Back to basics: racing on TV

Excitement is mounting among students of the turf as the most eagerly anticipated week in the racing calendar approaches. With the Cheltenham Festival just over a week away you can almost hear the thunder of hooves in the distance.

Promising some of the classiest and toughest races of the National Hunt season packed into four thrilling days from March 13 to March 16, Cheltenham is a fantastic opportunity for pubs to bring a bit of zip to weekday afternoons.

Screening live action will attract not only the many dedicated punters who've failed to get a ticket, but also those who enjoy just the occasional flutter on the gee-gees.

Big races include the Champion Hurdle on the Tuesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on the Wednesday, the World Hurdle on the Thursday and, in an ecstatic climax, the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the Friday.

Well over a million people will be watching on television - and with the right encouragement some of them could be in your pub.

While the famous races are the hook, there is top quality through the week, and one way to lure customers out of their sitting rooms and the betting shops could be to show all 24.

Satellite channel Racing UK is the only station that will be going through the Cheltenham card, exclusively covering eight races including the Cross County Steeplechase, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and the Cheltenham Annual Steeplechase.

The channel's commercial marketing executive Christina Marsh is keen to encourage pubs to make the most of the occasion.

"The Cheltenham festival is a huge opportunity for publicans to attract new customers and keep existing customers longer in the pub," she says.

And once you've made a success of that, a packed horse racing calendar can provide opportunities throughout the year - the list on these pages includes only the bigger meetings.

"Racing as a whole can boost business as it attracts customers into the pub on weekday afternoons - usually a publican's quietest time - in addition to the weekend coverage," says Christina.

There is terrestrial coverage most weeks, but a subscription to a satellite channel such as Racing UK will give you racing every single day.

With some shrewd marketing, your pub could become known in your locality as 'the racing pub' - and Cheltenham could be just the start of some lucrative afternoons.

Tips

Gambling in Britain is in the middle of quite a shake-up. Thanks to the internet, new technologies and changes in the law, the punter has more opportunities to place a bet than ever before.

Yet horse racing remains the king of gambling sports. There is something about the simplicity of the race to the line, a matter of muscle and blood, combined with the mysteriously complex subtleties of form, that makes the horses a passion for many.

Pubs have a long relationship with this passion. Walk into many pubs on a weekday afternoon and you'll find a loyal clutch of racing fans, half of them transfixed by the TV screen and half of them head-down in a copy of the Racing Post, one hand holding a pen, the other a pint.

How do you become a racing pub? It helps if you have a betting shop within 50 yards, but a lot of punters will place their bets before arriving at the pub and the serious ones will have an account with a bookie and be able to phone over their selections, so it's not compulsory.

What you have to bear in mind these days, though, is that betting shops, thanks to relaxed gaming laws, have worked hard to make themselves more comfortable venues in which to follow the race. You can get a seat and something to eat and drink now - but, thankfully, not a beer.

So here are some ideas on how to stay ahead in the race for the punter's pound.

Marketing

Your regulars might know you always screen the races but are there others out there you could attract? They may not come from miles around but window posters and A-boards could help you pick up the passing punter.

Specialist channels

If you really want to make your name as a pub to watch the racing in, you'll need to subscribe to one of the specialist racing channels. Racing UK, for instance, covers most of the top meetings live and provides posters and fixture lists free to every commercial subscriber. Pubs can also buy banners to advertise the service outside the pub.

Racing UK Club

Racing UK has its own club, free to subscribers, and pubs get five free admission tickets to 38 club days throughout the racing calendar. These tickets can be used as staff incentives, or you could hold quiz nights and use the tickets as prizes.

Your own club

You can create a club atmosphere among your racing regulars by organising trips to the local racecourse. This not only encourages their loyalty but helps spread the word and increases your audience.

Food

Why stop serving food at 2pm? Providing simple hot snacks for racing fans can help keep them in the pub.

The big meeting

Make an extra effort around the big races and meetings such as Cheltenham. Get your marketing out to local offices and factories - their staff may pop in for a late lunch - and stage special events to make the most of the interest.