Racing leaders point to 'perfect storm' behind plunging attendance figures
Senior racing figures are refusing to panic in response to a shocking fall in attendances at British racecourses last month and cite the cost of living crisis as the main factor.
Attendances in Britain last month were almost a third below pre-Covid levels. The average gate was 2,951 compared to 4,179 for the same month in 2019, the last time there were no coronavirus restrictions.
It is the latest bad news for the sport, which has also been hit by declining field sizes, something that will have impacted walk-ups, "particularly among committed racing fans and punters", according to one executive on Wednesday.
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