GOODBYE ZONGALERO, HELLO TO A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE
Wolverhampton Racecourse’s famous Zongalero restaurant has begun a £600,000 major refurbishment.
The 400-cover, full track viewing restaurant was the first of its kind on a UK racecourse when it opened in 1993 and became a most successful model for other courses to follow with similar designs.
The modernisation project will take place over the next three months with the newly refurbished restaurant ready for a re-launch under a new name and under the new management of Arena Leisure Catering on April 21, 2007.
The Wolverhampton Racecourse restaurant refurbishment includes:
Re-modelling of the restaurant lay-out
Introduction of air-conditioning
New furniture – in leather utilising creams & browns
Introduction of a dance floor within the restaurant area
New colour scheme and aspect of the restaurant
Introduction of pre-dining public bar areas
David Roberts, Managing Director of Wolverhampton Racecourse, said: “The Zongalero was revolutionary to UK racing and it is with great pride that I have seen its model replicated at other courses. The Zongalero has given us great service in its 14 years and now it is time for a complete revamp.”
He continued: “I expect people to have the best customer experience when they visit Wolverhampton Racecourse and that they have such a good time that they cannot wait to come back.
“This investment is about exceeding expectation from the moment they enter through the door to the moment they leave. Our customers will receive the best dining experience, the best views of racing and the best environment for a thoroughly enjoyable time.”
Roberts concluded: “This significant investment in the viewing restaurant is a separate project to the hotel extension and casino development that we are also planning here at the racecourse.”
The design of the new restaurant is by Richard Taylor of Wolverhampton’s ACP Partnership, deliberately chosen for their high quality designs and dedication to developments in the local vicinity.
Wolverhampton Racecourse is active in its own community and hope that people will embrace what will be the best dining and entertainment experience in the region.
BEST OF US RACING LAUNCHES ON NEW LOOK ATR STATESIDE
Viewers of At The Races, the UK and Ireland's most watched dedicated horseracing channel, will now be able to enjoy a new look ATR Stateside, as the cream of US Racing becomes available nightly on the channel.
Belmont Park, Aqueduct and Saratoga are amongst a host of top US tracks which can be seen on the channel. The revamped ATR Stateside launches with action from Aqueduct on Friday, January 5, together with fixtures from a number of tracks that will be familiar to existing Stateside fans. In 2007, viewers can look forward to seeing world-renowned races such as the Belmont Stakes and prestigious festivals such as the 36-day Saratoga meeting starting on July 25.
Thanks to the recent partnership agreement coverage will be beamed from TVG, the largest horseracing broadcaster and wagering operator in the US, allowing ATR viewers to watch live racing coverage straight from the US with up to the minute news and information direct from American tracks and from TVG's Los Angeles-based studios. Additional US racing coverage will be provided by ATR's other partner, TRNi, from time to time.
UK and Irish viewers and punters will have access to exclusive tips and opinions from TVG's expert on-air team, including jockey legend and three-time Kentucky Derby winner Gary Stevens.
TVG content will appear on ATR's main broadcast channel, as well as behind the red button. UK viewers will be able to bet on US racing through leading bookmakers William Hill, Ladbrokes, SkyBet, Blue Square and BetDirect.
Importantly, ATR's live UK and Irish coverage will also be broadcast on TVG on a daily basis all year round, thus giving UK and Irish horseracing exposure into nearly 20 million US households in all 50 states via cable and satellite providers. US punters in certain states will be able to wager on UK and Irish racing, allowing ATR partner racecourses to unlock some meaningful revenue from the potentially lucrative North American market and on an exclusive basis.
Matthew Imi, Chief Executive, ATR said: "The new look ATR Stateside firmly establishes ATR as the home of US racing in the UK and Ireland. The agreement with TVG means that top quality US racing will be available to ATR viewers on a nightly basis and the strength of the TVG broadcast team ensures that it will be presented to viewers in a first class way. Equally, the fact that ATR coverage will enjoy exclusivity on the TVG platform will generate huge awareness for our racecourse partners in North America."
David Nathanson, TVG's General Manager, said: "The launch of our programming partnership with ATR is an exciting and important milestone for TVG, perhaps rivaling any other in our seven years on the air. The best U.S. racing and TVG's signature presentation of it will now be available to millions of horseracing fans in the UK and Ireland. At the same time, we will showcase live racing from the premier racing venues in the UK and Ireland seven days a week to U.S. horseracing fans."
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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