A racecourse in Norfolk has been named as one of the best in the country for racehorse owners.
The accolade was given to Fakenham Racecourse, in north Norfolk, by the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA).
It is the fourth year the title has been given by the body that has represented racehorse owners for more than 70 years.
The racecourses were divided into two categories – large and small – with their classification decided by a range of factors, including the quality of racing and attendance figures.
In total, fifteen of Britain’s 61 racecourse were named and also awarded Gold Standard status for the next 12 months.
Alan Pickering, chairman of the ROA’s raceday committee, said: “It is a real eye-opener to see how the efforts of racecourse management and staff respond to the needs of owners.
“Good racecourses use multimedia to keep owners informed on both a timely and timeless basis.
“Interaction around the raceday experience is what makes ownership worthwhile. Knowing that we will – win or lose – have a good day makes a real difference.”
ROA representatives visited every track in Britain at least once to assess all aspects of the raceday experience for owners. In addition, feedback was provided by hundreds of its members following their racecourse visits.
The 2018 Gold Standard Award holders will now be in contention for their respective category’s Racecourse of the Year at the annual ROA Horseracing Awards to be held in London on Thursday December 6.
Charlie Liverton, chief executive of the ROA, said: “The number of racecourses - particularly in the small category - rising to the challenge of the competitive Gold Standard Award process has continued to impress the committee, although more work is still to be done in ensuring a minimum standard across all racecourses. This is something we will be looking to address into 2019 and look forward to announcing some exciting developments in due course.”
As well as Fakenham Racecourse, those awarded the Gold Standard for the small racecourses were Bangor-on-Dee, Carlisle, Hamilton Park, Market Rasen, Musselburgh, Perth, Sedgefield, and Uttoxeter. The large racecourses were Ascot, Ayr, Cheltenham, Chester, Haydock Park, and York.
This is the second time Fakenham Racecourse has been listed.
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