareth Evans, General Manager for JCC at Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “The capital expenditure that we are investing into all the bars and restaurants at Cheltenham Racecourse, including the new permanent bar and catering facilities in the Best Mate enclosure, will help to enhance the raceday experience for all levels of racegoer.”

Evans added: “Achieving a good quality and high standard of catering has always been central to the aims of Jockey Club Catering. By placing the demands of customers first, we are helping to drive revenues for Jockey Club Racecourses. Key to this is improving the catering experience for racegoers and developing facilities.”

Cheltenham Racecourse is one of 14 racecourses within the Jockey Club Racecourses group. Following an innovative 10-year joint venture between JCR and Compass Group UK & Ireland to create Jockey Club Catering, these leading racecourses are benefitting from large-scale investment to improve and modernise racecourse catering facilties.

Commenting at the launch of the new champagne bar, Fitzgerald said: “Golden Miller is a legend in the sport and particularly here at Cheltenham having won the Gold Cup a record five consecutive times.  It’s great to have such a smart new bar in his name and will be a big hit with the punters”.

Mick Fitzgerald, one of the most admired and popular jockeys of recent generations, also today launched his new book – The Cheltenham World of Jump Racing. With an illuminating foreword by Edward Gillespie, Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse, Fitzgerald invited us to enter his world and takes us through the pattern of the jumping year, its best races, chases, courses and horses.

Illustrated with spectacular pictures throughout, The Cheltenham World of Jump Racing conveys the unique passion and atmosphere of this golden sport.

-Ends-
 
Copyright free photographs of Mick Fitzgerald at the launch of the new bar are available for editorial use by clicking here

Photo 1 caption: l-r Cheltenham Racecourse’s Managing Director, Edward Gillespie and Mick Fitzgerald

Photo 2 caption: l-r Mick Fitzgerald and Cheltenham Racecourse’s Managing Director, Edward Gillespie

For further information please contact:

Rod Kohler      Tel:  0207 928 9999 
Revolution PR    Mob: 07770 647 662  

Sangeeta Suthar    Tel:  01895 554364
Compass Group UK & Ireland  Mob: 07876 217622

Notes for Editors:

About Jockey Club Racecourses

Jockey Club Racecourses is part of The Jockey Club. The Club’s trustee ownership ensures that the group’s profits are re-invested into racing. Jockey Club Racecourses comprises a diverse portfolio of 14 courses. Major events and races staged at Jockey Club Racecourses include the Cheltenham Festival, the John Smith’s Grand National as well as four of the five Classics, including the Derby.

Because of The Jockey Club’s unique experience and heritage and the strength of the Group today, Jockey Club Racecourses are able to successfully deliver competitive and best-of-class horse racing; maximising profit and re-investing in the future to ensure the long-term and sustainable success of the business.

About Compass Group UK & Ireland

Compass Group UK & Ireland has partnered with Jockey Club Racecourses to provide an unrivalled variety of food services at over 350 fixtures a year as well as hosting numerous events throughout the year across the Jockey Club Racecourses portfolio of 14 courses.

Compass Group UK & Ireland is part of Compass Group plc, the world’s leading foodservice company. We specialise in providing food, vending and related services on our clients’ premises and we generated annual revenues of over £13.4 billion in the year to 30 September 2009. The company operates across the following core sectors of Business & Industry, Defence, Offshore & Remote Site, Healthcare, Education, Sports & Leisure and Vending with an established brand portfolio.

For more information visit www.compass-group.co.uk

30 September 2010

Jockey Club Catering (JCC), the joint venture between Jockey Club Racecourses (JCR) and Compass Group UK & Ireland, has collected three awards, the highest tally of any racecourse caterer, at the inaugural Piper Heidsieck Champagne-sponsored National Racecourse Catering Awards at Goodwood Racecourse on Wednesday 22 September 2010.

The inaugural awards proved to be an emphatic success for JCC by winning the event’s most prestigious award for ‘Best Fine Dining Experience at a Racecourse’ with its Summer House Restaurant at Newmarket Racecourse’s July Course and also winning the award for ‘Best Bar at a Racecourse’ with its new Makerfield Lawn Bar at Haydock Park Racecourse.

JCC was the only racecourse caterer to be shortlisted in each of the four Racecourse catering categories, represented by Aintree Racecourse, Carlisle Racecourse, Cheltenham Racecourse, Newmarket Racecourses and Haydock Park Racecourse. Additionally, four out of the five Suppliers category awards were won by JCC suppliers.

