How about we start a little smaller. NZ has a lot of Harness racing on grass tracks. I'm not a fan of it but it would be great publicity if we could have one harness race each Saturday at Flemington (or wherever the main meet is) during the gallops meeting. We could attract a few of their fans over to the dark side.
Katie, my first thought about the Mardi Gras float was what type of horses would be on it ? Geldings and Rigs ?
Don't die wondering !
An interesting article from the NZ about a Canadian syndicator with a couple of quotes that caught my eye
Over two years he spoke to everyday people in their homes and found the message around harness racing the same. “I love horses, I like racing but I don’t come to the track because I don’t gamble.”
“We have become so focused on advertising the gambling and wagering side of the sport, that we don’t sell the experience and the one thing that most people actually love – the horses.
http://www.harnesslink.com/News/MacD...itive-response
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
Another couple of paragraphs I meant to quote as they make so much sense especially when you compare how affordable harness is compared to the gallops
“At the moment around two percent of your population attended race meetings last year. Instead of trying to saturate that market and make that two percent wager more, why not try and get the other 98 percent onboard?
“You can do that by utilizing the unique opportunity we have in harness racing. Get them to fall in love with the sport by making them part of the story. Give them the opportunity to fall in love by giving them value and affordable options, and I can guarantee they’ll come to the tracks, and they’ll bring their family and friends to the track too.
http://www.harnesslink.com/News/MacD...itive-response
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
Yes some interesting and pertinent comments from Anthony McDonald. With Casinos (pokies) being almost universally co located with racetracks in North America racing is linked inextricably with gambling in many people's minds there and that no doubt is a barrier to some attending races. I presuming fractional ownership is the same as syndication (?) which we already do here but there's is no doubt an opportunity to do it better then we have been.
Unless I read it wrong I took Anthony's major message to be to get people involved in the ownership of horses which will then in turn boost racetrack attendances, which would seem to be the opposite of what many people have said here which is get people to the track which will then get them into ownership.
It would seem to be what he is saying Dot, but I am firmly in the other camp - get them to the track first and then joining a syndicate could be on the cards. Unless he is talking about people who love horses and follow the sport on the media (where you place your syndication ads). If we had fantastic media cover it could be a possibility - I would liken it to a person who follows their footy team on TV and supports them by buying a membership even though they never go to any games
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
Kevin, I agree with those quotes 100% and have been saying so for ages .
Two trainers have told me that they think that syndication will boost our sport, both tried to arrange some and were quickly told by HRV to stop. All syndicates have to be organized via HRV and they both gave up due to it being too complicated. I don't know anything about starting a syndicate via HRV but they should be making it very simple and easy. They should be pushing it hard, not hindering people. It has become too expensive for most people to own and pay for training a horse so groups of friends getting together is the only way for the horse population to grow.
I know we don't want a situation like the gallops have where people buy a yearling for $100,000 and syndicate it out for $250,000. But it needs to be made very easy and should be encouraged by HRV.
Don't die wondering !
They should have a section in the website where you can say, I want to join a syndicate with some fun engaged people and I dont know anyone. Please set me up with other people who too want to join a syndicate. . And trainers can say, I have this horse. Heres what I expect him to be in terms of ability, I'd like to sell 5 shares.
Match making for new owners
I love the idea of this brainstorm, ideas discussion that will happen ID eve in Vic. Every state needs it. Attendees should be split into groups of 6 with one committee person in each team to moderate. Everyone brainstorms and the best 2 ideas from each team then get presented to the larger group. I hope that's the setting to really get brain juice flowing