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For the first time in many years, I have not had a bet on a horse race for at least 6 weeks. There is only one reason for this – I am totally bored of it. There is too much racing and the situation gets worse in the summer and it makes me lose interest in it.
I also bet seriously on soccer and golf and these sports have days off and sometimes weeks off which leaves me keen for their return but I never get this feeling with horse racing anymore because it is non stop all year long.
I never thought I would say this but I am starting to enjoy the AW winter flat season more than the summer flat season because there are only about 2 meetings each day and it is easier to follow the form etc.
Somebody said that punters only have so much money to bet with – I have become bored of racing this summer so I bet on other sports instead and by the look of my near empty local Coral betting shop recently, I think others do the same.
If there was less ‘betting shop fodder racing’ the prizemoney could be better for the remaining races,
The "betting shop fodder" provide the prizemoney in the first place (bangs head against wall)
What do you mean by "remaining" races?
You’ve being banging on about "betting shop fodder" and little else. Some facts, figures, statistics, meaningul data would be helpful to back up your argument.
Erm,please don’t waste your time banging your head against the wall on my account because it really isn’t too difficult to understand OTHER opinions than your own……….if you try and maybe apply some basic good manners.
I beleive that the levy lost from cutting the crap racing that nobody much is interested in could be made up by beefing up the prizemoney elsewhere eg
cut out for example a load of maidens and claimers on all weather tracks ( betting shop fodder) and put the prize money into better meetings to make the races more attractive both to owners and punters……thereby increasing the levy as I and other racing fans get interested again and actually go into the betting shop to bet on decent racing not avoiding bothering to even look at something that falls below moronic fobt games in its attractiveness.Here’s a few figures to ponder while I wait for the next Class E at Sandown
Flat turf racing UK
Year 2000: % of Class C races and above 643-2316 = 27.77%
Year 2008: % of Class C races and above 664-2660 = 24.96%A small drop but hardly calamitous is it. About 1 Class C and above race less per week than 9 years ago.
Year 2000: % of individual horses who ran a RPR of 93 or above 534-8263 = 6.4%
Year 2008: % of individual horses who ran a RPR of 93 or above 618-9874 = 6.3%The number of horses running to a Class C level and above is almost identical.
Total races run Year 2000 = 4775 – Levy yield 61.9 million
Total races run Year 2008 = 6255 – Levy yield 100 million (ex highroller money)A 31% increase in fixtures matched by a 65.8% increase in levy yield. CLEARLY the demand has been there.
% of Levy Yield contributed by "betting shop fodder" 2008 =
67.58%
Hong Kong Racing has per race more money gambled on it than any where else on Earth.
% of current 120+ rated horses in Hong Kong compared to overall racehorse population there = 0.16%
% of current 90+ rated horses in Hong Kong compared to overall racehorse population there = 11.8%
% of current 65 and below rated horses in Hong Kong compared to overall racehorse population there =
62.34%
Well over 50% of all Hong Kong horses are Selling level, doesn’t stop them gambling on it though….why?
Superb product
that’s why.
Well over 50% of all Hong Kong horses are Selling level, doesn’t stop them gambling on it though….why?
Superb product
that’s why.
I don’t know for sure, but I would really doubt that. They buy in young already semi proven stock from europe and australasia. Maybe their domestic handicap scale is different from the scale you are imagining.
Here’s a few figures to ponder while I wait for the next Class E at Sandown
Flat turf racing UK
Year 2000: % of Class C races and above 643-2316 = 27.77%
Year 2008: % of Class C races and above 664-2660 = 24.96%A small drop but hardly calamitous is it. About 1 Class C and above race less per week than 9 years ago.
Year 2000: % of individual horses who ran a RPR of 93 or above 534-8263 = 6.4%
Year 2008: % of individual horses who ran a RPR of 93 or above 618-9874 = 6.3%The number of horses running to a Class C level and above is almost identical.