Over 250 of horseracing’s catering elite gathered at Goodwood, on the 20th Anniversary of the annual Merbury Caterers’ Day, to recognise those individuals and companies responsible for excellence across the racecourse catering industry.

Among them, catering supremo Bob Reeves, Managing Director of Racing for Compass Group UK & Ireland, who is responsible for heading up the JCC business, was recognised for his outstanding individual contribution to catering in the racecourse industry over the past 25 years, and was awarded the esteemed ‘Catering Personality of the Year’ award.

Upon receiving his prize, Reeves, said: “Winning the Personality of the Year award is a huge honour and I’m incredibly proud. I have had the privilege of working with an amazing group of people at Jockey Club Catering, whose vision and talent are responsible for all of our success to date and I would like to thank them for everything they’ve done”.

Reeves has been a core member of the Sport, Leisure and Hospitality sector at Compass Group UK & Ireland for over 10 years and has been credited with the development of key personnel and the upgrading and modernisation of catering facilities at many of the UK’s premier Jockey Club Racecourses. Reeves’ most significant legacy has been the partnership, announced in 2009, between Compass Group UK and Ireland and JCR to create JCC, the largest provider of catering services to horseracing venues across the UK.

Extensive investment by JCC has already yielded substantial return, with the unveiling of new food and beverage experiences including the new Costa Coffee outlet within the refurbished food court at Sandown Park Racecourse and the new Pink Bar and Makerfield Lawn Bar at Haydock Park Racecourse eliciting an extremely positive response from customers.

THE 2010 AWARDS

Racecourses

1. Best Fine Dining Experience at a Racecourse
Summer House Restaurant, Newmarket Racecourses

2. Best Casual Dining/Fast Food Mobile Experience at a Racecourse 
Brasserie Restaurant, Lingfield Park Racecourse

3. Best Bar at a Racecourse
Makerfield Lawn Bar, Haydock Park Racecourse
        
4. Best New Catering Concept at a Racecourse
Bridles Restaurant, Ffos Las Racecourse

Judges Catering Excellence Award – York Racecourse

Suppliers

5. Best Foodservice Distributor 
3663 First for Foodservice     

6. Most Reliable and Effective Catering Equipment at a Racecourse 
Electrolux

7. Most Useful Catering Disposable Product at a Racecourse
Chill Bag Company  

8. Best New Catering Product used at a Racecourse 
Brothers Cider
  
9. Most Effective Catering System at a Racecourse
Service Scan
 
10. Catering Personality 
Bob Reeves, Jockey Club Catering, Compass Group UK & Ireland

Ivor Spreadbury of Merbury Catering Consultants, organisers of the inaugural awards, commented: “Catering plays an integral part of the raceday experience and we are thrilled with the support and results of today’s event. The awards have recognised the very best in racecourse catering and we hope that by highlighting the elite, this will we have a trickle-down effect throughout the industry.”

-Ends-

Copyright free photographs of each of the three Jockey Club Catering Award Winners at the National Racecourse Catering Awards are available for editorial use by clicking here, credit Bob Williams.

Photo 1 caption: l-r Victor Lanson, marketing controller, First Drinks, UK agent for Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck; Bob Reeves, Jockey Club Catering; Lesley Graham, Channel 4 Racing

Photo 2 caption: l-r Victor Lanson, Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck; Stephen Allison, General Manager Newmarket, Jockey Club Catering; Lesley Graham, Channel 4 Racing

Photo 3 caption: l-r Lanson, Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck; Stephen Reed, General Manager Haydock Park, Jockey Club Catering; Lesley Graham, Channel 4 Racing

For further information please contact:
Rod Kohler                                      Tel:  0207 928 9999 
Revolution PR                                 Mob: 07770 647 662  

Sangeeta Suthar                             Tel:  01895 554364
Compass Group UK & Ireland          Mob: 07876 217622

Notes for Editors:

About Jockey Club Racecourses

Jockey Club Racecourses is part of The Jockey Club. The Club’s trustee ownership ensures that the group’s profits are re-invested into racing. Jockey Club Racecourses comprises a diverse portfolio of 14 courses. Major events and races staged at Jockey Club Racecourses include the Cheltenham Festival, the John Smith’s Grand National as well as four of the five Classics, including the Derby.

