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25 Feb 24
19:31
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Date Joined:
18 Feb 02
It doesn't make sense' - leading owner Johnny de la Hey criticises Kempton's last-orders policy
Owner Johnny de la Hey and his daughter Claudia with Pic D'Orhy at Kempton last year
Owner Johnny de la Hey and his daughter Claudia with Pic D'Orhy at Kempton last year
Credit: Edward Whitaker
Johnny de la Hey, a winner at the highest level thanks to Pic D'Orhy in the Ascot Chase this month, has called on racecourses to up their game when it comes to ownership experience after he was left frustrated at Kempton on Saturday.
De la Hey, who also raced high-class chaser Cyrname, won at Kempton with Golden Son and celebrated in the owners' and trainers' bar at the track, which stopped serving alcohol 30 minutes after the last race was staged at 4.45pm.
That irked those involved with Thistle Be The One, who won that race, while De la Hey's trainer Paul Nicholls and his counterpart Chris Gordon were also miffed.
Connections can remain in the facility for as long as they want, within reason, and the last people to leave departed at 6.15pm, but De la Hey, a leading owner with a sizeable string, said: "We can make this sport better by having a conducive environment for owners to have a great time.
"It's a wider point because if you own a racehorse it costs a lot of money. To achieve in this sport you need to win, which is quite hard to do, but secondly you want to have a great day out. If that great day out is curtailed by courses not putting on the right environment – whether it's eating or drinking or people having to leave because they want a drink – I don't see how that works."
Cyrname: was rated 177 after his Ascot Chase victory in 2019
Cyrname: a classy animal for the De la Hey family
Credit: Edward Whitaker
De la Hey, in finance and investment by day, fears racegoers in general might be turned off the sport too.
He said: "There seems an element of getting people out of racecourses as quickly as possible after the last, which I think is a big problem, particularly with younger racegoers, who are the people we want to get into racing. If they're having a good day out, why would they want to go home straight away?
"I can't believe the economics don't work and people can't stay in the bar and have a drink. Shouldn't we encourage people to come racing and then filter off, rather than saying there's a cut-off point 30 minutes after the last? It seems arbitrary."
De la Hey was able to continue his celebrations in a local pub with his wife Samantha, Nicholls and Gordon, and said: "Coming racing is a chance to socialise with your trainer and other owners, but the reality is it isn't late – why are we going home so early? You've got a crowd of people who are having a great day and are willing to spend money.
"I fully get it at night if it's 9pm or 10pm and people need to get trains or tubes – and you need to consider the safety of staff – but it's 6pm. That makes no sense to me."
A spokesperson for Kempton, which is owned by the Jockey Club, said: "We continue to serve alcohol in our owners' and trainers' facility until half an hour after the last race of the day at every fixture and there are signs in all of our hospitality areas to make this clear.
"However, we make every effort to accommodate those who wish to stay longer to enjoy their day and on Saturday the last of our guests left the owners' and trainers' bar at around 6.15pm, an hour and a half after the last of our seven races.
"Owners and participants are the lifeblood of our sport and the Jockey Club is committed to providing the best experiences possible for them, whether that’s upgrading raceday facilities or increasing our own contribution to prize-money despite the economic challenges our sport and the country continues to face.”
The Racecourse Association does not dictate conditions around owners' and trainers' bars, which are for individual tracks to determine.
Owner Johnny de la Hey and his daughter Claudia with Pic D'Orhy at Kempton last year
Owner Johnny de la Hey and his daughter Claudia with Pic D'Orhy at Kempton last year
Credit: Edward Whitaker
Johnny de la Hey, a winner at the highest level thanks to Pic D'Orhy in the Ascot Chase this month, has called on racecourses to up their game when it comes to ownership experience after he was left frustrated at Kempton on Saturday.
De la Hey, who also raced high-class chaser Cyrname, won at Kempton with Golden Son and celebrated in the owners' and trainers' bar at the track, which stopped serving alcohol 30 minutes after the last race was staged at 4.45pm.
