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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.
Agree with your sentiment Grass, but wouldn’t that be filed under unfair competition?
Possibly, but **** the EU.
I reckon the natural untapped market for racing is the professional middle classes. Those that could be attracted by the complexity of working out a bet and are turned off by the football. Many of my racing mates are just that….but are there enough of us overall?
The problem is that racing is still seen as either appealing to coach loads of pissheads from the sink estate bookies or foxkilling welly wearing inbreds. Not exactly appealing to the management accountant from Surbiton (not me by the way…)
Some good points on this thread
Some good points on this thread
Yes Clive, but sadly not by you.
Why insist on portraying the minority as the (was going to say majority) whole lot? Do you ever meet young people, "working class" or a fox hunter?Value Is EverythingDont understand your point. Ok, lets say that racing is overrepresented by those classes perhaps…and might be a turn off in appeal to a wider audience?
Betfair will be delighted to hear that bookmakers will be introducing decimal odds to your average punter.
Ginge I think the valid point Clive is trying to make is the perception of "outsiders" is those who go racing are either the snooty huntin’ and shootin’ types or nare do wells and it isn’t a sport for "normal" people.
Racing has always had an edgy reputation and although thankfully moving away from it, there are still many people with those pre-conceived prejudices against the sport.
The image is not helped when racing does appear in the news pages it is usually for the wrong reasons, corruption or race fixing in particular – although it was nice to see some good racing news last week in the Dream Alliance story.
That is why "personalities" in racing need to engage with the non-racing media.
We also need more Agnes Haddock’s to come to the attention of the wider public.
Just thinking of something else that might help raise the profile: a movie of some sort.
And as luck would have it, ‘Champions’ is released on DVD on January 18th.
Some damn good posts here , firstly dont mind Clive he is winding up folk for fun , I know hes a decent bloke and frankly he is not that radical , albeit I totally agree with his national service concept
Grasshopper is on the money , hid idea is simply too good not to happen , but our friends in the BHA cant and wont even explore it…
Which brings me to my conclusion after thinking about it , Racing for Change is simply a talking shop , because frankly the BHA CANNOT ENFORCE ANY of their ideas , they have to convince and cajole all parties , courses , high st bookies , and on course bookies , betfair , the media , and god knows how many other constituents that make up our game
Some of these will say no and it will be off to the courts again
, so lets not start bridge jumping just yetcheers
Ricky
How about a virtual reality show focusing on Nicholls, Henderson and Mullins through the NH season. Start filming in September and show the whole lot over 4-5 shows in the run up to Chelt & National.
Introduce people to the horses and build a narrative…
Also, jockeys could do more to promote the sport, but unlike most other sportspeople they are busy 7 days a week.
Some damn good posts here , firstly dont mind Clive he is winding up folk for fun , I know hes a decent bloke and frankly he is not that radical , albeit I totally agree with his national service concept
Yeah and the sod has been on top form today
I can imagine Clive as one of those professional middle class dunderheads outside the members bar at Goodwood.
Value Is EverythingI don’t really understand why some people are getting so hot under the collar over these little improvements. They seem to be taking them either as attacks upon the very fabric of the sport or personal affronts.
These depressing attitudes precisely demonstrate why change is so vital if the sport is not just to survive in the future, but to prosper.
And don’t forget this is just the appetiser for the more radical (and they better had be) changes to be announced later (in the spring I believe).
Ginge I think the valid point Clive is trying to make is the perception of "outsiders" is those who go racing are either the snooty huntin’ and shootin’ types or nare do wells and it isn’t a sport for "normal" people.
Clive’s post on page 4 could be taken like you say Paul, if it wasn’t for the two on page 3.
Value Is EverythingI would also suggest that a spell in the army is made compulsory to knock some bloody sense into them
Is that the sense that people of an age you consider to be acceptable failed to teach them when they were younger Clive?
If the ‘younger’ generation are such a bad crowd, then surely it’s the fault of the ‘older’ generation for their sh!t parenting skills?
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