Because of The Jockey Club’s unique experience and heritage and the strength of the Group today, Jockey Club Racecourses are able to successfully deliver competitive and best-of-class horse racing; maximising profit and re-investing in the future to ensure the long-term and sustainable success of the business.

About Compass Group UK & Ireland
Compass Group UK & Ireland has partnered with Jockey Club Racecourses to provide an unrivalled variety of food services at over 350 fixtures a year as well as hosting numerous events throughout the year across the Jockey Club Racecourses portfolio of 14 courses.

Compass Group UK & Ireland is part of Compass Group plc, the world’s leading foodservice company. We specialise in providing food, vending and related services on our clients’ premises and we generated annual revenues of over £13.4 billion in the year to 30 September 2009. The company operates across the following core sectors of Business & Industry, Defence, Offshore & Remote Site, Healthcare, Education, Sports & Leisure and Vending with an established brand portfolio.

For more information visit www.compass-group.co.uk

20 September 2010

Sandown Park Racecourse has joined forces with Costa Coffee to enhance the customer experience for visitors to the leading venue. The Costa Coffee outlet, situated within the racecourse food court is now open following the culmination of a long-term £150,000 investment into refurbishing the entire food court area at the racecourse in Esher, Surrey.

Sandown Park is one of 14 racecourses within the Jockey Club Racecourses group (JCR). Following an innovative 10-year joint venture between JCR and Compass Group UK & Ireland to create Jockey Club Catering (JCC), these leading racecourses are benefitting from large-scale investment to improve and modernise racecourse catering facilties.

JCC’s investment to upgrade the existing food court at Sandown Park has transformed the area with the introduction of the Costa Coffee experience, as well as a series of revamped food and beverage outlets. Bringing the coffee franchise on-course is a significant accomplishment, as it is unusual to see high-street food or beverage franchises co-existing alongside traditional catering outlets in racecourses.

Since opening, the reaction from the public has been exceptional. David Mackinnon, Managing Director for Sandown Park Racecourse, said: “The Costa Coffee outlet has been incredibly well-received, both from racegoers and from our non-raceday event customers, and has allowed us to improve the catering experience.”

Bob Reeves, Managing Director of Racing for Compass Group UK & Ireland, who is responsible for heading up the JCC business, added: “Achieving a good quality and high standard of catering has always been central to the aims of Jockey Club Catering.

“By placing the demands of customers first, we are helping to drive revenues for Jockey Club Racecourses. Key to this is improving the catering experience for racegoers and developing facilities that are highly attractive for conferences and exhibitions participants and organisers.”

Having an outside franchise on site has meant an increased amount of specialist training for staff. All JCC teams who will work at the new outlet, including managers, were required to go on a training course which focused on meeting the high standards of the Costa Coffee brand.

Teams have been trained to be baristas and produce coffee on a par with Costa’s stringent expectations and standards of customer service. Now open, strict measures are taken to ensure a consistent standard of coffee is produced at all times.

-Ends-
 
For further information please contact:
Rod Kohler                                                 Tel:  0207 928 9999 
Revolution PR                                            Mob: 07770 647 662  

Sangeeta Suthar                                         Tel:  01895 554 364
Compass Group UK & Ireland                      Mob: 07876 217 622

Notes for Editors:

About Jockey Club Racecourses

Jockey Club Racecourses is part of The Jockey Club. The Club’s trustee ownership ensures that the group’s profits are re-invested into racing. Jockey Club Racecourses comprises a diverse portfolio of 14 courses. Major events and races staged at Jockey Club Racecourses include the Cheltenham Festival, the John Smith’s Grand National as well as four of the five Classics, including the Derby.

Because of The Jockey Club’s unique experience and heritage and the strength of the Group today, Jockey Club Racecourses are able to successfully deliver competitive and best-of-class horse racing; maximising profit and re-investing in the future to ensure the long-term and sustainable success of the business.

About Compass Group UK & Ireland

Compass Group UK & Ireland has partnered with Jockey Club Racecourses to provide an unrivalled variety of food services at over 350 fixtures a year as well as hosting numerous events throughout the year across the Jockey Club Racecourses portfolio of 14 courses.

