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Britain’s all-weather tracks drew criticism today that they may not be doing enough to help racing’s finances. The Bagsification of Racing Committee has complained of sluggish progress in their aim of achieving blanket 6 runner race 140% margin covergae by 2012.
‘We’ve been watching margins month by month’ said the Committee chair ‘..’and quite frankly, they’re not rising fast enough on the all-weather. We need a rate of increase of 0.1 percentage point a month to meet our targets and currently we’re only running at half that.’
The tracks drew particular criticism that they hadn’t got rid of all their pesky punters. ‘There is a clear inverse relationship between attendance and margins’ explained the Committee chair, ‘We want those grandstands emptied’.
In response the tracks defended their actions. A spokesman fro Kempton Park said ‘we realise the importance of having our grandstands as empty as possible in order to help racing’s finances. We are doing our best but even with excorbitant entrance fees a few punters still turn up. Our next plan of action is to get the racecourse manager to don a monster costume and run through the deserted grandstand at night scaring people. Meanwhile we’ll spread rumours in the press of the punter eating ogre of Sunbury. Hopefully that’ll scare the rest off, we’re just praying scooby doo and his friends don’t come and rumble us’
Meanwhile, at Great Leighs, a spokesman said they were doing all they could. ‘We’ve fought a tremendous rearguard action against punters trying to enter the course for over two years now. The message is clear – the paying public should stay away’. Southwell added its commitment to the project by claiming it was planning to triple the number of speed bumps on the approach to its course while simultaneously starting a campaign to get Rolleston station closed down. ‘If we cut off the transport links then they’ll have no option but to stay away’.
Quite amusing Glenn. Unfortunately, very much like Scooby Doo it’s exactly the same story every time from yourself. I do wonder sometimes just why you bother with this complete and utter abomination of a sport.
Lord Donoughue: "We have done analysis on what affects margins…it’s nothing to do with our formula".
That is utter bull, surely.
The formula affects margins, as does small fields and small attendances (bookies and punters).
No-one who has the first idea about betting margins should be viewing margin-per-runner totally free of the context of the number of runners anyway.
It’s the hard working tipsters at the Post that I feel sorry for. Up all night finding the value for the punters only to end up being judged by these impossible to beat rigged SPs. No wonder you’re fuming my friend!
Compare the overound and field size at Wolves yesterday and tell me they are related?
Also the article doesnt give ONE mention to the off course firms involvement in SP’s from the all weather tracks.
Usual lip service rubbish from the Racing Post.
As always interesting stuff Glenn, the plan seems to be working.
It makes you wonder how much money they think the pathologicals will donate to bags before they wise up.
okay glenn, so you keep making it clear you’re not a fan or supporter of racing so which chapter of the animal liberation front are you a member of ?
People say that British racing’s future can’t be considered secure when it is so reliant on one or two Arabs. They are probably thinking of owners when they say this, but it would seem the statement now also applies to punters if rumours eminating from Ladbrokes are true!
I wonder how long he will go on betting at these BAGS prices.
okay glenn, so you keep making it clear you’re not a fan or supporter of racing so which chapter of the animal liberation front are you a member of ?
I would have thought it was clear that I am a supporter of racing and want to see it thrive. That’s what these posts are about. The ‘product’ the BHA are rolling out just isn’t going to cut the mustard in an increasingly compettive gambling world. Clip joints make you money in the short run but long term they are unsustainable – customers don’t come back.
no, it’s not clear at all glenn
the ‘product’ of all weather racing is much more suitable in a competitive gambling industry than poor quality jumps racing which often gets called off
ok folks , lets not throw a heap of rotten eggs at Glen just yet
, he has a point , we are losing market share wekly , it seems most racing afficianados are aged 60 plus , the current state of affairs is not brilliant , and worryingly the solutions seem a bit far away ……..Its a very competitive market for the gambling pound , and methinks with ever increasing everyday costs in the Uk, it will get even harder
so maybe we should cut a little slack and discuss his point , its cheap just to slag off in auto pilot
cheers
Ricky
Market share is not the same as absolute amount.
Yes, the percentage share has declined, but that’s only to be expected when there are so many more betting products on the market. But the total amount bet on racing has coninued to rise over the years.
Food sales at Tescos have declined over the years as a share of total income, but then they didn’t sell white goods and clothes before, and no one could say that Tesco’s food sales are in trouble.
We shouldn’t in any way be complacent, but let’s keep some perspective on this.
Glenn has been found to be correct.
As betting editor Paul Kealey wrote yesterday in the R.P.
‘Punters know there are places to go to get better value’
Why should the whole of the nations bets be decided on the whim or sometimes just a handful of bookmakers betting on the All Weather tracks who are not taking enough bets to survive long term but just standing there as stooges for the high street chains of bookmakers.
Down at Hove greyhounds on an afternoon there will be a maximum of 3 bookmakers only standing there as part of a commitment to the Bookmaker owned track.
They cannnot bet on opinions as there is no money around to be able to take bets amongst themselves.
All they are there for is to provide criminal overound of at least 5% per gryhound for the likes of Corals who own the place.Much the same as they have been doing at the All Weather tracks for a number of years now.
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