A lot of the camera angles on Sky are absolute crap...no question at all.
Some of these clubs deserve the "Liverpool Kiss"..........surely the basics of a spectator sport such as racing are that you want to see who finishes in front of who! If it keeps going you will need a computer program to calculate the result using a 'scientific algorithm"...........get the camera mounted for Sky coverages directly infront of the winning post.....so you can see the winner, unless it is a decidely close finish and a camera is needed..........e.g. at Newcastle the horses are virtually coming at you head on....it is difficult to see if a runner is making up ground, and then they quickly go across the line! I agree about Melton it looks like the winning post angle is not perpendicular to the winning post.........it looks like the swoopers get an advantage! Why don't we get a "stump camera" like at the cricket........with so many races being crammed into a sky coverage, you are left waiting for a photo result while 3 other races are run!
A lot of the camera angles on Sky are absolute crap...no question at all.
MENANGLE - when runners are approaching the finishing line it loooks like they are racing in front of a graffitti sprayed concrete wall, like on the freeway as you drive along, the winning post is in there somewhere! The winning post is definitely not as highly visible as it should be! The race camera is past the winning post, so you need to tack on a bit for the outside horse in a close finish.......Fred is "doinmabest" to call the winner first go in the call!
The Gold Coast is the one that always gets me. They're well inside the final 16th and you think that you're home and clear...but there's still another 20-30m to go. Shepparton is a bugger like that too. They just start to enter the turn & the post appears. Someone else has mentioned that already I think? As an Industry we could do a lot as far as having projected on screen visual aids for the PubTab/Club/TAB/Stay at home Punter is concerned. The NFL is the USA is excellent in that regard. I'm sure the TB's tried it somewhere here in Oz relatively recently? I'd have thought that Harness Racing would lend itself more readily to that sort of technology....especially so night-time wise.
You are right!...........at Menangle with such a long straight, if you are on the leader it takes an eternity for them to reach the finishing line!.........Put an overlay on the screen to show the track at the 200m, 100m & wnning post.......let's see what that looks like!
2 other things need mentioning.........1. In the past week or so the NSWTAB are cutting off betting well before a race actually starts, often they are running without my investment.......with the pools being so small, I leave it until late to bet, I don't want to take $1:30 something that should be $2:50, and they don't bet fixed odds on all meetings.....yesterday at Warragul in the standing starts, they cut off betting well before the horses were even in position!..........someone has a "trigger happy" finger in their at the moment.......if they don't fix this "Betezy" here I come!............2. also the studio people need to keep punters updated as to when a race is going to start, especially when another race is in progress.....they have the benefit of being able to see what is going on at each track.....too many times a race starts whilst the previous is in progress........we need the the small "picture in picture" screeen running all the time..........Or perhaps they should use Sky 2 whenever available to show what is happening re the next race to be broadcast. Some "fine tuning" is needed!
Strangely enough, I have more trouble going back the other way now, as in working out if they've got a chance to get there on the smaller tracks. I've actually got Menangle worked out pretty well. Unless something really dies in the arse and goes from a blaze to a walk in a couple of strides I can tell reasonably well if it is going to figure in the finish or not. I think it came from watching a few drivers having success there by tipping to the outside around 600-500-400 out and sweeping around them from back in the field. An on screen line at the final 16th would be pretty handy.
Further, it is in the interest of NSWTAB to leave it until as late as possible to cut-off betting on a race, how many times have you been in the TAB and everyone wants to get on at the last minute, and you are left holding your betting slip in your hand, and they have jumped??...........I have tried using the machines on the wall, but when you are having miltiple bets it can take forever.....I just think some streamling is needed!
If they actually paint the lines on the track......some of the drivers will actually know when to take off!..........lol!
Similarly, Jimmy Brown once said that some horses get intimidated by the long Menangle stretch and need to have pictures of the winning post painted on the inside of their pull down blinds.