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Time to stop screening/funding all meetings?

Home Forums Horse Racing Time to stop screening/funding all meetings?

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  • #1599319
    Avatar photoIanDavies
    Blocked
    • Total Posts 12996

    There are TEN meetings in the UK and Ireland tomorrow (nine of which are one channel, I’m told).

    Now I have no issue with these ten fixtures taking place if they can all stand on their own two feet commercially and turn a profit based on gate revenue etc on the day.

    But does the off-course industry really need pictures of ten meetings and should media rights payments be being made to ten tracks?

    Isn’t it time to cap what the off-course market actually purchases broadcast pictures of and contributes financially towards?

    To me, this is saturation coverage and the economic law of diminishing returns must set in at some point.

    I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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    https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
    It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"

    #1599342
    Avatar photopatriot1
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    • Total Posts 994

    The trouble is that different punters will want to back horses at different tracks so how do you decide which meetings to blackout.

    I’m working tomorrow but if I was off I’d be looking forward to seeing the first meeting at Cartmel this year with some cracking prize money. But others would rather bet on the class sixes at Catterick. With excellent prize money at Haydock, Chester, Chelmsford and Beverley i’m not sure who you leave out.

    The only thing I would like to see is less big races on Saturdays and more on Sundays.

    #1599354
    Avatar photoyeats
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    • Total Posts 3700

    7 meetings tomorrow afternoon on Racing TV – What a turn off.

    How has The Ebor benefitted from moving to a Saturday?

    BHA mentioned culling 300 races a couple of weeks ago, some people were up in arms at that. Need to cull about 10 times that amount for starters.

    Of course nothing will change, the sport will just stumble on with no leadership from those in charge.

    #1599363
    worzelwaywardlad
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    • Total Posts 270

    Therein lies the problem Yeats. As we currently have a Tripartite system in place, no-one is in charge!

    #1599396
    runandskip84
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    • Total Posts 294

    Couldn’t the BHA just provide officials etc for a maximum number of meetings and stop racecourse racing that way??

    #1599490
    Avatar photoyeats
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    • Total Posts 3700

    I had no financial interest but was enjoying the finish of an exciting race Stratford when it suddenly went split screen with the start of a mediocre hurdle at Limerick. The horses at Limerick were on the distant horizon and it was impossible to make out what was happening at Limerick even if you were interested.
    I immediately lost interest in the Stratford race which was totally spoiled and couldn’t tell you what won it.

    I find it odd that a channel supposedly for the benefit of British racing shows so much mediocre racing from Ireland and in split screen. If they want to show the Irish racing it should be on a separate channel.

    I would suggest Racing TV is one to avoid this afternoon, I will be cutting my losses and making do with ITV.
    Maybe someone should mention to Racing TV as well that 2 Irish meetings are in the afternoon and not the evening as they have on their schedule.

    #1599493
    homersimpson
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    • Total Posts 3215

    Just one less meeting than Boxing Day then. £1 a race = £72. Quite a costly day unless you have a few winners.

    #1599494
    Avatar photoCork All Star
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    • Total Posts 11858

    “I would suggest Racing TV is one to avoid this afternoon, I will be cutting my losses and making do with ITV.”

    Good advice, yeats. I think RTV will be almost unwatchable today. Wall to wall racing without a pause for breath.

    I had a look through the race cards last night. Lots of racing but hardly any of it inspiring. Mediocre handicap followed by yet another.

    There simply does not need to be 10 meeting in Britain and Ireland today. 6 or 7 are perfectly adequate.

    I may watch the first few races but then I will go to watch my local cricket team instead.

    #1599496
    Avatar photoCork All Star
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    • Total Posts 11858

    Haydock, Chester and Cartmel all racing on the same day. Three tracks which all draw crowds from Manchester and especially from Liverpool.

    It will be interesting to see the attendance figures when they are published. Chester’s May meeting crowds were considerably down, so it remains to be seen if its weekend attendances hold up.

    #1599506
    Avatar photoIanDavies
    Blocked
    • Total Posts 12996

    As stated, if the crowds today cover costs on their own, why not let three (albeit relatively adjacent) businesses conduct a successful’s day’s business simultaneously?

    It’s propping them up with media rights subsidy and beaming live pictures of all of them off-course I object to.

    I’ve had a bet at Cartmel, but I don’t need to see it live tbh – they’re trying to screen too much.

    I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
    https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
    https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
    It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"

    #1599510
    Richard88
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    • Total Posts 3678

    There are hundreds upon hundreds of channels, quite why they can’t set one more up to avoid split screen racing is beyond me.

    To address the thread title, should they? Probably, yes. Will they? Not a chance.

    #1599607
    Avatar photoCork All Star
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    • Total Posts 11858

    And as we head into the summer, tomorrow’s racing is four jumps meeings. :wacko:

    #1599646
    seepigeon
    Participant
    • Total Posts 141

    Of Sunday’s meetings, excluding Punchestown, 21 jumps races have a total of around 135 runners – though probably less than that by 2-00pm on the day.
    Which lunatic makes these plans?
    Yet again, on Saturday evening, there was the farce of jumps races with half the obstacles omitted, yet Chelmsford raced in the afternoon and would surely have been a better choice for an evening meeting.

    #1599694
    Avatar photoCork All Star
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    • Total Posts 11858

    A 2 runner race to start proceedings at Fontwell. That will be great for the Levy.

    #1599769
    Tizaaards Cider
    Participant
    • Total Posts 970

    The program book is beyond a joke now. Just off the top of my head I think Tuesday’s meeting at Brighton will be it’s 3rd in about 12 days. Uttoxeter raced today and has another meeting Thursday, has another a week after then another 6 days after that.

    Chester has a similar number of meetings for the next couple of months, the AW tracks churn out nothing but garbage year round.

    Until someone at the BHA has the kahonas to trim a good 200/300 MEETINGS a year racing is going to be in an ever decreasing spiral.

    #1599812
    Avatar photoGingertipster
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    • Total Posts 34704

    Yet again, Ian has it spot on. :good:

    Value Is Everything
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