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The 2022 Grand National kicked off at Aintree racecourse on Thursday (7 April), but some punters were left furious over a hike in drink prices.
Guests haven’t been able to attend the world-famous steeplechase since 2019 due to covid, but spirits were quickly dampened when spectators set their eyes on racecourse bar menus.
The Grand National runs over three days and is one of the biggest racing events in the calendar.
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On Thursday, a full list of drink prices at the event was published, prompting outrage.
As per The Liverpool Echo, some people are even calling for the event to be boycotted due to the cost of booze, with Karl Purcell saying: "Simple, don't go. Boycott such events until they bring down the prices.”
The cost of a single pint can reach as high as £7.20, while mixers start at £2.30.
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Comments below the paper’s article branded the cost of drinks ‘daylight robbery’, although others felt high prices were a response to ‘high demand’ and ‘not the bars’ fault’.
“Daylight robbery!” wrote one person, while another queried: “Outrageous, how can they justify those prices?”
Another felt that high prices were ‘robbing the locals’.
Offering up an alternative perspective, one commenter said: “It’s all about demand, it’s more about drinking than racing and betting on this day.
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[You] can't blame the bars hiking up the prices when they know regardless of cost they have a captured audience.”
It was announced less than a month before 2020’s Grand National that the event wouldn’t be going ahead because of the pandemic.
A spokesperson for The Jockey Club, which owns Aintree racecourse, said at the time: “The Randox Health Grand National Festival was just three weeks away and it’s very clear to us it will not be possible for the event to take place. Public health must come first.
“We were working on a plan to stage the Grand National behind closed doors given its importance to the racing industry and beyond, but following the new government measures confirmed this evening to help to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, this is not a viable option.
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“I know this is hugely disappointing news for the many people who work in our sport and the many millions who were looking forward to this year’s event, but very sadly these are exceptional times and this is the responsible thing to do.”
A spokesperson for The Jockey Club, which owns Aintree racecourse, said at the time: “The Randox Health Grand National Festival was just three weeks away and it’s very clear to us it will not be possible for the event to take place. Public health must come first.
“We were working on a plan to stage the Grand National behind closed doors given its importance to the racing industry and beyond, but following the new government measures confirmed this evening to help to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, this is not a viable option.
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“I know this is hugely disappointing news for the many people who work in our sport and the many millions who were looking forward to this year’s event, but very sadly these are exceptional times and this is the responsible thing to do.”
Topics: Horse Racing
Aisha Nozari