Poor Free Show BHA

[Ken(West Derby)]

You would think that the BHA would make a special effort to encourage more entries for those races covered by their ‘Racing for Free’ promotion. For example, at the time of writing this, the evening card at Huntington has three races with 4, 5, and six runners. Are these likely to produce the spectacle to encourage first-timers to return as paying customers in the future? I very much doubt it.
If the BHA intend marketing race-going as a worthwhile pursuit then someone needs to remove their dunces cap and start using a bit of foresight. It’s all well and good issuing downloadable freebies but then someone needs to ensure that the end product matches the expectation.
Highly disappointed,
Tunbridge Wells.

[eddie case]

Wouldn’t have thought small fields for some of the races was much of a factor at all. You don’t need lots of runners for a good race and there are plenty in the other races. Maybe the small fields will mean more newcomers will back a winner.
You can’t be too careful with jumpers on good to firm ground especially over fences and the prize money is pretty poor, less than a grand for the championship race which opens proceedings.

[anthonycutt]

I think in the fifth race, the presence of American World might have put off some of the potential competitors.

And the punters got to see the champ winning well at a not especially off putting price.

Still, I’m very much in the mindset that the purpose of this free week is to get people through the doors then get them fed & watered. The racing itself has been secondary.

[jose1993]

I like to criticise the BHA and RFC, but with this issue I won’t. They’re letting people in free, and perhaps those going for a bet will find it easier to back a winner with small fields and enjoy it more. Who knows at the end of the day.

The small fields issue is more of a general one. And I wouldn’t blame the BHA 100% on that either. Chucking prize money at it for decent races doesn’t seem to work.

At Ascot the prize money for each race to the winner was….

£7,477
£6,542
£22,708 (Listed)
£36,900 (Group 3)
£22,708 (Listed)
£4,857 (Handicap in Two Divisions)
£4,857 (Handicap in Two Divisions)

7, 5, 4, 10, 8, 11, 10 were the number of runners in each race in order.

A Listed Race with 4 runners? Yet, the mile Class 4 handicap split into Two Divisions was loved.

[apracing]

Ken,

I had my horse Power Shared entered at Huntingdon (and Hereford) yesterday. The entry was made last Friday in the hope that the dry spell would end before race day. But even with massive artificial watering, both tracks remained good to firm.

To add to the problem, both tracks have also been used through the winter on soft and heavy ground, so they got well churned up. The long dry spell and cold nights have done nothing to promote the fresh growth that you’d expect in April. Watch any film from the last Huntingdon meeting and you’ll see more sand being kicked up than is normal at Southwell.

Power Shared has had 18 months off the track with a tendon injury prior to his return to racing in November. He’s only a 6-y-old and I hope he’ll be running over fences for another two or three years. So there’s no way I’m going to run any undue risk on ground that might produce a repeat injury, which would probably end his career, not even to assist Racing For Change!

AP

[Ken(West Derby)]

Hi Everyone,
I withdraw this thread unconditionally and with apologies.
I went to Huntington last night and it was a great and enjoyable experience.
A normal 450 crowd was up to 3,000. We were entertained with some good racing action, a brilliant performance by Thommo assisted by some great interviews with Andrew Thornton ….highly articulate and ‘giving’ plus Tony McCoy having flown in from Hereford.
I saw no drunken rowdiness, just pleasant people of all ages and backgrounds out to enjoy themselves. Even the weather didn’t dampen events too much.
I’m not sure if backing the biggest priced winner of the night clouded my judgement but as I responded to the market researcher, along with most others apparently, we’d more than go again as paying customers if it was about a fiver admission.
Even though I’m only half an hour’s drive away I probably wouldn’t have gone along but as it was a freebie it was well worth the effort and I’ll certainly attend the next meeting as a paying customer. So, RFC has acquired at least one convert.
Ken

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