The Victorian Racing Club has apologised to its members after punters faced long delays – in some cases close to 50 minutes – for food and drinks on Anzac Day following record crowds.
Punters flooded social media over the weekend to complain about the race day, noting that several bars and food outlets were closed and suggested a lack of staff in areas that were open. Those who attended say they simply gave up trying to navigate the crowds and left early.
Another noted it took close to 50 minutes to order a beer, others say some areas ran out of stock.
Betsy is told the club were surprised by the crowd that showed up on the day, with the club since noting it was up a whopping 33% on previous years. The club also offered free entry for the general admission area, which was met with stronger demand than anticipated.
In apologising for the situation, the club told members it has new catering partner who they will now meet to discuss the day.
‘’The atmosphere reflected what the occasion deserves, and we’re grateful to everyone who chose to be part of it. Attendance was up 33% on previous years, making it our largest ever ANZAC Day crowd,’’ VRC CEO Kylie Rogers told members in an email.
‘’While there were plenty of positives, we do want to recognise that for some of you, some aspects of the service fell short of the standards we set for ourselves and what you are entitled to expect.”
‘’That’s not the experience that we want to deliver, and I want to acknowledge that directly.’’
‘’Our team is already working closely with our new catering partner, Delaware North, to address challenges experienced and put the right fixes in place ahead of Andrew Ramsden Race Day on Saturday May 16.”
‘’We’re committed to getting it right and delivering the level of experience you expect and deserve.’’
Rogers said the club would extend its Happy Hour initiative by an extra 30 minutes on its next race day as one way to make up for the Anzac Day experience.
‘’Thank you for your patience and your continued loyalty to the VRC,’’ Rogers said.
‘’We look forward to welcoming you back to Flemington, with an enhanced experience including Happy Hour on Andrew Ramsden Race Day, extended from 1 hour to 1.5 hours from gates open.’’
