26/08/2026
2026 has delivered plenty of positive signs for The Jockey Club and the future of British racing, from growing crowds to a younger and more diverse audience 🐎
Across three of the sport’s most iconic racecourses, the figures show real momentum:
Cheltenham Racecourse
📍 The Cheltenham Festival welcomed around 8,000 more racegoers than in 2025. Day one attracted 57,242 people, up from 55,498, while Day two, Ladies Day, saw attendance rise from 41,941 to 46,317 – an increase of more than 10%.
📍 St Patrick’s Thursday welcomed 55,648 racegoers, around 2,000 more than the same day last year.
📍 The audience is evolving too, with women accounting for 33% of attendees on Ladies Day, compared with 25% in 2025.
Aintree Racecourse – The Randox Grand National Festival
📍 The three-day Randox Grand National Festival delivered an 11% increase in paid tickets, with both Ladies Day and Grand National Day selling out.
📍 The Festival also recorded a 24% increase in bookers aged 18–24, showing that one of racing’s most iconic events is continuing to attract a new generation of fans.
Epsom Downs Racecourse - The Betfred Derby Festival
📍 Day one of the Festival, Ladies Day, welcomed 19,704 racegoers, representing an impressive 33% year-on-year increase.
📍 The Betfred Derby Festival also saw a 45% rise in attendees aged 18–24, alongside a 17% increase in those travelling from within five miles of the racecourse, demonstrating the growing appeal of racing among younger and local audiences.
During National Racehorse Week, these figures offer another reason to celebrate the sport. Bigger crowds, broader audiences and a new generation discovering the excitement of a day at the races 🎉