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A very small handful have started to show an interest in betting. I have shown them the basics and how to read the form – but their interest comes from the idea that there is ‘easy money’ to be made. They lap up the punting strategies but when I say ‘look at this great finish’ or ‘check out Kauto’s latest win’, they yawn.
The £ signs and the flashing numbers are more attractive to them than the product itself. Some have placed bets without ever watching live racing!
A very relevant post. Take note RFC/BHA.
Too many young people contrbuting to this forum. Is Countdown not on today or something? I suppose with the cold weather there arent enough coffin dodgers tottering down to the post office to make mugging worthwhile. Still i expect most of them will now get their Media Studies degrees for three consequtive posts on an internet forum. That and being able to stay off crack for 24 hours.
Pretty inappropriate and ignorant post clivexx, exactly the kind of elitist and arrogant attitude that detracts new followers to the sport, idiot.
Is anyone else depressed by another initiative to get youngsters into racing via ownership? The attitude seems to be that if you don’t own horses you don’t count.
What’s wrong with youngsters getting involved in racing without the excorbitant costs of horse ownership? Have we got a dearth of owners or a dearth of young people intrested in the sport? I’d say the latter was the problem.
Also, why doesn’t racing have a credible fantasy game? The nearest we get is the ten to follow, which is rather univolving. I’ve seen fantasy ownership for virtual horses but not the real thing.
Pretty inappropriate and ignorant post clivexx, exactly the kind of elitist and arrogant attitude that detracts new followers to the sport, idiot.
Magic…..
Not as much time as all these layabouts on here who are clearly playing truant just because theres a bit of snow. There should be a minimum age barrier for contributors on TRF. Until sufficient taxes have been paid and a decent education in the University of life (rather than a course in The Meaning fo Oasis’s lyrics at the Lambeth poly) has been achieved, then opinions should be kept to the crack den. I would also suggest that a spell in the army is made compulsory to knock some bloody sense into them
Your sense of humour cracks me up clivexx. Were you awarded that second x in the honours list for services to side splitting.
I’m 18 and likewise, very few of my friends are interested in the sport.
I just about remember being 18 and for the record very few of my friends then were interested in racing or betting either. I was the exception and suspect ’twas and ’twill always be the case
Racing back then, as now, was regarded as a fuddie-duddie elitist sport and betting on it – or anything – more frowned upon than it is today and very much the refuge of dukes and dustmen with ‘middle england’ either ignorant of or purposely shunning it
Sports betting was virtually non-existant and the development of that is at the crux of the matter: the minoroty of ‘yoof’ who actually had an interest in betting had few other ports of call to satisfy their need than the racetrack and its public extension the LBO which provided betting opportunities on…racing… Full Stop. The unique selling point
Now said minority can bet on whatever they like and racing no longer has the allure it once had
Chicken or egg: would racing ever have had ‘mass appeal’ had it not for decades been in the happy position of having a near monopoly on betting opportunities for those ‘masses’?
Those who never bet but nonetheless enjoy racing for its own sake account for a small percentage of those who follow the sport, I’d confidently guess.
Racing horses is a rather strange atavistic pursuit and will always fail to ‘click’ with the majority, and with most of the remaining minority…were it not for betting
On the subject of ‘marketing’. Perhaps the reasons (which I don’t know) behind Golf’s re-invention as a trendy sport would be worth studying. This too was viewed a fuddie-duddie elitist sport but now attracts large numbers of youngsters, both playing and watching it.
I’m not alarmed about the state of horse racing. This agenda gets pushed by people who will profit from it i.e the bookies who are on every site and horse racing television proggramme you can think of. There will always be good horses, and there will always be good races. People are trying to peddle the myth that racing is in disaray. I don’t see a great deal wrong with it myself. I can’t help but think helping horse racing equates to better profits for the bookmakers. One of these first steps to improve the game is to have a trial with decimal prices, which highlights my point. What have decimals go to do with horse racing…that’s gambling and nothing to do with the actual sport. It also the same when people say we need young people to get into the sport, in other words all they mean is they want a new generation of losing gamblers to fund the lifestyles of those bookmakers who hijack the likes of ATR and RUK with their constant telephone marketing ploys.
I do like the the following idea all the same :-
The outcome of photo finishes to be displayed on screen at the same moment as the judge’s announcement. Saddlecloth numbers will be larger to improve visibility.
