- This topic has 49 replies, 22 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 9 months ago by
.
- Posts
All very good in theory Paul.
What are you going to do with the 5000+ horses who’ll be made redundant?
Re-homed or destroyed
What are you going to tell the trainers and staff who’ll be made redundant?
What are you going to tell the racecourse staff who will be made redundant?Exactly the same as you tell the tens of thousands in other walks of life who are made redundant each year.
Why should racing be exempt from what is happening in the rest of society?
What are you going to tell the owners who cant have a racehorse anymore?
Owning a racehorse is not a right it is a lifestyle choice. We all have aspirations in life that we cannot realistically have.
My response would be tough – you aren’t going to die as a result.
Where are you going to get the subsequent 25-30 million pound shortfall in levy from?
Why will there be that shortfall?
Most punters have a fixed amount of money to invest. They will either invest the same amount over the fewer races or they will invest in other sports. If the latter and the Levy reduces then you have even less racing – once again market forces prevail.
Again, why should racing be exempt from the financial realities that impact other areas of life?
Basically you cut your cloth to suit your budget.
If our owners are as shrewd as they claim to be they’d take their horses to France and run in the equivalent grade for £15,000 rather than £2,500.
So basically Paul Ostermeyer knocks on my door and tells me to rehouse my racehorse or he’ll have him killed, puts my trainer out of business, tells me tough for having a hobby (I’m not going to die as a result) and stuff the levy, because HE thinks there’s too much racing.
Jesus, they don’t call you the beast for nothing!
By the way, market forces are prevailing
So basically Paul Ostermeyer knocks on my door and tells me to rehouse my racehorse or he’ll have him killed, puts my trainer out of business, tells me tough for having a hobby (I’m not going to die as a result) and stuff the levy, because HE thinks there’s too much racing.
Jesus, they don’t call you the beast for nothing!
By the way, market forces are prevailing
Well if that is your view of a reasoned debate I don’t see much point in continuing with it
Thats how your coming across Paul. Not very reasonably at all. Do as I say and tough if you don’t like it. Having a crap horse for a bit of fun and a hobby not allowed according to your good self.
Strange.
I have to agree with Paul, much as I would rather not – nothing personal you understand, but I can’t see why owners of the worst racehorses should be subsidised in this way.
In the NH arena, there is something called "point-to-point" racing, where owners routinely race for prize funds of around 300 pounds, and derive a lot of fun from so doing.
I know I’ve banged on about this before, and nobody seems to agree with me or take any notice, but couldn’t there be a similar set-up for flat racing, along the lines of the "picnic racing" they have in Victoria in Australia?
Owners of low-grade performers could then run their horses as much as they liked, and probably at a significantly lower cost, and these meetings would be a excellent laid-back introduction to the sport for the uninitiated, as well as giving opportunities for aspiring trainers and jockeys.
Could there be a process of natural selection whereby the last horse in every race is taken out of racing and sent to live with his/her happy friends on Dartmoor.
Part of the problem is that in the modern world normal working folk cannot pick and choose their days off. While I appreciate that there are people that have to work weekends, the majority of the working population work Mon-Fri. Therefore it makes sense to have your main fixtures at the weekend.
While Saturdays are generally quite strong (primarily due to Channel 4 presence) – with the odd damp squib – Sundays – with the exception of the 1000 Gns, Becher Chase and a few others – are woeful betting shop fodder.
Sundays are often peoples choice of day out. Let have decent cards on a Sunday – even if it means ripping up years of tradition.
While I appreciate that due to Group 1 action in Europe it would be awkward to move our Group 1 races. How about some decent Group (or NH Graded equivalents) races and handicap.
I would even say it would be worth slipping Channel 4 a few quid more to show some "Showcase Sundays".
Also, Evening meetings should have a higher profile. 7pm Derby anyone?
- Total Posts 17716
Could there be a process of natural selection whereby the last horse in every race is taken out of racing and sent to live with his/her happy friends on Dartmoor.
Given the way the programme book is increasing (For no other reason than to provide betting fodder,imo) they may well soon have to start drafting horses in the other direction.
