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- Total Posts 17716
Americanise events like Kauto Star V Denamn, Zenyatta style……….promote the fact it’s taking place by running ads in the national papers and on TV etc.,
Give away
free
Denman and Kauto scarfs as people pass though the turnstyles and make it like a Man Unt v Man City cup final day and give it a superbowl style build up .
As much hulabaloo as possible, crowd interveiws who do you support etc to grab the publics attention……If it looks like fun to the ordinary man/ woman people will come racing.
- Total Posts 17716
Very interesting thread and a topic I’ve discussed with people involved in many racing nations. Some great ideas and close to great ideas so far. I was talking to someone about a Tote/Betfair alliance just a few days ago and am not surprised to see it mentioned already. There are a few points that will bring nobody through the gates but will make some hardened punters happy. I’ll skip past those. Here are a few ideas I like –
* Superior and better quality catering on course with multiple operators competing for business. Bad food sold expensively is one of the biggest turn offs for novice racegoers. Racing isn’t alone with this problem. Allow smaller local operators opportunities rather than just large catering companies.
* A TOTE/BETFAIR alliance. More High St shops with people able to bet on the TOTE or BETFAIR through terminals. A service counter provides the payouts, deposits and withdrawls. Heavy promotion of Pick6/Placepots as lottery alternatives ( with the player having more chance of a prize than the lottery ). No good promoting these things if most people only have a Corals or William Hill on their High St and no access to TOTE. Retain 5% comm on BETFAIR and reduce takeouts to the TOTE pools with overheads shared. Global pools need to be expedited. We don’t need more local product just better access to International product that’s already up and running. The separate entities of BETFAIR and TOTE remain that way and compete against each other from the same outlet reducing "competition" concerns. TOTE must be owned by racing itself with all benefits returning to the sport.
* A one stop BHA run owners club. No profiteering just a good deal for all involved. Perhaps 100 Flat and 100 Jumps horses owned by the club. Many could be leased from breeders to save on outlays. A small fee of say £100 a year for club members with folks able to purchase extra units ( say 10 for £1000 ) if they like. Each "unit" goes into the draw every time a horse runs with the chance of being owner for the day. Limit one ownership chance to every unit per season. Each unit owner entitled to free entry on any day when a club horse is running. Regular organised stable tours and raceday gatherings for members.
* Better transport direct to and from course to major city centres/railways.
* Better cross use of racecourses on racedays. It can be a long day out for a newbie. If there’s more than just racing to hold interest throughout the day then folks might be more likely to return. This could include market stalls, trade demonstrations, tastings, light entertainment areas, horse interaction, farrier or veterinary demonstrations and so much more. Racing started as a community gathering so let’s see more of interest on course from local communities, farmers and small producers.
* Trainer/jockey panel on course all day discussing the events of the day to the crowd. Folks need to hear more from the major players in the sport to build an affinity. Stream through free to air internet.
* The Grandstand Jockey of the month. On course punters are given a chance to ride a horse simulator ( the type apprentices practise on ). Four/Six of them could be rigged up on the back of a truck with the tray being the stage and easy course to course mobility. Racegoers get a chance to compete against each other in a virtual race with individual positions appearing on a big screen. Heats and a final can be run at selected courses each week with the National winner having the best time of the month. Monthly winners then fight it out in a yearly final for a big prize.
* Sunday race meetings during summer with large pony challenge series for kids. Try to get more than the trainers children involved. This means taking ponies to schools for demos and getting the children interested. Use available facilities more for school day trips to demonstrate horsemanship to kids. Organised hand held racing computer game challenge at meetings for children that cannot ride. Riding lessons on raceday.
* All races free to air on the internet every day. All horses shown parading pre race. All rider weight changes and other alterations including gear to be posted immediately online.
Ok that’s enough the page is going haywire.