Total races run Year 2000 = 4775 – Levy yield 61.9 million
Total races run Year 2008 = 6255 – Levy yield 100 million (ex highroller money)A 31% increase in fixtures matched by a 65.8% increase in levy yield. CLEARLY the demand has been there.
% of Levy Yield contributed by "betting shop fodder" 2008 =
67.58%
Hong Kong Racing has per race more money gambled on it than any where else on Earth.
% of current 120+ rated horses in Hong Kong compared to overall racehorse population there = 0.16%
% of current 90+ rated horses in Hong Kong compared to overall racehorse population there = 11.8%
% of current 65 and below rated horses in Hong Kong compared to overall racehorse population there =
62.34%
Well over 50% of all Hong Kong horses are Selling level, doesn’t stop them gambling on it though….why?
Superb product
that’s why.
Impressive looking stats but I always like to see sources re stats.
I’m not sure how HK racing compares with our own.
Delighted to note no tetchy impatience or intolerance in the reply and delighted for you that you feel ‘betting shop fodder’ is ‘superb product’……
for what its worth I wonder if anyone agrees with you……apart from the legion of shrewdie racing types in betting shops everyday of course
Maybe we should start to have either Blank days during the week, Maybe every other Tuesday could be ideal or have Sundays with Flat only or Jumps only.
The 2 afternoon and 2 evening is ideal, Look at today, their is an afternoon meeting at Brighton and 2 evening meetings at Sandown and Folkestone so people maybe unsure for which meeting to attend, OK all the music fans will go to Sandown for Boyzone but those on the coast will be in a dilema.
I have read how people dont bet at the minor meetings and just concentrate on the quality end, well i have been on course at Aintree,Nottingham,Wolverhampton and Haydock this year to name but a few and have backed the winner of the Melling Chase and Sefton Novices Hurdle aswell as the Nottingham Racecourse Selling Stakes so for me any race is worth trying to workout no matter how tricky it looks.
The racing product is holding up very well in the current climate, just look at the fact that 45,000+ went to Chester last Sunday, At Ascot about 25,000 went on King George Day where as York got about 36,250.
On Magnet Cup Day Chester and York got 31,667 and 39,914 through the gate and Ascot got 13,448.
One thing which i did notice was not a lot of people were in a huff about Tuesdays meetings not finishing at Catterick and Chepstow, maybe the fact they were appaling meetings helped.
Impressive looking stats but I always like to see sources re stats.
I’m not sure how HK racing compares with our own.
Delighted to note no tetchy impatience or intolerance in the reply and delighted for you that you feel ‘betting shop fodder’ is ‘superb product’……
for what its worth I wonder if anyone agrees with you……apart from the legion of shrewdie racing types in betting shops everyday of course WinkSources of stats
UK Flat – Raceform, publishers of the official formbook http://www.raceform.co.uk/
Levy Figures – From the latest Levyboard annual report http://www.hblb.org.uk/document.php?id=56Cant say for sure about how Hong Kong ratings compare, however Good Ba Ba is the highest rated horse over there on 131, Timeform had him 127 in their annual and Raceform 125 so I’d say there quite similar. The point I’m trying to make is that the vast majority of their horses run in lower class racing as well.
With my "Superb product" remark I was referring to Hong Kong racing not UK.
Whether you agree or not the facts I’ve put up speak for themselves.
Some of the lower ratings in Hong Kong leave me a bit confused. If you see horses like Collection or Helene Brilliant (Doctor Brown in the UK), either the handicapping scales are slightly different, or those 2 horses were the biggest certainties off all time when they went handicapping over there.