The reason why horse racing has lost an audience is the same reason Coronation Street no longer gets 14m viewers. Variety is the spice of life so they say, and times have moved on. People have more options in life with regards to how they can spend their time. The days of buying a pint for 20 pence, then going next door for a bet, then back into the pub to watch one of FOUR terrestrial channels is long gone. Racing got more attention because there only were a few bloody channels, so by default they were getting a lot of viewers. Now people have sky this and virgin media that.
Do people who say they want to improve the sport actually mean the sport, or do they mean gambling ?
If the prize money isn’t good enough, then why shouldn’t the bookmakers be told to chip in what equates to a pittance to each of them towards the prize funds ?
I agree that sometimes there is too much made of "gambling", and not enough made of the racing.
However, for some time people within the sport who talk about what "racing" needs, is really talking of what benifits thair part of racing’s circus.
Ask a trainer or jockey and a lot of them will want "more prize money". Ask them where is it going to come from, "bookmakers". If bookies paid any more without their profits also increasing, they would no longer be interested in horse racing.
Bookmakers are part of "racing" and we should work with them, their interests should be taken in to account; as well as owners, trainers, jockeys, stable staff, racecourses and punters. To treat bookies as the enemy will not get us anywhere. Sometimes what is good for the bookmaker is good for the punter too.
Racing For Change is a step forward and should be applauded.
Value Is EverythingThe Racing Product should be advertised on television. Not just a racing program "The Morning Line" but a specific contest identified ie. "The Gold Cup" and then the race contestants identified and promoted as a duel or match. It should be promoted on prime time television as the clash of the century, It should be advertised on sky sports, at half time in a football match, rugby and in cricket test series. These are the type of people who are most likely to appreciate a sporting event. How many people watching the champions league on a Tuesday evening will even know of the mouth watering spectacle that will take place in March, very few I venture. An added bonus is that a number of households may have a bet, half will win
and then be hooked for life, I still remember jumping up and down as a child cheering Red Rum while my mother shouted for Crisp, that’s whats missing from this generation of youngsters. Yes they have choices, racing has to be one of the best and most exciting.The Tote should be sold – lock, stock, the faackin’ lot – to UK Horseracing PLC.
The traditional "take-out" financing model should be discarded, and UK Horseracing PLC should convert the entire Tote operation to an exchange format.
Major BetFair players should be induced with 1%-for-life commission rates, as soon as a certain amount of turnover has been reached.
An across-the-board commission rate of 2.5% should be set to ensure competitive advantage over BetFair.
In an ideal world, someone like the BHA would own 100% of the shareholding of the company, however I’ve yet to be convinced that anyone at the BHA has the savvy to run a genuinely commercial organisation.
Trouble is whenever we see C4 or BBC showing stuff that goes on at the races it’s always in the posh end. Some presenter drinking champagne or eating fine food. It is not as elitest as they sometimes make out.
Yes, what about having an advert on TV showing all aspects of racing? Yes, the posh nosh and champers, but also the beer and burger. Showing the beauty sipping her cock tail and the farmer in his flat cap. But also the ordinary bloke in smart casual, even in jeans. Lets have horses walking around the paddock, someone putting a bet on….
Betting is nowhere near as much frowned on nowadays. What about contrasting watching balls coming out of a tube, with racegoers shouting their fancy home in the Grandstand. Then jumping up and down and hugging each other.
It is not how I celebrate, but if it brings people (particularly the young) through the gates, why not?
Value Is EverythingThe Tote should be sold – lock, stock, the faackin’ lot – to UK Horseracing PLC.
The traditional "take-out" financing model should be discarded, and UK Horseracing PLC should convert the entire Tote operation to an exchange format.
Major BetFair players should be induced with 1%-for-life commission rates, as soon as a certain amount of turnover has been reached.
An across-the-board commission rate of 2.5% should be set to ensure competitive advantage over BetFair.
In an ideal world, someone like the BHA would own 100% of the shareholding of the company, however I’ve yet to be convinced that anyone at the BHA has the savvy to run a genuinely commercial organisation.
Agree with your sentiment Grass, but wouldn’t that be filed under unfair competition?
Value Is EverythingI like it Gingertipster, I like it alot.
The only problem is, the TV advert could be very succesful but all it would mean is new racegoers trying to find a ‘Racecourse this way’ sign that isn’t there or getting blank faces when asking ‘which bus do I need?’
Thinking about it, Northern Rail sponsor one of the rugby tournaments & they have posters for it at all the stations. Some of the courses are very near railway stations, maybe Southern or First Great Western or someome could sposnor some races.
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