Latest news with #JimAllen
Business Journals
16-06-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Financial veteran talks industry evolution, Yum Center's impact on latest Access Louisville episode
Jim Allen, a seasoned financial executive, shares insights on Baird's successful merger and its ongoing commitment to Louisville's downtown in the latest Access Louisville podcast.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Epsom chief vows to solve crowd crisis as he insists Derby is not a lost cause despite huge drop in attendance
The boss of Epsom racecourse has vowed to bring back the crowds, as he insisted the Derby is not a lost cause. A crowd of 22,312 watched Aidan O'Brien-trained Lambourn runaway with the Betfred Derby on Saturday, a 17 per cent drop from 26,838 in 2024. The attendance for Friday's Oaks was down year-on-year, too, with 15,133 turning up to see Minnie Hauk compared to 18,036 12 months ago. Compare that to Royal Ascot, which starts next Tuesday: last year, the course had an aggregate attendance in excess of 270,000 but Mail Sport understands the total expected this year is close to 300,000 — sales are up in every enclosure for all five days. But Epsom's general manager Jim Allen is determined to make changes. At the top of his list is ensuring children under 16 receive free entry — last weekend, the cheapest ticket enabling those aged between five and 17 to see the paddock was £50. 'Epsom is free for all fixtures for under 18s outside the Derby but that is something I will look at for next year,' Allen said. 'But this event isn't a lost cause. It felt like a fantastic occasion and we had a fantastic race with a great Derby winner but I understand why there is a focus on the crowd figure. We are examining all aspects and will learn from it. We want to bring people back.' Peter Easterby, one of the all-time great trainers, has died aged 95. He trained 2,513 winners in a 46-year career, including five Champion Hurdles — with two apiece for Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon — and two Cheltenham Gold Cups. He is the only man to train 1,000 winners on the Flat and over jumps.
CTV News
09-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa set to open in July
The new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa is set to open its doors in Ottawa's south end next month, the first 'fully integrated resort' for Hard Rock in Canada. Hard Rock International says the new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa on Albion Road will open on Thursday, July 3 at 1 p.m. 'Ottawa is a milestone moment for us. It's our first fully integrated resort in Canada and a key step in our global growth strategy,' Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, said in a statement Monday morning. 'This property will not only attract international visitors but also support the local economy and enhance the region's entertainment offerings.' The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa will feature a 150-room hotel, with 22 luxury suites. The more than 150,000 sq. ft. of entertaining and gaming space includes the Hard Rock Live performance venue with capacity for up to 2,200 people, 150 slot machines, up to 40 gaming tables, and a high-limit gaming area. There will be 10 restaurants and bars at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, including the iconic Hard Rock Café. Hard Rock International says a lineup of Canadian entertainers will perform for the 'Grand Opening' week, with details to be announced at a later date. 'Hard Rock knows how to throw a grand opening party,' Christine Crump, President of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, said in the media release. 'July 3 will mark the beginning of festivities, infused with legendary Hard Rock energy and an Oh! Canada! feel. This is more than a launch; it's the start of something incredible for our city.' Construction on the $350 million new hotel, casino and performance venue began in June 2023 after years of delays. In 2017, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation selected Hard Rock International to become the operator of the casino at Rideau Carleton Raceway. The partnership between Hard Rock Casino International and Rideau Carleton Raceway included plans for a new 'entertainment destination.' Hard Rock International says the facility will create 700 local jobs. Hard Rock International continues to operate the existing Rideau Carleton Casino ahead of the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa. Once the new facility opens on July 3, renovations will begin on the original building with full completion and integration expected by the end of the year. One of the first events at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa will be the PWHL draft on June 24. Here's what you need to know about the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa
Daily Mirror
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Epsom security stop Derby pub drinkers staging race over track
A group of 14 tried to stage an impromptu race over the Derby course after an afternoon spent in a local hostelry, a week before the big race A group of pub drinkers have been thwarted in a cheeky attempt to stage a pony and trap race over the course of the £1.5million Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs. Although the world famous racecourse is owned by the Jockey Club, the track is located in a public space with the infield area free to visitors, even on racedays. Security is always heightened in the lead-up to the Derby Festival to ensure no damage occurs to the racing surface. A potentially serious problem was averted after there was incursion on Saturday last week, seven days before the richest race of the year. Epsom general manager Jim Allen explained: 'Because this is all free access, there were 14 people with ponies and carts here on Saturday afternoon. 'They came around the inside road and got onto the track at about the one mile, two marker, where they were trotting down to the Derby start in preparation to race. 'A security guard spotted them, drove over in a truck and got them all off within half a furlong, near the entrance to George Baker's stables. They got off and never came back. We managed to keep them off the track apart from a furlong.' Every year during a Derby week a section of the Downs, adjacent to the track, is occupied by travellers but Allen said they were not involved with the incident. 'It certainly wasn't the travellers here on the site,' he said. 'They came from somewhere local. They'd been drinking in the Derby Arms for a while and suddenly took off. 'There was no damage to the track. The ground was obviously quite quick and the ponies were so small. All they did was flatten the grass but they didn't pull up any divots at all. 'We did notify the police but the group disappeared quite quickly and never came back. It was purely because this site is so open, it's a constant concern that anybody can get on the track.'
The Guardian
07-06-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
The Derby 2025: horse racing
Update: Date: 2025-06-07T10:03:27.000Z Title: Preamble Content: Good morning from an overcast but, for the moment at least, dry Epsom racecourse, where after three months of scarcely any rainfall at all, as much as 10mm is forecast to arrive before the Derby's scheduled off-time at 3.30pm. That would be more than enough to transform the shape and likely outcome of today's Classic, with Ruling Court, the 2,000 Guineas winner, a possible non-runner if it gets really soft, and various outsiders coming into the reckoning. The 9.30am going bulletin from the track this morning reported that the going had actually quickened slightly overnight after 2.2mm in all, to good, good to soft in places. A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place from 9am to 6pm, however, and the concern is that if a storm does hit the track, several millimetres of rain could hit the track in a very short space of time. There is some leeway built in to schedule, with a 45-minute gap between the Derby and the subsequent raced at 4.15, which would allow for a brief postponement if a storm is expected to blow over, but some nervy hours lie ahead for Jim Allen, Epsom's new general manager, and his team. Hopefully, of course, it won't come to that, and while the forecast may affect the walk-up audience who can watch the race for free on the Hill, the Derby itself promises to be a compelling renewal of the premier Classic, with 19 runners, the biggest field since Kris Kin's year in 2003, due to go to post. The early betting news is that Ruling Court, unsurprisingly, is on the drift, all the way out to 7-1 in fact from around 9-2 on Friday afternoon, while Delacroix, the winner of Leopardstown's Derby Trial, is firming up at the top of the market at 5-2. Pride Of Arras, the Dante Stakes winner, is a 9-2 chance, with Lambourn and The Lion In Winter, stable companions of Delacroix at the Aidan O'Brien yard, both on 8-1. The former, though, is on the way in, thanks to a strong-staying win in the Chester Vase, while The Lion In Winter is drifting. A fascinating and dramatic afternoon lies ahead, and you can, as ever, follow all the action here on the blog as it happens.