Think it is important in this discussion to distinguish between flat and jumps. The number of jumps races has stayed relatively static, whereas flat racing has increased significantly. There never were enough flat horses to accomodate naturally the big increase in races. It is only through limitations on field sizes, reductions in handicap ranges to 14lbs in many races and the reduction in mid range h/cs,eg fewer up to 75s whilst correspondingly increasing the number of up to 70s/80s. The like of that has enabled the BHB to increase the number of races and get sufficient runners to satisfy the off course betting operators.
Up until 2008 the BHA’s strategy to increase the number of races, in line with the requirements of the bookmakers, was helped by a small but steady increase in the number of flat horses in training and owners, although the latter were increasingly part owners.
According to their own figures as of mid-June, doubtless due to the economic situation and in my view at least other factors, the situation for 2010 is beginning to look difficult.
The number of named flat horses in training declined by 8.9% compared to 2008. Due in part to a decline in the number of dual purpose horses. But most worryingly 2yold named horses in training fell by 8.6% over 2008 and by 11% on the 2007 peak. 3yolds fell by 5.4% on 2008.
The number of owners including part owners fell by 5.8% and it is worth remembering that many owners are kept as such on the database for 2 years. The number of new registered owners fell by 15.8%It is to be hoped the June figures are not typical, but as an owner who talks to other owners and bearing in mind the lagging nature of the curent economic situation., my own view is that there will be a significant reduction in owners and flat horses in 2010 . Which suggests that the BHA lunatics really are running the madhouse in increasing the flat fixture list
richardHappy writes.."By ”scaling down” you will deprive the smaller less affulent owners, syndicates and racing clubs of their direct enjoyment of their chosen sport."
But surely the BHA should be opting for quality, not quatity, in all aspects of the sport? Get rid of the dross and promote a quality product.
What other British sport is willing to promote their sport at its worse?
I don’t understand your logic or where you are coming from. There are different grades & levels of expertise in all sports.
What would you do with Football, just have a Premier League & get rid of all the dross?
Only let Golfers who have won a tournament & proved they’re not dross participate?
I could go on & on, but imo your logic is flawed.- Total Posts 17716
Paul, does the prospect of having to kill thousands of worthless racehorses (which they would be under your scheme) sit well in your mind?
Actually, there’s no need to answer that. Anyone who thinks it’s acceptable to rid people of their property because ‘everyone has aspirations that we can’t realistically have’ clearly isn’t in touch with the real world. When did it become a sin to indulge on the back of financial success? Should all those who drive Aston Martins, Porsches and Ferraris have their cars taken off them too?
I don’t understand your logic or where you are coming from. There are different grades & levels of expertise in all sports.
What would you do with Football, just have a Premier League & get rid of all the dross?
Only let Golfers who have won a tournament & proved they’re not dross participate?
I could go on & on, but imo your logic is flawed.quixall
I think you are spot on here. The majority of sports competitors ‘pay to play’ their particular sports, so owners forking out entry fees at lower levels to run for what is viewed as poor prize money seems to me to be no different. The vast majority of owners go in with their eyes open and don’t expect to make money out of what is only ever going to be an expensive hobby.
Rob
Well we’ve entered our filly again at Redcar so we’re obviously suckers for punishment. This time we get £120 just to turn up though
The suggestions that a reduction in the number of flat meetings would lead to a cull of flat horses in training are not borne out by statistics.
Between 2003 and 2008 the number of flat fixtures increased by 30%, 726 to 945.
The number of flat only horses in training increased by a much smaller 14%, 7683 to 8784.
Even including dual purpose horses, the number of which increased significantly in 2007 & 2008, the increase is 23%, 9016 to 11077, but still far less than the increase in fixtures.
The suggestion that up to 5,000 horses would be taken out of racing from a reduction in fixtures is not tenable, because that would mean either flat horses in training would decline by 57% or flat and DP horses by 45% on 2008 figures. Under either scenario that would pretty much be the end of flat racing in this country.
The number of flat fixtures could easily be reduced by 10-15% and it wouldn’t, in itself, have any effect on the number of flat horses in training.
richard
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.