That irked those involved with Thistle Be The One, who won that race, while De la Hey's trainer Paul Nicholls and his counterpart Chris Gordon were also miffed.
Connections can remain in the facility for as long as they want, within reason, and the last people to leave departed at 6.15pm, but De la Hey, a leading owner with a sizeable string, said: "We can make this sport better by having a conducive environment for owners to have a great time.
"It's a wider point because if you own a racehorse it costs a lot of money. To achieve in this sport you need to win, which is quite hard to do, but secondly you want to have a great day out. If that great day out is curtailed by courses not putting on the right environment – whether it's eating or drinking or people having to leave because they want a drink – I don't see how that works."
Cyrname: was rated 177 after his Ascot Chase victory in 2019
Cyrname: a classy animal for the De la Hey family
Credit: Edward Whitaker
De la Hey, in finance and investment by day, fears racegoers in general might be turned off the sport too.
He said: "There seems an element of getting people out of racecourses as quickly as possible after the last, which I think is a big problem, particularly with younger racegoers, who are the people we want to get into racing. If they're having a good day out, why would they want to go home straight away?
"I can't believe the economics don't work and people can't stay in the bar and have a drink. Shouldn't we encourage people to come racing and then filter off, rather than saying there's a cut-off point 30 minutes after the last? It seems arbitrary."
De la Hey was able to continue his celebrations in a local pub with his wife Samantha, Nicholls and Gordon, and said: "Coming racing is a chance to socialise with your trainer and other owners, but the reality is it isn't late – why are we going home so early? You've got a crowd of people who are having a great day and are willing to spend money.
"I fully get it at night if it's 9pm or 10pm and people need to get trains or tubes – and you need to consider the safety of staff – but it's 6pm. That makes no sense to me."
A spokesperson for Kempton, which is owned by the Jockey Club, said: "We continue to serve alcohol in our owners' and trainers' facility until half an hour after the last race of the day at every fixture and there are signs in all of our hospitality areas to make this clear.
"However, we make every effort to accommodate those who wish to stay longer to enjoy their day and on Saturday the last of our guests left the owners' and trainers' bar at around 6.15pm, an hour and a half after the last of our seven races.
"Owners and participants are the lifeblood of our sport and the Jockey Club is committed to providing the best experiences possible for them, whether that’s upgrading raceday facilities or increasing our own contribution to prize-money despite the economic challenges our sport and the country continues to face.”
The Racecourse Association does not dictate conditions around owners' and trainers' bars, which are for individual tracks to determine.
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Its an absolute scandal that Johnny,Samantha,Paul and Chris cant stay to whatever time they want to continue their festivities. What could possibly go wrong with a couple of extra hours of alcohol intake for the masses ??
What a joke of a story. As if they couldn't find anywhere else to go for a drink.
Seeing some of the garbage we pay more money on the tickets for in the summer, I'm surprised there wasn't a pub singer on until 3am.
They did go elsewhere apparently and the course lost out on the profit from an expensive round of drinks. It is hard to celebrate the last race winner with the crowd rushing for the exits and the bars no doubt itching to close. However if the owner and trainer live in opposite directions, the racecourse should be the place to celebrate a winner.
A horse owner not fkn god ffs……you ain’t special……
Probably cheaper to go to the pub. Went the other week pints £7.80.
Mr Gordon could be celebrating again Today if the weight of money is correct. ( Davids Well 2-20 )
Nicholls doesn't even drink does he? Special pleading or what.
Some of the premium facilities at the Cheltenham Festival (i.e., that you pay a lot to use) stop serving at he start of the last race. Now that's what I call a scandal.
Some of the premium facilities at the Cheltenham Festival (i.e., that you pay a lot to use) stop serving at he start of the last race. Now that's what I call a scandal.
Racecourse only the place to celebrate within the rules. There shouldn't be any special rules for owners and trainers.
