[GSP]

These post finish interviews are part of the demise of TV racing programmes. Just seems to be an excuse to employ Rishi or someone else. Let’s get as many people as we can on a programme! How many people do we see on ITV racing now, 10, 12.
Used to be two or three, that’s all you need.

[GSP]

Don’t think many would argue that list.
To think Rummy went on to win the Scottish Grand national in 1974 as well what a feat, and certainly not a one course wonder.

[GSP]

That horse saved the national and I still well up when I see that 73 finish.
I must add that Peter O’Sullivan needs a mention. His voice is a part of that special day.
You can’t see another Peter or Rummy coming along again and we were so privileged they wrote history together that day.
Never ever forgotten, so proud to hear and see them still on youtube.

[GSP]

I recorded racing from last Saturday and watched the races only this morning.
What caught my ear was the superior commentary on the Irish Champion Stakes, it made the race even more thrilling.
It was a proper commentary.

Richard Hoiles take note. You need quality rather than a quantity of words for good commentary.

[GSP]

Do you think certain parts of the media got hold of this, turned it into something bigger than it should be, and the govt have been forced to react, or be seen to.

[GSP]

Or was it certain parts of the media telling people its okay to flout the rules now.

[GSP]

It’s not like racecourses are a stadium. There is room to move, room to isolate you and others.
Be interesting to know what H&S were so uncomfortable about.
Must be worse being indoors in a supermarket, but people still go there.

[GSP]

Or do you think it was the determination by certain parts of the media to make this a big thing has created the crisis, that’s if you also think it isn’t?
The government are having to react on this, or seen to be.

[GSP]

With just a short piece to go on, appears at least to be a clash of personalities here and may have been borne by recruiting someone ‘not from the fold’ if you like and from quite a different background.

I also do wonder if someone coming in wanting to shake up an organisation so slow to change and heaped in tradition caused conflicts along the way.

While a different angle was sort, in this case perhaps the appointment only caused ruffles and raised hairs with too much pace and friction.

I believe in a number of organisations, the more different mix of people you can have the better with their own creativity and development to bring to the table to push the business forward. Without knowing exactly who works here, I suspect there are many more ‘chiefs than indians’, and while that may create more stability, that also would create less need for change.

[GSP]

Thanks Richard,
Yes this is quite different to the lottery but like every ticket bought there is a chance to win.

With this idea however there is a guaranteed large payout every week. You are guaranteed a minimum half a million pounds, every week.

Let’s compare and look at the last 3 lotto payouts.
Yesterday: No jackpot winners, 1 ticket of £1 million and the next prize was just £1,750.
Last Wednesday: No jackpot winners, 1 ticket of £1 million and the next prize again was £1,750.
Last Saturday: No jackpot winners at all, the highest prize was just £1,750.

The lotto’s hard sell is just one ticket occasionally might walk away with £10 million as the jackpot rolls over from week to week. That’s what Camelot enjoy, no one winning the big prize for a while as it makes ‘good headlines’ for them to advertise. They go on some people’s pure greed.

It’s a wonder people do the lotto in reality, and this for £2 an entry while my idea is more affordable at £1.
And look what you get.
20 life changing sums, every week, guaranteed with 10 millionaires every week. I think when you compare against the two, I think you’d agree my idea is a more realistic proposition for winning the sort of amounts people enter a lottery for in the first place.

I wouldn’t lose any sleep about bookmakers not running their books on this. It’s a race under usual racing rules, I can’t see a reason why they wouldn’t.

That’s the thing, in a lottery just one person walks away winning £10 million every now and then, usually in gaps of many weeks while the jackpot rolls over.
This is every week, 10 millionaires.

And for those 20 winners who want to visit the racetrack to watch their race, what an occasion, the excitement would be tremendous. They are guaranteed to pick up at least £500,000, and it could be a whole lot more.

I believe if this race was established, seeing the spectacle and excitement each week would make players really want to participate to be in with a chance of winning.

[GSP]

Thanks SS,
As well as trying to answer questions honestly, I was also only too pleased to read some positive thoughts with this, the first I had ever received hence my reaction from Big G’s post.

Your questioning has been oh so valuable and I welcome this just as much.
Sorry if you feel that way as I haven’t seen your posts as negative feedback at all. In fact as you say its best concerns are raised and addressed now because what’s the point if someone of note did ever want to take this on.
There are big obstacles to overcome that’s for sure, but this would have huge rewards and benefits for many if it ever came off.

I have based my projections and forecasts using different country populations and a sweepstake that has already been successfully run, but with a different business model and more affordable entry fee. I believe the numbers and the appetite for this would be there.
In summary, it takes £60 million a week with half returned in prize money. Camelot’s portion and other expenses would be relatively small.

It was a while ago now, but after communication with ITV, the BHA and Camelot I felt I hit a wall with these. This is where I would only be too pleased if someone already known out there, believed in this and took it onboard. I am sure they would have more success and go much further than I achieved!

