You're definitely right about NOT wanting a track inside a gallops track - I have not been there for 40yrs and forgot it was one of those
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You're definitely right about NOT wanting a track inside a gallops track - I have not been there for 40yrs and forgot it was one of those
This might offend some people and I apologise for this but maybe Melton needs a Casino attached to it.
A casino/heaps of pokies might result in increased prizemoney and thereby greater ownership but it sounds a lot like the scenario in the link that Harvey started the thread with - we need people interested in the trots and that is why we have to get the product right
As you alluded to Rich, some people are not keen on the side-effects of pokies/casinos. Even triple premiership Hawthorn copped a dig in one article I read in The Age about how their success has been built on pokies money
Still a fair bit of empty land in and around Moorabin Airport/Dingley, once a strong trotting area. Agree with your observations on Cranbourne. Also shared code facilities have issues of their own.
Why not buy Sandown if the gallops ever leave and sub divide the surplus land for housing?
It's always intrigued me how popular reality shows are, regardless whether the topic is cooking, trawler fishing, renovating houses, or prospecting for gold, they all seem to have a very strong following. I've given it some thought and I think it comes down to the fact that as humans most of us enjoy challenges and the pursuit of a goal. Striking gold, and how people got there is always interesting, hence why racing has been popular over the centuries. When you consider how many of these programs now exist it goes some way to explaining how good old fashion racing, as an entertainment option, is now struggling. Unfortunately we have kept doing things the way they have always been done and as a result we are struggling to keep up.
Having said that I am by no means suggesting we are a lost cause as there is one specific example from which we can gain confidence and that is Poker. I am stunned, that a game which is so boring to watch has all of a sudden become so popular. Quite amazing really and if you took a moment to consider why it has all to do with the way it has been promoted. The television presentation of it is laced with interesting snippets about the players, their strategies, and the risks and gains that can be made. The way they have dressed poker up is what is behind its meteoric rise in popularity, a popularity that is evident by the number of people that play it now in pubs and clubs. Our harness racing product is still being promoted as it always has and is it any wonder we are lagging behind!
I have no doubt that promoting our sport in new ways where we highlight the rivalry between stables, the strategies of drivers, the preparation of horses is one important way in which new fans can be reached. For goodness sake, they have made buying garage lockers filled with rubbish sexy, exciting and entertaining; surely we can do much better when you have the horses we enjoy so much as the centre piece. Why hasn't someone produced a reality show about harness racing which follows a couple of harness racing stables as they have gold mining crews in Gold Rush Alaska!!!!!
I must say I do not watch a lot of reality TV but the ones that I do are shows that I can relate to eg Escape To The Country, Location Location Location. I think people watch shows where they can relate to characters and where they can barrack for someone to have success.
I have been a serious poker player for an eternity and I would have said that Poker peaked at least five years ago. I still play fairly regularly online but dont seek out the programs like I once did as after awhile you have seen every hand there is to see umpteen times.
I am a TV addict but I do not know what the garage lockers show or the Alaska Gold Rush shows even are, so are you sure they are really popular Mark
I still think first and foremost we have to make the day/night at the trots entertaining. You need exciting racing on purpose built tracks. You have to fill the time between races. You need to have landscaped outdoor areas and a good dining room as the between race hub (dining can fill the time between at least a couple of races for a start) In this hub you have to have in house TV screens that show the sort of stuff that the new Racing.com Ch78/68 does to keep the keen punters informed/interested. At big meetings (Metro etc) you have to have a spruiker/entertainer creating a bit of atmosphere and giving away vouchers, running a punting club, running competitions etc etc. We have to offer a good time. I think a lot of it has to be horse orientated as we need attendees to become enthusiasts and possibly owners and breeders - our lifeblood
If we cannot attract people we will die - the remnants of the industry might be suburb of Melton and pockets where hobby enthusiast meet to race each other
Good old fashioned gallops racing has taken a bit of a hit because of the number of alternatives nowadays but they will always be a force and I believe we simply need to model ourselves more like them. I am certainly not discounting the media support they enjoy - why that cannot be us is one of many things we have to address
It is late and I am sure I am rambling but I am going to hit post anyway
They're on A&E and Discovery channels Kevin and are most definitely popular, however, the point is that mundane subject areas have been made very interesting by the way they are presented. We present harness racing much like we always have; to get people involved and to the track we have to ignite their interest and that will only happen when we change the way we promote our sport. Pleasant dreams :-)
You are probably right Mark. One thing for sure is that whatever the presentation - we have to reach more people, maybe a creative PR firm can come on board (I hear the actual Vic Board will be subject of an enforced spill after legislation went through)
If we want a top-rater, how about a trotting drama called Breaking Bad (that might get Ash to resurface :))