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I wondered what things everyone thought could be introduced to improve British racing.
I’d like to see TV coverage improved as it is the main stage upon which the sport is presented and I feel it’s grown staid and tired and Channel 4, in particular, seems to have manouevred itself into a bit of a rut. It needs some of what I would loosely term ‘Sky-pizzazz’ to spice it up.
Also I’d like to see the racecourses market themselves more effectively. Some of the websites are awful and I think they could sex up the whole experience of racing. Racing can be a pulsating and thrilling experience but it’s all too often marketed as a ‘family day out’ akin to a trip to the local duckpond.
I’ll provide some examples tomorrow when I have time.
Get rid of the people who just go there to get inebriated & couldn’t give a fig about the horses or racing & make it more family orientated.
They are the ones who are filling the racecourses’ coffers and I don’t see them being discouraged too soon.
The sooner off-course bookmaking is removed from the scene the better it will be for racing.
Surely someone, somewhere, could set up a national racing exchange with high street outlets and the commission, at whatever rate it is set, could go directly back to racing.
Colin
More thought given to:
a) The geographical spread of meetings on any given day (already referred to in an earlier post). No more Haydock & Chester on the same day, etc.
b) Races over a variety of distances on a given (flat) card, as opposed to packing them with races over less than 8 furlongs.
c) Value for money and improved facilities for the racegoer. Royal Ascot @ York was a particular disgrace in this respect.
d) Live TV coverage. The current situation is a mess.
e) Quality of racing. An end please to the tedium of cards packed with class 5 & 6 races, together with cards featuring, say, one class 2 race underpinned by tosh.1 – Racing to be funded properly by bookies, 15% of gross to levy.
2 – Reduction of fixture list
3 – SP to be returned at 1.4% per runner, by law.That would be about it for me, turnover would rise due to better and fairer prices, the bookies would pay for the sport that they leech off. The extra money going into racing would not be squandered on an unrealistic amont of fixtures.
The obvious window is the TV and totally agree….Corm
They need to think it through and take a leaf out of C4’s cricket coverage which did at least attempt to inform a new audience without alienating the enthusiasts
C4 and to an extent BBC’s racing coverage reminds me of the BBC cricket coverage. Lazy and smug…
Like to see something done about the dire prize money, what’s the point of paying several hundred pounds in travel costs to run for win prize money of just 1500 or 2000 quid. Like to see courses not allowed to have meetings unless they can put up a minimum set amount of prize money.
Accurate race distances published at overnight stage to account for running rail movements.
Accurate going assessment at overnight stage and day of race. This to be done by an organisation not connected to the racecourses.
has anyone ever thought about the timing between races ?
even at small tracks like lingfield, if you want to walk from where you watched the race to where the horses come back, watch them and listen for what’s said before the jockeys go back to the weighing room…then have a look at the pre-parade ring, then move on to the parade ring proper….then put a bet on with an on-track bookie after diving around looking for the best price, then get back to where you watch the race from….you don’t actually have time to pick up a cup of tea or tray of curry and rice on the way
is 30 minutes long enough, too long, or could it be extended a bit to say 40/45 mins ?
not sure that some of the above suggestions are exactly tailored towards a wider audience
Accurate actual weight of the horse published at overnight stage. So we can judge if a horse is fit or not.
A more imaginative pricing strategy.
Anyone paying £15 minimum to watch the current fare at Lingfield and Kempton wants their head examinedhas anyone ever thought about the timing between races ?
even at small tracks like lingfield, if you want to walk from where you watched the race to where the horses come back, watch them and listen for what’s said before the jockeys go back to the weighing room…then have a look at the pre-parade ring, then move on to the parade ring proper….then put a bet on with an on-track bookie after diving around looking for the best price, then get back to where you watch the race from….you don’t actually have time to pick up a cup of tea or tray of curry and rice on the way
is 30 minutes long enough, too long, or could it be extended a bit to say 40/45 mins ?
Try saddling 2 in a row at kempton!
- Total Posts 170
Less racing.
Too many low quality meetings that do nothing for the sport with awful prize money.
Answer = less racing with better prize money.
Agree whole heartedly that bookmakers should contribute more. Would think a bookmaker that would be willing to pay 15% levy to racing – if one did this and made the commiment – I would like to think punters would appreciate this and make the effort to punt at that establishment.
We have too many courses who see each meeting as the chance to make their ‘share’ of money for the day and the whole experience is very expensive. Dare I say, less courses would be a better way forward and would allow the others to have more race days and prepare themselves a better infrastructure for business.
Better TV coverage. Period. The coverage has had no innovation or new features in quite a while. Would like more jockey features. Give us the opportunity to know the man (or woman) on the horse apart from there 20 second interviews where they give nothing away before a race or say ‘he picked up nicely’ just after a race whilst the horse is walking. Create personalities.
i kind of agree with lingfield there but in reverse as i don’t see how fontwell or courses like it can charge the same or more for five bottom grade jumps races with a pointless bumper race at the end whilst everyone is trying to get out, as opposed to eight competitive awt races – daylight robbery imo
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