ITV racing had only just started their new programme when I contacted them so they weren’t going to change things so soon from their plans. Perhaps they would listen now to new ideas, I don’t know. Someone who is regularly in touch with them might have that conversation? It would certainly increase their viewing figures by a considerable number.

Thank you for your best wishes SS and keep any questions coming.

[GSP]

Thanks Big G,
That is the most positive feedback and response I have ever had from anyone.
Thank you.

The idea is fresh, well given it hasn’t been tried for many years which I am very surprised about.
The Irish sweepstake was a big success, it was their business model which was all wrong, too extravagant!

Again thank you for your response. As mentioned I am not personally going to run with this as it needs ‘a name’ to push this forward. I would only be too pleased to help out however if required though if someone with ‘clout’ took this onboard, that’s if they wished.

[GSP]

Thanks SS,
1. Yes, it’ll make it more affordable for more to be able to enter.
2. The Irish sweepstake race alone attracted 10 million tickets at 2 euro’s per entry. I’d expect that to be 10 times more here in the UK given our population is at least that amount larger than Ireland. Plus the smaller entry fee would encourage many more entries.
With the much larger population, the cheaper more affordable tickets, I would expect this to take at least a net figure of £60 million a week of which prize money would be £30 million of that.
The prize money would be tiered and depending where your allocated horse finished, you would win that sum.
20th place: £500,000.
19th: £550,000.
18th: £600,000.
17th: £650,000.
16th: £700,000.
15th: £750,000.
14th: £800,000.
13th: £850,000.
12th: £900,000.
11th: £950,000.
10th: £1,000,000.
9th: £1,250,000.
8th: £1,500,000.
7th: £1,750.000.
6th: £2,000,000.
5th: £2,250,000.
4th: £2,500,000.
3rd: £3,000,000.
2nd: £3,500,000.
1st: £4,000,000.

Total: £30,000,000.

Not a bad sum even for finishing last, with 10 millionaires created each week.

With the figures this would create, I am sure it would go much further in helping out in projects in their entirety, not just smaller sums to help contribute.
So much could get done.

[GSP]

Thanks SS,
I would say off and on I have been thinking things through for many years, so hope I can answer most questions and concerns.

Once set up and established, I think it would be relatively easy to manage each week.
There would be reserves for the race to try keep the number to 20. If a horse was withdrawn shortly before a race, that ticket winner allocated the horse would receive set prize money.
In the event the whole race is not run, the money is divided equally between the 20 winners, which equates to around a million each. There will be no rollovers etc.
Suggest the draw happens on Thursday with winners invited to attend the racetrack on the Saturday when the race is run.

No, I see this as an extra feature to attract interest at home and at the racetrack. The big races will remain intact, this race will be the last on a card.

Not sure why owners and trainers would be against the idea. The owners day remains the same as before. I expect the race can be run using Class 3 or lower horses. There is a financial incentive to have a runner in the race, it would definitely put the horse on the map each time.
In all, no one loses.

Yes, prize money does depend on tickets sold but given the interest of the Irish Sweepstakes race where 20 million euro’s (not 40 in a previous post) was taken at 2 euro’s a ticket. With this idea more affordable at £1 an entry plus my estimates of 10 times more tickets sold in the UK, reaching £30 million a week may be a conservative estimate.

If for any reason the tickets are drawn, the race is run, the money paid out, but a winning ticket has not made themselves visible, they will still have six months to claim their prize.

[GSP]

Thanks SS,
Camelot are always on the look out for new games, to keep things fresh, find new players.
Yes this may dilute the lotto a little, but my estimates are it would have little effect with most players using the same numbers for years and years. They will just carry on.

This is quite different to a lottery in that 20 winners know they will win a big prize at least, but the run of a race will determine if that figure will be £500,000 or £3 million. The excitement would be unbelievable.

When I approached ITV, they had only just started their new programme and said it would conflict with their ITV seven competition.
Maybe now after several years later they would listen to an idea that would attract so so many more people to their programme with the sums involved. It would dwarf their ITV seven tipster competition, probably dwarf their programme, but what viewing figures!

[GSP]

Thanks SS,
The calculation is not based on racecourse attendances. It’s a national draw using something like the infrastructure of Camelot and the lotto draws. Tickets worth £30 million a week are already bought for these draws.
With the British public’s appetite for sweepstakes, a flutter, lotto’s and to help good causes/charities, the £30 million a week would be easily surpassed. This is what would be left once prize money for the 20 winning tickets is allocated.
On the contrary, the concept of a sweepstake was successfully run and achieved in Ireland some years ago with ticket receipts of Euro’s 40 million. The big problem there was their business model was wrong. Imagine with ten times as many people here, my £30 million estimate may in fact be quite conservative!

Yes, I totally agree there are some big obstacles to conquer for this to ever get off the ground, and a nobody like me would not get anywhere.

My hope was that someone who is known out there with some clout and the same vision who believed in this idea would adopt and take this onboard and promote this.

[GSP]

Hi SS,
c£30 million * 52 weeks = c£1.5 billion.

[Author]

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