TOTE CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS - BRITISH RACING IS GREAT….IT’S OFFICIAL!
Monday 25th July 2022
With summer in full swing and many of us heading off on a well-deserved holiday, I wanted to share some great news (a term used deliberately as I’ll explain…). It is about a project we have been working on for nearly two years, alongside others in British racing, to celebrate the sport as one of the country’s finest exports.
During lockdown in 2020, the teams at the UK Tote Group, Great British Racing International, British Horseracing Authority, and Ascot Racecourse posed a simple question: Why is British racing not part of the GREAT campaign?
The GREAT campaign is a Cabinet Office initiative which “showcases the very best of the UK, inspiring the world to collaborate, visit, study, live, work and do business here.” In short, this means celebrating the best that Britain has to offer and promoting it around the world. This includes highlighting the role of Britain’s world-leading sport sectors in our economy, culture, and society.
As racing fans, we all recognise the power that the sport has to inspire! Racing is packed with exciting stories and some of the highest profile annual events in the sporting calendar, including the Grand National and Royal Ascot which are enjoyed around the world. It also makes a hugely important contribution to the economy as a £4 billion industry employing over 85,000 people all over the country.
An example of the GREAT Campaign’s support for British racing
All these points were articulated to the excellent team at GREAT who were very open to including racing as part of the “See things Differently” campaign. The teams from across racing shared some outstanding images from the many iconic settings of British racing, including the gallops, stables, and racecourses. These images were then transformed into powerful campaign posters with supporting messaging.
The campaign posters are now available to UK Government departments and its international network, including Embassies and High Commissions, for use on trade missions, at receptions and conferences.
This development shows that the Government recognises the cultural, societal, and economic importance of British racing to the UK - and the role it can play as a soft power asset for the country internationally.
You can read all the information about British racing joining GREAT here, and I have shared some of the art work along with this blog which I hope you agree looks fantastic – please look out for it on your travels to racecourses or further afield!
I hope you enjoy the summer and I look forward to updating you with further Tote news after we have enjoyed some more of the summer’s wonderful racing festivals at Goodwood and York.
For more information about the UK Tote Group please visit www.uktotegroup.com and follow us @UKToteGroup and @ToteRacing.