Compass Group UK & Ireland is part of Compass Group plc, the world’s leading foodservice company. We specialise in providing food, vending and related services on our clients’ premises and we generated annual revenues of over £13.4 billion in the year to 30 September 2009. The company operates across the following core sectors of Business & Industry, Defence, Offshore & Remote Site, Healthcare, Education, Sports & Leisure and Vending with an established brand portfolio.

For more information visit www.compass-group.co.uk.

21 July 2010

ETX CAPITAL – the London-based financial spread betting firm – has completed a highly successful month-long partnership with Corney & Barrow Wine Bars. The campaign comprised a range of branding activities including exclusive sponsorship of each of the 13 bars’ television and projector screens for the duration of the FIFA 2010 World Cup Finals. The television branding was supported by promotional posters in each City bar.

As well as promoting the ETX Capital brand, Corney & Barrow’s clientele were given the chance to win a £2,500 account credit and runners-up prizes of £250 account credits with the leading financial spread betting firm, through business card drop boxes at each venue.

Stuart Lane, Head of Sales & PR at ETX Capital, said: “The World Cup partnership with Corney & Barrow Wine Bars has been fantastic for ETX Capital and has given us the opportunity to engage with and promote our brand name to their customers.

We are thrilled with the results and as a consequence of the month’s alliance with Corney & Barrow Wine Bars, ETX Capital has experienced a surge in new business, with a significant number of new accounts opened and general enquiries made.”

The promotion, which was managed by Revolution Sports Marketing Group, ran until Sunday, 11 July 2010. The names of the main prize winner and 13 runners-up are due to be announced on Monday, 19 July 2010.
 
ENDS
 
For further information, please contact:

Rod Kohler at Revolution Sports on 0207 928 9999
Stuart Lane at ETX Capital on 0207 392 1439

Notes to editors:

ETX Capital is a trading name of Monecor (London) Ltd. which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority

Eric Lamaze (CAN), winner of the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen on Sunday, 18 July 2010, wearing the Green & Gold

20 July 2010

Olympic Jumping champion Eric Lamaze (CAN) has returned to the number one spot in the Rolex Rankings.
 
The Canadian, who took individual gold and team silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong, was ranked second in the world in February and March and was third in the April and May rankings. He is now back at the top of the rankings for the first time since February 2009.
 
Pius Schwizer (SUI), who has been world number one in the Rolex Rankings for the past five months, has now dropped down to second, with reigning European champion Kevin Staut (FRA) moving up one place to third. Rolex FEI World Cup™ champion Marcus Ehning (GER), who was in second in the May rankings, is now in fourth.

14 July 2010

THE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS’ ASSOCIATION (PFA) has become the new title partner of 2010’s Football Furlong – the unique football-themed raceday – at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday, 8 August 2010.

The PFA Football Furlong is the one day of the year when the sports of football and horse racing come together.

All the jockeys wear the generic representative colours of the 20 Premiership football clubs rather than the traditional silks of the owners of the horses they are riding. Horses and jockeys accrue points for the teams which go towards a league table throughout the day.

Now in its fifth year, The PFA Football Furlong has previously been won by Tottenham Hotspur, Wigan, Arsenal and Middlesbrough. The South of England is well represented with Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, West Ham and Spurs amongst the clubs taking part. 

Christian Smith, Commercial Director of the PFA said, “The PFA Football Furlong is a great way for fans to back their teams before the season starts. It promises to be a great day’s racing and great fun for all the supporters and our sponsors and partners – there’s a free football masterclass by Chelsea FC Football in the Community, a mascot race, and six cracking horse races”.

Before racing begins at Royal Windsor Racecourse, the 2010 PFA Football Furlong Mascot Challenge will be run, with sporting mascots galloping along the final furlong of the racecourse. The first three mascots across the line qualify for a special penalty shootout against a top goalkeeper.

Gates open at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday, 8 August at 12pm.  The first race is at 2.30pm.  Admission: £9 Silver Ring Enclosure; £17 Grandstand Enclosure; £23 Club Enclosure.  Racegoers under 18 free when accompanied by an adult. More details about Royal Windsor Racecourse can be found at www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk

ENDS

For further media information, please contact:

Rod Kohler      Tel: 0207 928 9999
Revolution Sports Marketing Group   Mob: 07770 647662
     

Kate Hills       Tel: 01342 834 800
Director of Public Relations & Communications Mob: 07813 947201
Arena Leisure Racing