Back to Basics: How to be a racing pub

This week the flat racing season is off in earnest at Newmarket, and fresh interest in the Sport of Kings will be stirred among punters.

It's a good time to consider whether your pub could benefit from a focus on racing coverage. There's a good fit with the traditional pub audience, and the flat season not only provides entertainment and excitement every afternoon, but also gives you the chance to showcase evening meetings and target the after-work crowd.

Many pubs are already discovering that horse racing can be a core driver of their business - not least the Engineer in Brighton, which at the end of last year was named Racing Pub of the Year in a closely fought contest sponsored by The Publican, racing channel Racing UK and newspaper of the turf the Racing Post.

Like most houses where racing is an attraction, the Engineer is a solid back-street community local. Racing UK is screened throughout the afternoon, every day, in one bar while non-racing fans still have the other bar to themselves.

Enterprise Inns lessees Phil and Bev Reeves are both keen on the gee-gees themselves, and over the past three years have nurtured their regulars' enthusiasm for racing to award-winning status. "We saw a niche in the market and went for it," says Phil, in the style of Keiron Fallon steering his horse through an opening on the home straight. "There was already a passion for racing here so we just had to build on it."

As well as the non-stop screening of races this involved taking parties of customers on away-days to race meetings - the Engineer gets free tickets as part of its Racing UK subscription - and gathering together racing regulars to form a syndicate that owns the pub's own horse, Misbehaviour.

Quite a few of those trips involve going to see Misbehaviour in action, and the pub has seen it win twice in the latter part of the jumps season.

Phil warns, though, that racehorse owning isn't really something you should see as a money-maker. A horse costs around £100 a week to keep and train and that's before it's travelled to races and excluding incidentals such as vets fees.

"We don't make any money with Misbehaviour, but it's successful enough to cover the costs," he says. "It's really about the day out and getting the chance to be in the winner's enclosure, which is a fantastic feeling."

Some licensees might baulk at the idea of taking their best customers out of the pub for a day, but Phil believes it has a positive effect on cementing their loyalty.

"It's usually on a Monday or Tuesday when we wouldn't get many in anyway, and I think that if you're running a community pub like ours you've got to give people what they want. There's always a party when we get back here, especially if we've won, so that's a bonus.

"If you do things to build the loyalty of your customers you'll gain in the long run," he adds. "And it's especially important to do that now times are tough."

On every trip, Phil brings back a souvenir to decorate the bar, now bristling with racing memorabilia and pictures of Misbehaviour, which all goes to make the racing regulars feel at home and part of the pub.

Nibbles on the bar help sustain customers through an afternoon's racing, and the sport helps the Engineer raise a lot of money for charity. For instance, a cut of sweepstakes will be set aside for a good cause, and winning punters will often chip in voluntarily.

Another factor in creating the perfect racing pub is, of course, winning the Racing Pub of the Year award, and for the Engineer that's meant another boost for business. Its name has got around the racing community and trade now comes from far and wide - including the occasional millionaire racehorse owner who shows support by dropping in for a pint.

It isn't all glamour though. "You have to make it work," says Phil, as he prepares a Grand National sweepstake before opening time. "We work very hard to keep on top of it.

"Racing isn't for every pub, but I know that if we didn't have it we'd be very quiet."

Race ahead to get Sky equipment for free

To celebrate the new season, Racing UK is offering a free Sky equipment installation worth £450 with every full paying annual subscription.

Christina Marsh, commercial marketing manager for the channel, says: "We're aware that many pubs can't afford a Sky subscription due to increasing costs and we'd like to promote the fact you don't need a Sky subscription to get Racing UK - just the equipment. So, we're giving it away for free!"

An annual subscription to Racing UK costs £1,000, which will give you access to more than 400 meetings over the flat season from 30 courses, giving your customers another reason to stay in your pub.

Also included in the subscription fee is 42 race days for five people - worth more than £3,500, and free promotional material.

To subscribe to Racing UK call 0870 351 8834 and quote 'Sky Equipment' or visit www.racinguk.tv/pubs for more information.

Terms and conditions apply:

1. Offer includes Sky system installation only.

2. Installation and equipment will be supplied by Racing UK and is not transferable.

3. Offer open to UK residents only. 4. Offer applies to full paying annual subscriptions of £1,000 each only.