York have no worries over clash

Moves are afoot to switch next year's Darley July Cup – won last Friday by Aidan O'Brien's sprinting superstar Starspangledbanner – to a Saturday to attract an even bigger attendance.

It would see the prestigious international, part of the Global Sprint Challenge, clash with the John Smith's meeting, which drew a near-record crowd of 41,525 spectators to Knavesmire last weekend, as well as high-profile fixtures at Chester and Ascot.

Newmarket managing director Stephen Wallis believes the move would boost interest in the Far East and also his track's attendance – there were fewer racegoers at the July Cup on Friday than at York, which attracted an impressive 12,250-strong crowd for day one of the John Smith's meeting.

However, York's head of marketing, James Brennan, believes that his venue has nothing to fear and that the course regularly co-operates with their Newmarket counterparts on a range of issues, including enticing the world's best horses to the UK.

"Fifty-one years young, with a Spitfire fly-past and medal ceremony for Afghanistan war heroes, the John Smith's Cup is one of the most established dates in the calendar. I cannot see it being a problem," he added. "The fixtures are not out yet so nothing has been confirmed."

Nevertheless, the potential high-profile fixture clash reinforces the recent call by Mark Johnston, the top Middleham trainer, for a complete reappraisal of Flat racing.

As cuts to the betting levy prompt the British Horseracing Authority to consider axing 250 fixtures next season, and delay the publication of next year's schedule to the consternation of many in racing, Johnston says the sport needs to look at ways of improving the quality of sport, while attracting new spectators.

He believes too much emphasis is placed on betting as a means of promoting racing while other sports go to great lengths to champion the achievements of the key protagonists, while mentioning the odds accompanying a major sporting fixture, like football's World Cup final, as an after-thought.

Top meetings clashing lessens racing's ability to market races, while the staging of low-grade all-weather meetings on the day of the Epsom Derby, for example, can also be self-defeating.

"Frankly, there's too much racing, there is too much bad racing and it is hardly surprising that we are boring the audience," added Johnston.

"We're getting to a stage where we're spreading the cake so thinly that the audience are being bored and, most importantly to us, the customers are getting bored and put off. We'd be better concentrating on a little bit more quality and a little bit less quantity

"We have to educate people about the sport. We see football as the most popular spectator sport.

"It's simple, people understand it, they're attracted by the stars at the high level. That gives them an interest in the sport and a reason to watch it at all levels.

"We have to do the same in racing. We have to get people passionate about the sport. We tend to market it purely as a betting industry. The two industries are mutually dependent but you have to market the sport as a sport. We should concentrate on that first and let the betting follow."

West Witton trainer Ferdy Murphy, however, was philosophical about the fixture list delay. "We cannot have a situation where we are left out of pocket because the prize money no longer covers the expenses of entering a runner," he said.

And Wetherby chief Jonjo Sanderson added: "Racecourses are businesses like any other, and it is important for us to have certainty over fixtures and funding to plan our race days and events. We make a major contribution to local jobs, tourism and growth and that is important to communities in these difficult economic times."

York's operations manager Tony Lee has become the first individual from the world of racecourse management to gain his NVQ level four award in spectator safety management.

This is the highest NVQ level available and involves detailed and intensive study of all aspects of modern spectator management and a year of detailed study, culminating in a final assessment and a written case study.

He was presented with his certificate prior to the John Smith's Cup meeting in a ceremony that also saw 58 members of the York raceday staff team receiving their NVQ level two certificates in customer care and safety management.