Why we've been thinking about Champions Day the wrong way

Among the brightest trends that have emerged from seven stagings of British Champions Day is that the healthy crowd – typically in the region of 30,000 strong – represents a healthy cross-section of society, with young people making a significant portion of the grand total in a manner not often seen on British racecourses.

The importance of attracting younger followers to the sport is a given but new research from Australia sheds light on just how big that challenge is for racing, and why events like Champions Day play such a crucial role in appealing to that demographic.

Prepared by the Gemba Group, a consultancy firm specialising in sport and entertainment, the report – entitled 'On the drift': Could the sport of kings become the sport of paupers? – opens by looking at how Australian racing's fan age profile suggests decline is inevitable, with only 20 per cent of the sport's audience falling between the ages of 18 and 29, the lowest proportion of any major sport.