Investec Derby a Huge Success as UK’s Most Attended Sport Day in ’11

The two-day Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Downs was attended by over 150,000 people, including a crowd of more than 120,000 people on Saturday, June 4, for Investec Derby Day, making it Britain’s most attended day of sport in 2011.
 


A strong Royal presence at The Jockey Club’s Epsom Downs Racecourse saw Her Majesty The Queen joined by several family members including Prince William, Princess Kate and Prince Harry to cheer her horse, Carlton House, into third place in the world’s most famous Flat race.
 

Hospitality sales were up by 25 per cent year-on-year across the two days of the Investec Derby Festival and Paul Fisher, group managing director of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “The Investec Derby is the most attended day in UK sport. As well as an increased attendance, we’ve also seen hospitality sales bounce back strongly.
 


“We can put this down to a combination of factors, including great promotional and sales work by the team at Epsom Downs capitalising on Her Majesty The Queen’s runner, marketing the event as Britain’s biggest day out and our fully integrated Jockey Club Catering operation. We were also blessed with some fantastic weather.”
 

Jockey Club Catering confirmed sales over the two days of 14,000 bottles of champagne, 65,000 pints of lager, 35,000 pints of Pimms and 1,000 picnics.

Fisher added: “We’ve seen strong numbers at our leading festivals this year, including the Cheltenham Festival and John Smith’s Grand National Meeting at Aintree, so the Investec Derby Festival has ensured that trend continues.”