Newmarket’s July Course was among 12 racecourses to scoop Gold Standard awards as they were named as the best in the country for raceday experience.

The Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) accolade was given in a competitive way for the first time this year.

ROA, a body of more than 7,300 members. sent representatives to all 60 tracks in Britain at least once between January and early October to assess every aspect of the owners’ raceday experience, and feedback was provided by hundreds of ROA members following their racecourse visits.

Racecourses were divided into two categories – large and smaller – with their classification decided by a range of factors, including the quality of racing and attendance figures.

Ascot, Ayr, Chester, Haydock Park, Newmarket’s July Course and York picked up the award in the larger racecourse category. Newmarket was treated as two racecourses – the Rowley Mile and the July Course.

Hamilton Park, Kempton Park, Market Rasen, Musselburgh, Newton Abbot and Nottingham won in the smaller racecourse section.

Alan Pickering, chairman of the ROA’s raceday committee, said: “We are delighted to name the 12 racecourses that have been awarded Gold Standard status for 2015, the inaugural year that the awards have been a competitive process. Many congratulations to those that have been successful.

“Racing is a competitive sport. Racecourses are competing with one another for their share of the nation’s leisure spend. Improving the owners’ raceday experience should be at the heart of this competition, and we changed the basis of the Gold Standard Award so that tracks are now competing with each other to be one of the six best of class in their own category.

“As our team have travelled the country, we’ve seen many improvements and enhancements to the owners’ raceday experience, including additional complimentary admission badges, a significant improvement in the provision of complimentary food and drink, a greater emphasis on racecourse staff providing a business-class experience, plus entertainment for placed connections as well as winners after races.”