Hereford Racecaourse

What Hereford Racecaourse does

Hereford Racecourse is a National Hunt horse racing venue located on Roman Road in Herefordshire, England, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Arena Racing Company (ARC) Group, which runs 16 racecourses across the UK. The racecourse reopened in 2016 after a four-year hiatus and hosts an annual season of jump racing fixtures from October to May, supplemented by themed event days such as Ladies Day, Halloween Family Raceday, Christmas Jumpers, and the Origins Festival.

The core commercial operation rests on five revenue streams: race day ticket sales through the venue's own ticketing platform and phone bookings (with no fulfilment fees), hospitality and dining via the Snaffles Restaurant, private suites, and an official hospitality partnership with Seat Unique, private venue hire for corporate events and weddings, sponsorship and media partnerships (including Sky Sports Racing and At The Races), and ARC Annual Membership with reciprocal racecourse access. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the official website and phone, augmented by the Seat Unique channel for premium hospitality and a dedicated venue hire sales team for corporate and private event bookings. The technology stack is described as a standard racecourse ticketing and booking platform integrated within ARC's systems, with third-party integrations limited to Seat Unique, Rewards4Racing loyalty, and Apple Pay.

The customer base is segmented across general public racing spectators, corporate clients seeking event and team-building venues, private event hosts (weddings, parties, celebrations), and a smaller segment of racing industry professionals. Pricing follows a unit-based model across admission tiers (Early Bird, standard, group rates of 6+, group rates of 10+), bundled raceday packages (A Day at the Races, Premier Reserve), hospitality (Snaffles Restaurant, Christmas Packages, all-inclusive options), and an annual subscription for ARC membership. The venue pursues marketing through its own website, email newsletters, social media, SEO/SEM, promotional campaigns including Black Friday and student discounts, and broadcast media partnerships, with the parent ARC group providing central marketing infrastructure.

Name

Hereford Racecaourse

Legal name

Hereford Racecourse Limited

Website

https://hereford-racecourse.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hereford Racecourse is a National Hunt jump racing venue in Herefordshire, England, reopened in 2016 and wholly owned by Arena Racing Company. It serves racing spectators with an October–May fixture calendar, alongside corporate clients and private event hosts using its hospitality, Snaffles Restaurant, and venue hire services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horse Racing Venue and Hospitality

NAICS

Racetracks (711212)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Racecourse Hospitality, Sponsorship & On-Track Experiences (MPAEADAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Equestrian & Rodeo Facilities (MPAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Horse racing venue
• National hunt racing
• Hospitality packages
• Corporate venue hire
• Raceday ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Hereford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Race Day Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from admission tickets to racing fixtures, including early bird discounts and group rates. Tickets sold through official website and phone bookings with no booking fees for direct bookings.
2. Hospitality and Dining Packages: Premium experiences including Snaffles Restaurant dining, private suites with reserved seating, and comprehensive hospitality packages with food and beverage included. Sold through Seat Unique as official hospitality partner.
3. Venue Hire: Private hire of flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for corporate events, weddings, parties, conferences, exhibitions, team building, and film location hire.
4. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Revenue and value from corporate sponsors including betting operators (DragonBet, Betting.Bet), media partners (Sky Sports Racing, At The Races), and local businesses. Also includes Rewards4Racing loyalty programme integration.
5. Annual Membership: ARC Annual Membership providing access to Members' Lounge, reciprocal racecourse visits, and other member benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hereford Racecourse operates a National Hunt horse racing venue hosting jump racing fixtures from October to May annually, selling admission tickets, premium hospitality packages (including Snaffles Restaurant dining and private suites), and offering flexible indoor and outdoor venue hire for corporate events, weddings, and private celebrations. Revenue is generated through ticketing, hospitality, venue hire, sponsorships, and the ARC Annual Membership programme.

