Cheltenham Racecourse has gained further industry recognition after being named as a finalist for a prestigious national award.

The venue has been shortlisted in the C&IT Awards 2019 and will be battling it out with other top names in the Celebratory Event of the Year category.

The McCoys - The Jockey Club Jump Awards, the racecourse’s own awards event, has been recognised by the judges and the eventual winner will be announced in September.

Now in its third year, The McCoys celebrate the outstanding contributions of trainers, riders, owners and staff in the jump race community.

The awards are named after Sir AP McCoy, the record-breaking 20-time champion Jump jockey who retired from race riding in April 2015.

The first event went ahead in 2016 and has since gone from strength to strength and will return for its third year in 2019.

This year has been another successful one for Cheltenham Racecourse as it was also a finalist in the Exhibition News Awards category - Best Venue Under 8,000sqm.

The venue also scooped a Silver Award in the Best Sports Club/Sports Event Hospitality category for the Sports Business Awards 2019.

Another trade award was the Showcase Award in 2018 under the Food and Drink category for Theatre @TheFestival.

Lee Moulson, Regional Head of Sales at Cheltenham Racecourse, said they were extremely honoured to be have been selected as a finalist in a national awards.

“We are thrilled to have been shortlisted in this year’s C&IT Awards and are very much looking forward to the event,” he said.

“The C&IT Awards are so well known and respected within the industry, so to be a part of them is such a huge privilege for us. What makes it even more of an honour is the fact that the awards are judged by our peers in the industry.

“The Cheltenham team has put a huge amount of work into The McCoys and we could not be happier with how well it has been received.

“It is always wonderful news when we are shortlisted for awards and it gives validation to the dedication of the whole team. We will strive to continue the standards that we have set for ourselves and work hard to achieve them.”

The C&IT Awards are judged by an even split of event professionals from UK agencies, global agencies, corporates, associations and industry bodies that come together to discuss, and sometimes debate, the entries put forward.

Winners will be recognised for their outstanding achievements and creativity by the most engaging brand in the MICE industry.

A presentation and dinner will take place at the London Hilton on Park Lane on September 20.