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I see Kempton Park made the headlines again today for all the wrong reasons, and I’m not talking about the horse that almost drowned in 14 feet of water on the 14th of the month before being rescued by the 14 stalls handlers.
Average attendance: Down 38% – Britain’s biggest faller
Number of meetings: Up 24 – Britain’s highest climber
If you strip out the meetings where 16 runner fields are allowed, average attendance there probably doesn’t even break into four figures. The BHA are obviously ecstatic with the situation, granting the track more extra fixtures than any other course. Less punters means fewer on-course books, higher margins and is indicative that the racing is as punter unfriendly as possible. The courses that turn the punter off most are the ones to be rewarded in their eyes.
How much longer can this trend go on? Kempton Park is a BAGS track in all but name now, supported by a few big bookies but without a core audience amongst racing enthusiasts. Is this the future? The BHA seem to think so.
Glenn,
I wonder if our online BHA rep will reply to this as it is a very valid (and worrying) point.
I’ve been to Belle Vue and Monmore in the last 12 months, but the quality of the racing at Kempton has never been sufficient to tempt me along.
I won’t be holding my breath for a reply from Mr Struthers. When he did his interview here he contacted me and asked that I address my concerns to him directly, rather than post them here, so I did. I never did get a reply to that e-mail.
I’m not sure how much autonomy the BHA have in the decisions they make these days anyway. The trouble with producing a BAGS product with no natural constituency beyond the big books is that they can easily hold you to ransom. The BHA couldn’t even go through with their desire to give hard working racing staff a couple of days off this winter and had to put on fixtures where blank days were schedueled!
You have to worry for Kempton’s future. They’ve ridden the wave of fixture expansion, but what happens if and when races stop filling to bookies’ liking and a cull is called for? Surely they’ll be first in the list to go.
I won’t be holding my breath for a reply from Mr Struthers. When he did his interview here he contacted me and asked that I address my concerns to him directly, rather than post them here, so I did. I never did get a reply to that e-mail.
Glenn
If that’s what Mr Struthers said then I suggest you keep posting on here and copy the posts on an e-mail to him. Once his inbox starts filling up he might get the message.
If he suggested vthat you express your concerns to him rather than posting on the forum, then it seems clear you have have him rattled. On the basis of what you tell us, further shaking of the cage might be useful.
Rob
I’m not worrying at all about Kempton’s future – the sooner it folds the better, so far as I am concerned!
The crowds – or lack of – are an utter joke. At last Thursday’s card taken from Great Leighs the track resembled a morgue – as they were racing for the first you could count the amount of punters in the stands on one hand.
Betting shop fodder racing taking place in an almost deserted racecourse is a dreadful advertisement for racing.
Why the authorities persist with this rubbish is not clear. How on earth do they think it helps promote the sport? It’s an embarrassment.
Oh, hardly.
The place is cost cutting quicker than Woolworths and has been for some time now.
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