Product overview

Hereford Racecourse is a National Hunt horse racing venue that operates as a multifaceted entertainment and hospitality business. The core offering consists of live jump racing events from October to May, supported by an online ticket booking platform and on-site Snaffles Restaurant hospitality dining. Additional revenue streams include private venue hire for corporate events, weddings, and celebrations, alongside ancillary products such as Annual Membership, Hereford Racing Club, gift vouchers, and themed special event racedays. The venue positions itself as both a sporting destination and a flexible events space for the local Herefordshire community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Horse Racing Fixtures and Raceday Admission National Hunt jump racing fixtures hosted from October to May annually, with general admission tickets, grandstand access, public bars, eateries, and betting outlets for racegoers. Tickets sold via official website and phone with no booking fees.
• Snaffles Restaurant Hospitality Dining On-site restaurant offering private tables for whole fixtures, two-course and three-course menus designed by award-winning chefs, reserved seating with racecourse views, table service, bar and betting access, and raceday programme inclusion.
• Private Suites and Hospitality Boxes

Quantifiable outcome

• Richard Layton Charity Race Day raised over £50,000 for local charitable causes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Seat UniquecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial hospitality partner for premium package sales, providing online booking platform for exclusive raceday hospitality experiences including private suites and dining packages.
• Sky Sports RacingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcast media partner providing television coverage of Hereford racing events to wide audience.
• At The RacescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for racing broadcast coverage and promotional visibility.
• DragonBetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBetting operator sponsor for specific raceday events.
• Rewards4RacingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLoyalty rewards programme allowing customers to earn and redeem points across ARC racecourses including Hereford. Points earned on tickets, raceday packages and hospitality.
• Arena Racing CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company operating 16 UK racecourses. Provides central marketing, booking systems, prize money (over £35 million in 2018), and operational support.
• Richard Layton CharityminorOthersCharity partner for annual fundraising raceday event that has raised over £50,000.
• Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business chamber partnership for supporting regional commerce and community initiatives.
• Hereford Football ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal sporting stadium partnership for joint community fundraising initiatives.
• Cotswold Hereford BMW and Tallis AmosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial vehicle partnership providing transportation solutions for racecourse operations.
• Verzon HouseminorOthersSponsor of the Leading Jockey and Trainer Championships at Hereford racecourse.
• Virgin BalloonsminorOthersPartner for hot air balloon experiences launching from Hereford Racecourse with world champion pilot Lindsay Muir.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fontwell Park Racecourse: ARC-owned West Sussex racecourse combining jump racing with extensive venue hire, hospitality, and themed racedays. Operates an essentially identical business model to Hereford under the same parent.
• Taunton Racecourse: Somerset-based National Hunt venue with the same product architecture — racing fixtures, Snaffles-style hospitality, venue hire, and themed racedays — making it a near-clone of Hereford's offering.
• Plumpton Racecourse: Regional Sussex-based National Hunt racecourse offering a similar mix of jump racing fixtures, hospitality, and private hire. Comparable scale, customer base and operational seasonality to Hereford.
• Towcester Racecourse: Reopened ARC-affiliated National Hunt venue offering comparable fixtures, hospitality tiers, and venue hire. Directly comparable in scale, product mix, and ARC group dynamics to Hereford.
• Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse: Welsh border National Hunt racecourse operating a comparable mix of jump fixtures, hospitality, and conference/venue hire in a similar regional setting to Hereford.
• Ludlow Racecourse: Independent Shropshire-based National Hunt racecourse with a similar intimate regional feel, hospitality offering, and seasonal calendar to Hereford.
• Sedgefield Racecourse: ARC-owned regional National Hunt racecourse in the North East of England with the same group membership, ticketing infrastructure, and product set as Hereford, making it the closest sister-venue benchmark.
• Fakenham Racecourse: Independent regional UK jump racing venue in Norfolk with a comparable seasonal fixture calendar, general admission and hospitality products, and venue hire offering. Closest pure-play analogue as a small regional National Hunt track.
• Market Rasen Racecourse: ARC-owned Lincolnshire jump racing venue with an almost identical operating model to Hereford, including group-wide ticketing, hospitality, and venue hire offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Jockey Club Racecourses: Operates 15 of the UK's most prominent racecourses including Cheltenham, Aintree and Newmarket. A direct analogue as the other major UK racecourse group, but operates at materially greater scale and with flagship fixtures Hereford does not have.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/herefordraces
• Facebookfacebook.com/HerefordRaces
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hereford-racecourse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hereford Racecaourse