Had 90 runners at KP over the past 5 years, winning 550K, so he's obviously doing it for sport. If he took his ball home, who do the Jockey Club think is going to replace all that quality stock? And, as Lovegod says, they're charging 8 quid a pint 
You can't realistically have flexible shutting up times based on which horse might win the races on the day. There are plenty of nice watering holes in Sunbury, although they will be busy enough after a Saturday jumps meet. The Jubilee is literally outside the gates, the Grey Horse a few hundred yards stroll, or more slightly upmarket places down by the river.
Wonder if they ever ask Richie Rich or JP to drink up at Leopardstown after the green & gold have a winner on the card
Main meeting at leopardstown usually entertainment after racing
Daryl, no doubt these are casual staff that are manning the bar. Even 10 years ago they might have stayed on if asked, wouldn't likely happen in today's workplace culture. work to rule, generally. Perhaps Ireland isn't yet quite as warped as we have become.
@bentring
I did Leopardstown a few years ago - live band (Smokie of "Alice" fame) for a couple of hours after evening racing with the racecourse bars and food outlets still open then the (I believe now-closed) 1970s nightclub on the course til the early hours.
The general point is a fair one though - a number of London theatres now keep their bars open after the perfomance until closing time; if you have a captive audience of people who are on a day/evening out, and you have the facilities and licence(*) to serve them food and drink for hours afterwards, why would you not, rather than them taking their custom elsewhere?
(*) that may be the rub - are racecourse bars licensed for 'normal' bar hours or just until the end of racing?
I did Leopardstown a few years ago - live band (Smokie of "Alice" fame) for a couple of hours after evening racing with the racecourse bars and food outlets still open then the (I believe now-closed) 1970s nightclub on the course til the early hours.
The general point is a fair one though - a number of London theatres now keep their bars open after the perfomance until closing time; if you have a captive audience of people who are on a day/evening out, and you have the facilities and licence(*) to serve them food and drink for hours afterwards, why would you not, rather than them taking their custom elsewhere?
(*) that may be the rub - are racecourse bars licensed for 'normal' bar hours or just until the end of racing?
You were able to stay and watch the 6 Nations (& drink) after the last Newbury meeting.
they had a winner ,what happens if it got stuffed and they wanted to get home early,do they expect racecourse to pay staff,staff to stop on the off chance pumpkin and co want to get pished,typical attitude of racing folk where they expect THE PLEBS to be on hand to accomodate their every wish
Seems a bit of a nonsense that you can stay but not drink, 6.15 was hardly burning the midnight oil.
And someone else would have won the race and might have wanted to celebrate. Johhnny dlh and Paul Nicholls are busy men who would not want to stay very long.
well someones been winning the last race at every kemp meeting and never complained
So that makes it right ?
You can have a drink to celebrate and not get "pished"
Plenty syndicates where "the plebs" might be involved
You can have a drink to celebrate and not get "pished"
Plenty syndicates where "the plebs" might be involved
If the bars stayed open for a couple of hours after busy meetings, you'd possibly avoid the post racing rush to get out of the car park etc....
Seems reasonable to be open a couple of hours after the last, for everyone, not just the owners/trainers.
Seems reasonable to be open a couple of hours after the last, for everyone, not just the owners/trainers.
you seen to be missing the point lads..
Mr Pumpking head has been dumped by his gf and needs a little bit longer than 30 mns to chat up the young bar staff and or stable lassies lol
Mr Pumpking head has been dumped by his gf and needs a little bit longer than 30 mns to chat up the young bar staff and or stable lassies lol
KevinG, I'm not sure allowing people a few hours extra to drink would be the best idea to improve getting out of the CAR park!
Designated drivers on the lemonade of course.....Donegal!
Fair point about the car park. But (eg) at Sandown, where the trains from Esher are every thirty minutes and the first couple after the end of racing are rammed, lots of people decamp to the pub on the corner (the Marquis?) for an hour or two to wait out the rush - that's business the racecourse could be getting.
THE PUB on the corner would still be open so why after 4 bhrs in one bar wouldnt you want to have a walk and a drink in the pub,after the racecourse has paid for staff to stop back, might as why dont chelt stay open till 10 to keep all the drinkers going in to town to drink and eat
I'm putting this in the," Don't you know who I am? " department for the odious.
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