Maintenance firm in grandstand deal

BRISTOL maintenance firm Integral UK has struck a deal to maintain racecourse facilities across the UK, including Cheltenham Racecourse.

The Aztec West firm will maintain offices, grandstands, client boxes, stables, restaurants and conference facilities for Jockey Club Racecourses at all 14 of its racecourses, which as well as Cheltenham also includes Aintree, Epsom and Newmarket.

The three-year maintenance contract was awarded following a formal tender and follow-on preferred bidder negotiation process.

It will come into force in phases due to the busy mix of Flat and National Hunt Racing in the club’s calendar throughout the year. Integral will also be responsible for racecourse facilities at Haydock, Kempton and Sandown as well as seven smaller courses at Carlisle, Exeter, Huntingdon, Market Rasen, Nottingham, Warwick and Wincanton.

Together they account for more than 20 per cent of fixtures and 30 per cent of prize money in Britain

Integral national sales manager Gary Odgers said: “We will provide a mixture of site-based engineers and our mobile engineering team to carry out the work.

“Extended cover will be provided during race meetings throughout the year including public holidays, weekends and evenings.”

Integral UK, will look after the racecourses through its regional offices under the overall control of a national account manager while the Integral national call centre will provide a single point of contact for all emergency-related calls for the 14 courses. Jockey Club Racecourses will be able to track call progress at any time through a client website. 

Colin Fellows, property director at Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “We look forward to a long and productive partnership with Integral, driving quality up and costs down.

“In all our activities we aim to maintain the highest possible standards and the best possible presentation for our customers."