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Thread: How do we make Harness Racing strong via today's sports betting market

  1. #31
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year gutwagon will become famous soon enough gutwagon's Avatar
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    Hot shots could only work if the races started on time and that just doesn't happen ! They need to fix that problem first.
    Shorter gaps between races would help too. 20 to 25 min is plenty. 40 is crazy !
    Don't die wondering !

  2. #32
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    I like that they are trying but cannot see why making them mile events could not be accommodated. Simplifying the colours is long overdue

    ps Rick I did not tune into Sky until right on start time for each of the 7 races at Hamilton yesterday and they were spot on
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  3. #33
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Amlin will become famous soon enough Amlin's Avatar
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    It is hard not to be negative particularly those who have seen what the sport was capable of achieving and comparing that to how it is perceived/supported now.


    How about some thoughts on what you would do if offered the opportunity to help turn the sport around. What ideas do you have that could be implemented?


    I have a couple of thoughts that have nagged me.


    Firstly, we read in the gradually shrinking morning paper down here that Victoria is the best racing state in Australia, and has been for a great number of years. Why then do we not match this position, and given the amount invested on gambling on racing each year, with a decent daily formguide available to all punters for a minimum price? It could be sold in TAB outlets, or made available for free? The TAB could subsidise it - and before the argument is raised over the cost, surely this would be offset by increased turnover! And remembering, for the majority of its life, the TAB's core income has been through racing. Yet in recent years quality of service and facilities in TAB agencies for racing punters has dropped away.


    Over in WA the Tabform used to be available at least twice a week for an extra dollar or so. A spinoff called Allform ran here for a little while - well over 100 pages each Friday covering Fri, Sat and Sun for $2, with just form and barely any editorial.


    Each day the Tele runs nearly every meeting with fields, even the Advertiser in Adelaide does too. Yet here in Victoria they can't even include all local meets in the guide on a Sunday.


    On another matter, there are three "house" ads in the sports section in today's paper - surely there is not one person on the staff who could have written 100 words about the trots rather than just a filler ad? I think two identical ads were even published on consecutive pages! That blows away the argument about not being any space in the paper to promote the sport!


    Secondly, it is interesting to note Victoria is the only state in Aus where the major racing venue is controlled/managed by the controlling body. Do people in Victoria feel this may be holding the sport back?


    Yes all the other metro stand alone clubs receive money from and are responsible to the state body but they do have dedicated staff who are responsible only for the operation/promotion of the city venue. In turn the controlling body then can focus on marketing/supporting the sport at a country level, with overlap where required.


    Most importantly, the city club has its own bank balance. If the controlling body has xx dollars allocated for marketing and that has to be spread across city and country, no one benefits.


    The AFL oversees its competition, but does not operate a club on a day to day basis. Both city greyhound clubs in Melbourne are stand alone entities, while RVL does not control the day to day operations of horse racing at Caulfield.


    Is one state right and five wrong or vice versa?

  4. #34
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Toohard will become famous soon enough Toohard's Avatar
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    Jaimie..wasn't saying in favour of the short trip racing. Just trying to show how hard it is to do anything. Sky Channel not ready..can all the work that's been done. WTF!!

    Had mate worked for HRA for while. Said was the biggest 'tail wagging dog' place ever worked for. The states run it and even within the states the clubs run it.

    Don't know the answer but for starters lets get Phil, Amlin and the Ballarat club to take charge!!

  5. #35
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Kyle, I would have thought that the internet is where everybody gets their form nowadays (even oldies like me) - they can then access race replays too if they like. I would buy Harness Racing Weekly if it was more news and less form.
    The paper you are talking about is The Herald Sun? The ads would be paid for or are 'house' ads promoting themselves? The Age never ever gives the trots a mention, when I got the HS I remember there being a write up next to the form on Mondays. Adam Hamilton was a great advocate for Harness - we should have in our industry not the gambling industry
    Last edited by Messenger; 05-06-2014 at 09:44 PM.
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  6. #36
    Senior Member Stallion Triple V will become famous soon enough Triple V's Avatar
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    Question

    Everyone needs to ask themselves why it is that SKY is apparently so willing to commit all those resources with microphones on Drivers, trackside interviews, stats and background stuff from Hosts...thereby showcasing all those positive aspects...if a shortening of the race distances to less than a Mile and thus heading down the Dog Lotto road was not their underlying agenda/goal.
    A good mate of mine made an excellent suggestion to HRNSW some time ago now. Why not place a couple of Stewards in the back stretch to signal all clear instead of waiting for the horses to return to the front stretch? This whole push to shorten races is about getting the Punters to re-invest ASAP. Why not work on shortening the declaration of all clear time and for that matter the time between races? Up to 40mins between races is just absurd.

  7. #37
    Super Moderator Stallion Richard prior will become famous soon enough Richard prior's Avatar
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    I'll 2nd your suggestion Paul and I think that David Aldred would be handy as well, Read a long and detailed article about how he turned Harness Racing In Canada right around for the better. Pretty sure David James from Empire would be able to help out with the programming of fillies/mares races and as Rick suggested, 20 minutes between races would be much better than 40 minutes, Experienced this at Yonkers a few years ago and it gives you enough time to study the form, grab a coffee or beer and by that time, The horses are scoring up.

  8. #38
    Senior Member Stallion Triple V will become famous soon enough Triple V's Avatar
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    HRV has the inestimable programming talents of John Peck right on their doorstep. Why they do not use him to line up on special projects such as Fillies and Mares racing remains one of life's great mysteries.

  9. #39
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    The more I think about it, the more I think getting people back to the trots is the key.
    Tv advertising free admission and attractions, good food/dining options.

    We have had some attractions already mentioned. I will add more half mile TT events. Make it a betting event with decent prize-money and one horse trialling between each of the regular races, as it is, the time between races can be a bit of a drag (not everyone is interested in interstate, esp on course). I would opt for half mile as that way trainers will be less concerned about having their horse 'flattened' by a full mile. Of course as far as gambling goes there will be the odd meet where the first horse and the last horse to trial will experience different conditions but that is all part of punting

    If we can get a good following again (read punting base), maybe somewhere down the track we can get a 2hr slot for 4+ races on one of the lesser TV channels, maybe Fri or Sat in the NON football season, or Thursday all year. Alternatively looking to the future maybe we could aim for and promote a slot such as this of 'unmetered' internet viewing

    2nd thoughts - the TT is unlikely to get Sky coverage and therefore it would not attract much of a punting pool but simply be between races entertainment Hmmm?
    Last edited by Messenger; 05-06-2014 at 10:32 PM.
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  10. #40
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Amlin will become famous soon enough Amlin's Avatar
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    I suggested at a forum last year that potentially we could grab Sky2 as well as Sky1 for a Friday night for a more detailed coverage with interviews, parade ring footage etc, but it was felt the cost of an extra cameraman per week would be prohibitive.


    What about a fixed camera overlooking the parade ring? A more in depth coverage like what used to be presented on Ch31 surely could only increase turnover, and pay for that cameraman!!

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