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It is an excellent idea in that the smallest owners get a chance to see their beloveds run and possibly win a race.
But Dave Nevison makes the undeniable point in that it would be folly to say that it isn’t going to be crooked because of the low prize money on offer compared to the cost of sending the horse to compete. Hopefully, in the distant future, we could turn the term Regional Racing into a more literal description by using a few ptp facilities drenched in sand to cater for those who have to travel more than 150 miles to get to a racecourse.
I’m also discouraged by the idea to abonish publishing precise ratings as the trainer can simply stop a horse from winning until the horse is in a preferential band and the legitimate punter will have only a restricted idea as to the consistency of how the banding is figured out.
As for it being another nail in the jumping coffin, surely they could have applied the same ideals to national hunt racing.
<br>Sorry about that – just wanted to add that the transport figure of £800 quoted by Dave Nevison in yesterdays Post was bizarre.
My trainer reckons he must be sending his horses to Southwell in a Bentley if he’s being charged that much.
Yes it’s low prize money, but if I had a horse qualified to run at this level, I’d take the view that some money is beter than no prize money for finishing down the field in a better race.
AP
Ian , thats probably being a bit harsh , after all every time you make a wining or losing bet you contribute in some way to the levy , but in truth our method of funding is all wrong .
Parasite is the wrong description
First impressions of  regional racing is surprisingly good !!
cheers
ricky <br>
well said Ian , I accept your point entirely , and as someone who has criticised regional racing (RR) BEFORE it started , can I say I withdraw my remarks , it was fine !!!
ricky
<br>400 people attended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well that must go some way to showing what the paying public think of this trash
ive heard of funerals with bigger attendences
there scraping the barrel with this im afraid
rather than subsidise wolverhampton perhaps they should build a housing estate over it
<br>PR,
That’s 400 paying customers. The crowd would include annual members, owners and pre paid admissions for boxes and restaurants.
There are plenty of NH tracks that would regard 400 paying customers as acceptable for a new meeting. And it’s more than Wolverhampton get on a Monday afternoon.
BTW, this ‘trash’ (why is it that the anti-AW brigade feel the need to use such emotional language?) seems to be OK with punters.
According to their Ceefax report on page 678, the best backed horse today with Hills was Larkys Lob at Southwell.
Still, why let the facts get in the way of a satisfying emotional outburst?
AP
I feel that its unfair to class the stable staff as those who take out of racing. If it weren’t for these people there would be no racing.
I’m not the biggest all weather fan in the world but i see the problem being the quality of the racing. Why not have a couple of group races on there during the winter to keep the odd top handicapper ticking over. Day in day out i see Class E 0-65 handicaps which i can see any day at Carlisle, Musselburgh, Brighton etc. in the summer. When in the UK do we see top class dirt racing?
I’m a fan of hunter chasers and one of my favourite meetings is the Hunter Chase meeting at Cheltenham in April and the one at Aintree in may. I’m sure regional Class H racing will have its followers but the more regionalised it is the more corrupt it will become (see bush racing in Australia as an example).
Martin
I don’t agree with the idea of adding Group races to the all-weather programmes at this time of year. I too am not the biggest all-weather fan, but I would like to see a few more 0-100 handicaps added to the non-regional cards now and again.<br>The reason why I am against the addition of Group races, particularly at this time of year, is that they could easily turn out to be soft affairs and unworthy of their status, due to the fact that the majority of Group race performers are on a well-earned break after last seasons efforts.<br>As for regional racing, I think it is a good idea as it gives the low-grade horses, and their owners, the chance to win a race. It is not the sort of racing I would put my money on though.<br>
(Edited by Suedehead at 10:50 pm on Jan. 4, 2004)
Regional Racing is a cut above Virtual Racing and provides betting shop gamblers and owners what they need, opportunities to gamble.
I think sand racing will only really take off in this country when a few grade one courses install Polytrack at a conventional type track like Newbury, Haydock, Doncaster and even Newmarket. Proper track layout with long straights and well graded bends to give all runners a decent chance in a race. Sectional timing would also help.
At present, the three tracks provide different challenges such as kickback, uneven/unpredictable going, tight bends and short run-ins. All these contribute to reduce the appeal of sand racing to turf racing fans. <br>
It’s unfair to judge regional racing on that one Wolverhampton meeting, that size crowd is par for the course at Dunstall Park (except on Saturday evenings). I was at Southwell yesterday and there was a good crowd, too many bookmakers, but that’s what bookies always say! OK the racing was pants, but after Rosti, Larkys Lob and Hurricane Coast won there were plenty of punters who went home happy.
<br>Personally I don’t really have an opinion on the all-weather but surely when Newmarket’s is completed this would be the perfect place to have a couple of real quality meetings with a few group races and listed contests.
The fact that it is Newmarket and a new track would attract horses from many of the higher ranked stables IMO
Why is the all-weather just constantly used for a lot of run of the mill stuff????
Quote: from PAULCS on 3:28 pm on Jan. 5, 2004[br]contests.
Why is the all-weather just constantly used for a lot of run of the mill stuff???
Paul,
You mean run of the mill, as in the two £12,000 handicaps tomorrow, or the card at Wolverhampton on Friday that includes a £15,000 0-100 handicap and a £12,000 conditions race.
Or the run of the mill ‘trash’ (to quote another friend of the AW) being staged at Lingfield on March 20th. That card includes two £75,000 races, one worth £30,000, one worth £25,000 and another worth £20,000.
Not to mention the £25,000 handicaps being run at Lingfield every Saturday from Jan 31st to the end of February, or the £35,000 Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton.
Just the sort of run of the mill racing that Catterick and Folkestone deliver every week on turf.
The problem with so many AW knockers is that they are still using the same arguments against it that they did in 1994 and haven’t noticed that it’s changed.
AP
AP, my whole problem with AW is that I am a traditional type of punter. Traditional in that I will always hold my early life experiences of racing as sacred. Those heady days of watching the likes of Sonny Somers, Night Nurse, Move Off, Ubedizzy, Thethingaboutitis, Spindrifter, Provideo, Ardross etc, etc. My memory even takes me back to the days of John Rickman and his trilby hat. Damn, those were the days :)
I guess what i’m trying to say is that the A/W will never give, or come close to giving, the pleasure I got from watching the turf as a mere youngster. It’s like a ‘synthetic’ type of racing in all aspects, designed to generate revenue over the winter months. A traditionalist like myself will never be swayed into enjoying a/w as much as the good ol’ turf. Maybe I live in the past. But you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. I don’t doubt that a/w is just as good as turf in many aspects. But it just isn’t the same.<br>Stupid, sentimental tripe I grant you. I suppose I should just admit that racing has grown up, just like I have.
<br>ap
i would agree with you 100 per cent it has changed since 1994 the only thing is with regional racing for wolverhampton/southwell its a change for the worse
its a joke
we will have races next for 0-20 rated handicappers
i wouldnt mind it it was completely self financing but before racing gets any cut out of it the bhb has to get back the 25000 they give every meeting
i do hope they dont hold one of these meetings on cup final day im sure attendence will be down at cardiff if they do and betting turnover in general.
the bookies however i note are very happy the way things went i wonder if that is because they see losses or profits from it
<br>Racing gets 10% in Levy of all gross profit/gross commission revenue earned by bookmakers/betting exchanges from these RR meetings, the same as any other, you can’t just judge its commercial success on gate receipts.
i know that ian but thanks for reminding me
<br> but what it dosnt do (rr) is improve the state of racing
and the more the product deteriorates the less people will bet on it or be attracted to it as a sport which in the long term will reduce betting turnover<br>
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