This day 12 years ago when racing was soooo much better. No "betting shop fodder" here. A days racing so dripping with quality you’d hardly know where to start
Date >>>>> Time >>>>> Course >>>>> Race >>>>> Class
06/08/1997 >>>>> 14:15 >>>>> Brighton >>>>> Ringmer Selling Stakes (Class G) (2yo) >>>>> G
06/08/1997 >>>>> 14:30 >>>>> Newcastle >>>>> Newcastle Show Median Auction Maiden Stakes (Class F) (2yo) >>>>> F
06/08/1997 >>>>> 14:45 >>>>> Brighton >>>>> Marina Maiden Auction Stakes (Class E) (2yo) >>>>> E
06/08/1997 >>>>> 15:00 >>>>> Newcastle >>>>> C D Bramall LDV Nursery (Class E) (2yo) >>>>> E
06/08/1997 >>>>> 15:15 >>>>> Brighton >>>>> Tote Credit Sprint Handicap (Class D) (3yo+,0-80) >>>>> D
06/08/1997 >>>>> 15:30 >>>>> Newcastle >>>>> North East Auto Trader Apprentice Selling Stakes (Class G) (3yo+) >>>>> G
06/08/1997 >>>>> 15:45 >>>>> Brighton >>>>> Tote Bookmakers Handicap (Class F) (3yo+,0-60) >>>>> F
06/08/1997 >>>>> 16:00 >>>>> Newcastle >>>>> Sandy Bay Holiday Park Handicap (Class E) (3yo+,0-70) >>>>> E
06/08/1997 >>>>> 16:15 >>>>> Brighton >>>>> Cliftonville Median Auction Maiden Stakes (Class F) (3-4yo) >>>>> F
06/08/1997 >>>>> 16:30 >>>>> Newcastle >>>>> Nep Handicap (Class D) (3yo+,0-85) >>>>> D
06/08/1997 >>>>> 16:45 >>>>> Brighton >>>>> Edburton Maiden Handicap (Class F) (3yo+,0-60) >>>>> F
06/08/1997 >>>>> 17:00 >>>>> Newcastle >>>>> Boots At Metro Centre Limited Stakes (Class E) (3yo+,0-70) >>>>> E
06/08/1997 >>>>> 17:50 >>>>> Yarmouth >>>>> East Coast Handicap (Class D) (D) (3yo+,0-80) >>>>> D
06/08/1997 >>>>> 18:10 >>>>> Nottingham >>>>> ‘Jamaica’ Selling Stakes (Class G) (2yo) >>>>> G
06/08/1997 >>>>> 18:20 >>>>> Yarmouth >>>>> Manship Maiden Stakes (Class D) (3yo+) >>>>> D
06/08/1997 >>>>> 18:40 >>>>> Nottingham >>>>> ‘Barbados’ Median Auction Maiden Stakes (Class F) (3yo) >>>>> F
06/08/1997 >>>>> 18:50 >>>>> Yarmouth >>>>> Freethorpe Claiming Stakes (Class F) (3yo) >>>>> F
06/08/1997 >>>>> 19:10 >>>>> Nottingham >>>>> ‘Trinidad & Tobago’ Claiming Stakes (Class F) (2yo) >>>>> F
06/08/1997 >>>>> 19:20 >>>>> Yarmouth >>>>> Horsey Selling Handicap (Class G) (3-4yo,0-60) >>>>> G
06/08/1997 >>>>> 19:40 >>>>> Nottingham >>>>> Antigua Handicap (Class E) (3yo+,0-70) >>>>> E
06/08/1997 >>>>> 19:50 >>>>> Yarmouth >>>>> Banham Poultry Conditions Stakes (Class D) (D) (2yo) >>>>> D
06/08/1997 >>>>> 20:10 >>>>> Nottingham >>>>> St Lucia Fillies’ Handicap (Class E) (3yo+,0-70) >>>>> E
06/08/1997 >>>>> 20:20 >>>>> Yarmouth >>>>> Filby Bridge Fillies’ Handicap (Class E) (3yo+,0-70) >>>>> E
06/08/1997 >>>>> 20:40 >>>>> Nottingham >>>>> ‘Caribbean’ Handicap (Class F) (3yo+,0-65) >>>>> F HK handicapping scales:
I wouldn’t know what to ask, but if anyone wants to try get confirmation first hand whether/how they differ from BHA scales, the email address freely available on the web is: nigel.c.gray@hkjc.org.hk
- Total Posts 17716
I would have to agree from the stay at home punters view there are far too many meetings at times. Some races are dreadful and you would have to be nuts to bet in them.
