ROYAL Windsor racecourse has been blasted for the ‘crap’ food it put on for hard-working stable staff.
Compared to ‘dog chews’ and labelled ‘disgraceful’, the meagre portions were captured by work rider Jemma Marshall on her trip to the track on Monday.
The bacon on offer for stable staff at Windsor on bank holiday Monday was likened to ‘dog chews’
The eggs looked like they had been there for a while
Marshall, a former jockey who rode 73 winners, said she started work at 5.45am on the bank holiday and finally sat down for some grub at 2.30pm.
But when she did she found bacon left in its own fat and ‘disgusting’ fried eggs apparently her only option.
Marshall, who works for trainer Tom Ward, posted photos of the food on Twitter with the caption: “I started work at 5:45, I rode five horses, I jumped in the lorry, drove to @WindsorRaces sat down at 2:30 to eat for the 1st time that day and was met by this!
“I wonder how long it had been sat there?! #disgraceful #mustdobetter #wouldyoueatthis.”
One shocked follower said in reply to the photos: “All greasy and the bacon looks like dog chews. This is not acceptable.”
Another replied: “I wonder how it was cooked… looks disgusting.”
One comment read: “This is outrageous.”
Another said: “That’s disgusting, it’s about time racecourses started catering for stable staff properly, too many serving up this rubbish.”
While one post read: “That’s insulting, how can they dish that up?”
Marshall told the Racing Post: “I didn’t know how long that bacon had been there, but it didn’t look particularly appetising.
‘FED CRAP’
“There weren’t any chips because the fryer wasn’t working.
“We’ve been up all morning and some people can’t stop on the way because the horse on board might not like stopping or whatever.
“Why would you want to come racing if you knew you were going to get fed crap or not have proper facilities?
“It’s not ‘royal’ for us.”
Mark Spincer, group operations director for Arena Racing Company, who own Windsor, said the food was ‘100 per cent not acceptable’ and promised to get in touch with Marshall about her experience.
While Liam Johnson, Windsor’s executive director, told the Racing Post: “We are sorry that Jemma was so disappointed with her experience.
“We aim to keep the complimentary food in the stable canteen replenished regularly throughout the afternoon but will, of course, make sure that the team focus on this going forward.”
For punters, violence plus the price of a pint at racecourses has soured the experience for many.
QUESTIONS OVER PUNTEREXPERIENCE
At Cheltenham Festival a Guinness set racegoers back £7, a Carling £6.90 and a double gin and tonic £14.
A Cheltenham Racecourse spokesperson said at the time: “We work hard to absorb inflationary costs wherever we can.
“However, current inflation rises in relation to goods and labour have led to an increase in prices for some of the items we serve.
“Despite this our prices are comparable to other major events, with all our profits reinvested back into British Horseracing.”
While a big fight at Sandown saw one bloke knocked out by a sickening sucker punch.