They could also use a different coloured marker peg to show the distances!
Fred controls the timing of a substantial discharge?
You could take that a step further and if they reach the 3/4's in a really fast time a real occasion could be made of it by giving Fred a remote control button for one of Vince Silvestro's fireworks mortars placed strategically upon the infield.
I can almost hear Fred calling it now. "They sweep past the three-quarters in a dazzling one twenty and two and you know what that means folks...a substantial discharge is imminent".
You could also have a barber shop pole for the winning post, and when a record is broken the light goes up and down the winning post and the light stays on top! Don't forget fireworks at race meetings might be no-no!Originally Posted by Triple V
You could take that a step further and if they reach the 3/4's in a really fast time a real occasion could be made of it by giving Fred a remote control button for one of Vince Silvestro's fireworks mortars placed strategically upon the infield.
I can almost hear Fred calling it now. "They sweep past the three-quarters in a dazzling one twenty and two and you know what that means folks...a substantial discharge is imminent".
What about on the screen they have an overlay of a comic drawn horse and driver (similar to that of Trackside at the TAB's) that goes at the speed of the track record sectionals for each distance for FFA's and classic races etc, so we can check out how good a horse is compared to past champions etc! Just like the line they have at the swimming. There are so many marketing opportunities being missed out on!
Gee I am getting old in the early miracle miles they had lights set at the 2 minute standard each quarter so you could see if they were inside the two minute mark...... yes just checked the licence I am getting old....back to the future stuff here.
On a serious note the gallops had a similar problem a few years back with so many tracks punters not knowing where the winning post is and fixed it by painting the inside rail a different color, this could be could be easily fixed at virtually no cost by painting the pegs from say the 100m mark a different color.
At the Grafton gallops they painted an orange line across the track adjacent to the winning post and that certainly helped in picking the winner. The grandstand is offset from the post and it really is a deceptive angle, but the paint assists no end...apparently orange doesn't spook the horses in anyway, but don't quote me on that.
TFS, I hope Sky execs do peruse these pages because everything you have brought up is valid criticism of their product. Too much idle chit chat between close events does nothing to inform the audience and usually results in events jumping without warning. Freedman bangs on about the gallopers, and treats harness and dog events with contempt. While he's banging on about TB races ten minutes away, we are missing out on vital information on IMINENT harness events.
A lot of good points Steve, all free of charge for Sky execs to ponder, that would assist them to produce a better product for us who are TOO far away from events we cannot attend.
The orange line works with the dark green background (turf) I am pretty sure it will not work in Harness just something else for them to jump and gallop.
What about...as the horses reach the final 16th...we get a crowd-rousing blast from some old shagger hidden up the back somewhere & playing his heart on a Wurlitzer Organ...ala the NHL Ice Hockey games? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb19d08Lnec
I would prefer if there was a swooper coming home at the rate of knots, that Fred switches the on-course microphone to Meatloaf singing......Like a bat of out of hell!
Freds already got form there Steve...yesterday when Backmanturner was going across the line to win, Fred quipped "and Backmanturner goes into OVERDRIVE". They are the calls we love to hear!
The horses dont have to jump it if they use a "virtual finish line" as part of the graphics imaging. You only see it on the tv. It's not painted on the ground. It is similar to the black line that goes in front of swimmers if you have ever seen that indicating world records / games records etc or whatever.
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