Crowds at British racing fell by an average 8.6 per cent in the first half of this year. Despite an improved attendance at Royal Ascot, and the ongoing success of themed racedays, this will create serious concern for administrators seeking to safeguard racing's claim on the leisure audience.

Details obtained by The Times yesterday show that average attendances from January to June were below 4,000 for the first time in several years. The figure of 3,908 is down 369 on the same period last year and the blame is being placed on the unpopular experiment with winter evening meetings at all-weather tracks.

John Phillips, spokesman for the Racecourse Association, said: “The shortfall sounds alarming, but there are two main causes. The abandonment of a day at the Cheltenham Festival cost us a 50,000 crowd and the winter all-weather fixtures only attracted an average of 675 spectators. If you eliminate those two factors, there is only a fractional fall.”

Nevertheless, the trend - which mirrors attendance figures in Ireland - is a further alert against the complacency of those who believe racing can still prosper without marketing. Paul Roy, chairman of the British Horseracing Authority, hit back at such thinking in a speech to the All-Party Racing Group on Monday. Defending the recently launched Sovereign Series, he said: “Typically, the cynics have been negative. However, I believe it's right that we try such initiatives to broaden our appeal.”