An example I heard on the radio the other day was some punter critising Ryan Moore by email for a ride he had when the horse failed to show. The host of the show pointed out to him the horse had ran 20 odd times an never won in it’s life and he was a fool for betting in the race/the horse in the first place.
So there are many bad horses out there and bad races but from a locals point of view he doesn’t care. Places like Hexam or wherever might have some crappy racing but the locals love to go along on an evening with the wife and kids or their mates and they have a great time.
Why should they be deprived of their enjoyment or have to travel half way across the UK to go racing just because you and I think the racing is crap or a waste of time.
I think things are just fine the way they are and if we don’t want to watch or bet at these meetings no one is forcing us to do so.
This day 12 years ago when racing was soooo much better. No "betting shop fodder" here. A days racing so dripping with quality you’d hardly know where to start
No arguing with the data supplied CR but I’d question its ‘statistical significance’ as racing has always been dire ‘twixt Goodwood and York.
Presumably because polite society is otherwise engaged pimmsing it up at Cowes or gathering in the Highlands preparing for the Glorious 12th
No arguing with the data supplied CR but I’d question its ‘statistical significance’ as racing has always been dire ‘twixt Goodwood and York.
Yes Drone, same as it ever was. Perhaps Bob can lend me his rose tinted spectacles.
Ten Class 2 races and two Group 3s tomorrow is just stretching the definition of ‘dire’ rather conveniently in the direction one or two posters might want it to go.
Before I moved north I normally managed at least a day or two at the Brighton Festival. Granted not the greatest quality racing, the main events have dropped a couple of grades over twenty years, but I still found the meeting enjoyable and decent entertainment.
Rob
Before I moved north I normally managed at least a day or two at the Brighton Festival. Granted not the greatest quality racing, the main events have dropped a couple of grades over twenty years, but I still found the meeting enjoyable and decent entertainment.
Yes Rob. 2 handicaps there worth 16 and 12 grand respectively earlier this week. The very decent ex Group 2 horse of Andre Fabre running in the claimer there today.
2 good Listed races at Tipp on Sunday as well. York on the horizon.
I appreciate you get some weird views on forums but"dire racing" etc comments are hard to comprehend for UK racing.
If you watch Arsenal versus Chelsea then you can see that these teams are higher skilled, pass better and move the ball faster. In UK racing there are no readily recognisable differences in watching the sporting event whether it is top or bottom class. The races are run fast or slow throughout the rating range, the horses are ridden and trained with much the same skill and races are more competitive sporting events towards the bottom end of the ratings – making finishes as exciting as any. If there is any logic that there is some visual difference between races and meetings then it has passed me by.
I appreciate you get some weird views on forums but"dire racing" etc comments are hard to comprehend for UK racing.
Spot on Robert.
I GUARANTEE you if all flat racehorses rated 60 and under were banned from running at licensed racecourses tomorrow and given their own version of Flat racing Point to Point, the following week this new "Boutique" (replaces "High Street") sport would have a bespoke monthly magazine "Greenly and Fieldingham" read by "grassroots" racing "aficionado’s" who like to get close to the "heart of the action" by watching racehorses with "character" (replaces "useless"). "Racing as it should be" chimed the Barbour clad attendance.
Because the same racehorses who on all evidence are financially viable, are owned by lads in pubs, trained by Christine Dunnett (no disrespect) and gambled on by the unemployed and working classes (the lifeblood of the levy) they should be wiped off the face the earth.
Sickening stuff.
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