Racing Goes Metric

[% MAN]

I received this amongst the plethora of press releases today (I’ve removed some of the “padding”:-

This summer, three London racecourses – Sandown Park, Kempton Park and Epsom Downs – plan to trial the use of metric weights and distances as a way of making the sport more accessible to overseas visitors and younger adults.

The idea comes from Racing for Change.
Racing for Change believes that the use of imperial measures leaves many younger adults confused, with the vast majority of the UK population and much of the world now using metric measures exclusively.

In UK racing, the furlong is used along with miles to describe race distances.

Imperial units are also the norm in British racing, when the allotted weights of jockeys are described on race cards, with stones and pounds shown instead of kilos.

However, this is all about to change this summer when the three main London racecourses – Epsom Downs, Kempton Park and Sandown Park – will be trialling the side-by-side usage of metric and imperial measures.

According to leading jockey, Frankie Dettori:
“This is a great idea when so many tourists will be visiting Britain for the Olympics. In Italy, I grew up with metrics so it’s second nature to me, as well as to my kids, but I can understand why they’re running them side-by-side since many racegoers are happier with Britain’s Imperial measures.”

The first to go metric will be Sandown Park at their evening fixture on 25th July. The furlong markers will also be adorned with large metre markers, while racecards will carry both race distances and jockey weights in imperial and metric units.

Rod Street, Chief Executive of Racing for Change, commented:
“Racing’s unique language is an asset and part of its heritage and appeal, but we do think that the use of both metric and imperial measures will help us to explain the sport better to our international visitors and younger adults.

“Imperial measures don’t mean a great deal to kids and tourists, so it makes sense to trial the use of metric information. This summer, our London racecourses are expecting a significant number of overseas visitors, as well as British families taking advantage of free entry for U16s at most racedays.”

If these dual displays prove popular with racegoers, then their wider introduction will be considered in the autumn.
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I can see the logic but it should be one or the other used, not both.

I’m an old curmudgeon and I know and prefer Imperial and struggle with some metric (especially weights – I still insist in using imperial when I buy food loose)but I accept for the younger generation it’s the other way round and it is, inevitably going to change at some point.

[yeats]

http://www.ors-racing.co.uk/Images/General/Sandown120725MetricNotes.jpg

Is the £33 entrance fee also aimed at attracting overseas visitors?

[% MAN]

Is the £33 entrance fee also aimed at attracting overseas visitors?

They know no better so probably think it’s normal and as they are unlikely to be return business why should the courses bother as long as they get the money. After all ripping off tourists is a national pastime in this country.

I had a "discussion" with a shopkeeper near Buckingham Palace last Monday who tried to charge me £1.99 for a packet of crisps – when he realised I wasn’t a foreign tourist the price dropped to 79p – needless to say I told him where to stick his crisps.

The £33 entrance fee is simply designed to pi$$ off and alienate true racing fans whilst attracting screaming hoards to the concerts.

[Miss Woodford]

Is the £33 entrance fee also aimed at attracting overseas visitors?

They know no better so probably think it’s normal and as they are unlikely to be return business why should the courses bother as long as they get the money. After all ripping off tourists is a national pastime in this country.

I had a "discussion" with a shopkeeper near Buckingham Palace last Monday who tried to charge me £1.99 for a packet of crisps – when he realised I wasn’t a foreign tourist the price dropped to 79p – needless to say I told him where to stick his crisps.

The £33 entrance fee is simply designed to pi$$ off and alienate true racing fans whilst attracting screaming hoards to the concerts.

As someone accustomed to free admission and free parking at my local track (for a fancy shmancy non-racino track like Churchill or Saratoga admission is $3), I honestly wouldn’t bother attending any track for 33 pounds. The average American tourist might pay it (after all, that’s about the price of a ticket to a baseball game), but a

racing

fan? Hell no.

[Author]

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