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One other small point I’d like to add. Ban any licensed bookmaker from operating a simulated horse racing product. These do nothing whatsoever for the real sport and its image. Simulation actually promotes the idea that racing is expendable and to some extent that results in real events are fixed. It is therefore contrary to the interests of racing. A very slimey attack on the hand that feeds by the bookmaking fraternity. Time to bite back.
Too many of the sugestions so far are geared towards betting and fractional value. None would "revolutionise" racing in anyway whatsoever
Reets suggestion is bizarre i must say, but other than that i think racing needs to develop gradually to appeal to chagning demographics
two things i would consider
RUK to be on freeview. That could easily draw in marginal and occasional punters to its excellent coverage. Its a great shop window
Shorter gaps betwen races on the flat. Sod the owners and jockeys, races going off at 25 minute intervals (as they used to at windsor) or even 20 mins, would give the afternoon/evening more momentum. I have found that occasinal visitors (who are not intent on boozing) find 35 minute gaps between races too much
Did i really read ?
"nationlisation increases commitment and engagement"
If someone typed that, could someone send them help asap. Ambulance and straightjacket please
(or perhaps ask them to drive a British leyland Marina and wait three months for a phone to be installed by the post office)
"RUK to be on freeview. That could easily draw in marginal and occasional punters to its excellent coverage. Its a great shop window"
Clivex,
Nice idea but, they really could not afford it.
Channel 4, in 2005 paid 10 million for one; there are a couple becoming available and the price has dropped considerably – due to adevertising revenues decreasing – but, to get hold of one would still be a tidy sum.
Regards – Matron
When RUK started Betfair wanted to sponsor it and for it to be free to air.
For reasons best known to themselves the BHA turned this idea down.Was that right eddie? Seem to recall now. Matron…its a tricky cost benefit because its so long term but i still believe it would pay its way
Colin…. Nationlisation is a timewarp! Thats what i was refering to. I would also stop that bloody singing at those welsh tracks too. Drive any sane punter away
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I would like to put forward races for horses who are too well handicapped which encourages corruption.
If a horse has won 2 races in 30 starts and is now rated 107, he’s won off 87 and 94 – if unable to place in his last 3 starts then he can either run of his new advised handicap rating or ina race for horses rated 90-100.
- Total Posts 17716
Clivex
"Too many of the sugestions so far are geared towards betting and fractional value. None would "revolutionise" racing in anyway whatsoever
Reets suggestion is bizarre i must say,"
My ‘bizarre’ suggestion was (like the Liberal Party’s 1p on income tax to salvage the Health Service) purely in the interest of the sport, and would have the following effects:
1/ The immediate cessation of the Levy, and with it the need for the sport to be organised and run at the bookmakers’ behest.
2/ Prize money to compete with any other country, so that we may once again attract the best horses/trainers/jockeys/owners etc, and not have to rely on ‘tradition’ – born of us once being the premier racing country anyway – which will dissipate the longer we go on paying less than the rest.
3/ A properly structured sport, built and run on the principle of identifying the best, rather than seeing how many races can be run, (remember those days?
). 4/ Better integrity, with decent prize money obviating the need to land touches as an incentive to own horses.
5/ Less dross racing, which is, in itself, a major disincentive to how racing is viewed as a whole, both by the media and the general public.
Might not seem very ‘revolutionary’, but it would certainly do for a start.
Something
really
radical?
How about this?
In an attempt to ensure all runners try their best.
The last finisher in every handicap to…be shot.
Nice idea, insomniac.
And their trainers to be horse-whipped by anyone winning the placepot?
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Thanks Max – knew I’d got one in me, somewhere.
In-running punting should be televised. If people are prepared to watch 10 blokes (or women) sat round a table playing cards then they’d be prepared to watch 10 fat blokes pressing buttons like maniacs. £10,000 buy in for each day of the Cheltenham Festival, up to three re-buys, winner takes all. They could have nicknames, their own theme tunes a la darts players and could wind each other up after the race – "what did you back that for, everyone knows it finds **** all for pressure". Failing that, monkey tennis….
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