THE Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British horse racing, has announced details of a 20-year deal and a £100 million investment designed to “revolutionise the spectator experience” across their 15 UK racecourses.

As a first step, the existing joint venture Jockey Club Catering - which involves a division of Compass catering, will be rebranded as Jockey Club Experiences.

The new venture will oversee hospitality package sales and delivery, conferencing and events and retail merchandising, alongside their role as the ongoing food and beverage partner across all retail and hospitality.

Their investment plans, funded by a payment from Compass as part of the deal, include introducing digital ticketing, improvements to the customer experience at Cheltenham and Aintree, and a reinvigoration of the Derby at Epsom.

Jon Davies of the Compass group said: “This partnership is a defining moment for British racing and a statement of intent. Together with the Jockey Club, we are committed to setting a new global standard for the raceday experience.

“Our evolution into Jockey Club Experiences reflects the scale of our ambition and the responsibility we carry. By investing for the long term, we are elevating the experience for racegoers and strengthening the sport’s position on the world stage.”

Jim Mullen, chief executive of the Jockey Club, commented: “This is an important moment for racing and the Jockey Club. We have agreed a long-term opportunity with a proven worldwide operator to help us grow our ability to invest in the sport and the customer experience.

“We want customers at our venues to enjoy the racing, enjoy the hospitality and come back to this great sport more often.”