As it is a little slow today ............................. Imagine you were put in charge of the BHA (and Racing For Change for that matter) and had a free hand to change anything associated with the sport in order to increase the popularity of the sport. What would you change? Here are a few I would start with: 1. Change the whole levy system to ensure more of the money bet on horse racing is flowed back into the sport. I don't know whether I would advocate a "tote only" type system like they have in France as I think that would remove a lot of the fun of scouting around for best prices and also ante post markets. 2. Go for more quality over quantity. A review of the number of meetings each day and agreement with key stakeholders (trainers, jockeys) on a sensible racing calender - probably with more clearly defined flat and jumps seasons as previously. 3. Move the classics back by a month. Guineas early June, Derby / Oaks early July. They are too early at the moment and do not allow a level playing field in terms of the horses maturity. 4. Much as I love Cheltenham, something needs to be done to prevent the whole jumps season become more and more dominated by one meeting. I think the QIPCO series on the flat is starting to work well, perhaps something similar for NH races? 2m Hurdle series could cover Fighting Fifth, Christmas Hurdle and Champion Hurdle. 2m Chase series something like Tingle Creek, Victor Chandler, Champion Chase. Staying Chaser series the Betfair, King George, Gold Cup. Perhaps bonus systems for winning these? Also maybe something linked to the big Irish races? 5. In the NH sphere, increase the prestige of more of the big handicaps to motivate connections to send their horses for the big handicap prizes (e.g. Denman and the Hennessy, where we saw 2 of the most memorable performances of the last 25 years) rather than farming poor Grade 1s. I'm sure there are plenty of good ideas out there, and who knows, maybe someone in power will read this thread and actually pick up on some of the ideas??
Good points Oddy and a very useful start to what should be an interesting thread. Re 3. There will never be a level playing field for 3yos as they are still developing way beyond 3 years; but I agree that the classics are too early. Maybe even push the 12f classics back a bit further. It would kill any chance of 3yo versus older generation in the KG (unless that was put back also). It's noticeable that very few run in the 12f and 14f classics and the record of Leger horses running in the Arc point to there being little point in doing so, in which case Derby/Oaks could go back later, as could the KG. This would enable 3yos to go Derby/Oaks, KG then Arc (or Leger) or something else en route to the Leger. Re 5. I'm not a great fan of the big handicaps as throughout the season trainers strive to get the lowest weight possible for the big one(s). Also some horses are less affected by extra weight than others. It seems to me that if, for example, top sprinters in athletics were allotted sacks of potatos to carry in their races to even out the chances, it would not work very well (understatement). It's natural that different eras will produce different levels of quality, but I believe the best horses should race each other at level weights as that is the only way one can discover which are truly the best. I would prefer to see the quality of the G1s increased by attracting the best from overseas to compete. I agree that cheap G1s should not exist. I understood that the status of races were reviewed on a regular basis so maybe that isn't stringent enough. Maybe a standard should be adopted which grades horses as G1, G2, G3 etc level and a race can only have a G1 status if so many of the entrants are of G1 status. As things stand, the measuring of a horse's "greatness" by the number of G1 wins is a joke. So many of these races (flat and NH) result in the same horses beating the same horses over and over and, in some years, the accumulation of G1 wins has become less meaningful.
Isn't there a tote in the UK? I'm not talking about an on track tote, but a country wide, off course tote. You don't need to have one or the other, both can exist at the same time. Just about every pub in Australia had a tote terminal and all races are covered on tv. But bookies and tote are still on track and online. The rake off the totes around the country pump huge amounts into racing.
At the moment I'm not sure what I would do as regards changing anything. In my typical fashion I would start with a completely blank canvass (initially unrestricted), do some research, including overseas, create a vision and develop a mission statement and some aims and objectives. Then I would set out established requirements. I would then publish these for comments by reputable forums, journalists, owners and trainers etc for feedback, refine and establish a final set of requirements that need to be met to achieve agreed aims and objectives. Then I would set about designing a blueprint, including a plan of how to get from where we are to where we want to be. There would many implications (some significant) and evolution to the new vision would have to gradual in order to be made as painless as possible. There would have to be a realistic timescale, taking fully into account the realities, ensuring time to adjust whilst recognising the implications of taking too long. A very delicate balance that would need exceptional management. That's what I would do. Meanwhile I would ensure that nothing was introduced that would hinder the evolution but allow any short term implementations that would compliment it. Amen.
I'd make one track in each code (NH/flat/aw) hold a series of fixtures where young jockeys are the only ones allowed to ride. The aim being to give young girls and boys a wider opportunity to improve and experience a race day.
Bulldoze Epsom so no longer would the two most prestigious races in the calendar be run on a helter skelter!
My view is not so much a specific change but a specific change of direction. It is clear that Racing is too beholden to Bookmakers which prevents courses getting their act together and surviving without bookmaker money, and whilst bookmaker money is funding the game it will dictate the terms to some degree. The result of this is at present is a meeting with 2 men and a dog attending with races worth little more than the cost of transport and a jockey. We have too many courses which compete for the same enthusiast and only survive due to bookie money. A racecourse should only run if it can serve as an entertainment venue and attract paying punters. It's revenue should come from paying customers and sponsorship etc, and if the figures do not add up it is then allowed to fold. This leaves you with a much smaller grouping of racetracks that are all profitable and able to stand upon their own feet. This would leave us with perhaps two thirds of the tracks we have now which would solve the issue of too many bad meetings in an instant as you could never sell the average southwell card. The tracks would have to offer good racing to get people through the door, the good races would attract good horses and sponsorship which would change the prize money situation. The levy money would be put to better use than sustaining poor racing and prize money which everyone including trainers and jockeys complain about. Put simply bookmakers have funded a bottom rung of racing which serves no one and dilutes the product and this needs stop. We would then be left with a more polished and presentable product to sell. Cut the tracks by a third by natural market forces, cut the meetings by a third. Imagine if football were funded as a betting source that a club without supporters could survive and play games twice a week just to provide a betting medium. It would never survive yet this is where racing is at certain tracks. Bookmakers money is circumventing market forces and that is the reason the sport has the over saturation it has.
I must try to find an earlier debate on this topic on BBC606; I think I implied the cutting of tracks could be necessary following analysis. But the implications could be horrific and need to be prevented somehow. PS I mentioned xxx once but I think I got away with it
Limit stallion books to 60 and stop shuttling. Reduce entrance fees. Have cost of crappy concerts separate to entrance to races in a some way, most people who enjoy racing probably don't want to stay for a concert and resent having to pay more. Make horses the centre of the event, especially in the media.
