Talking purely driver promotion, why not a driver meet n greet before the first Breeders Crown day? Marquis, trestle on the lawn in front of the winning post. Or, is there a big enough area to have a small marquis/tent for the whole day between the stables and the grandstand/ race day offices? Perhaps the course commentator could announce when particular drivers will be at the tent (when they haven't a driving engagement).
Might be taking it too far but you'd have to have tv monitors so the drivers can keep up with the races and it might be novel that a driver might engage with a fan a little during the running of, about, that race?
No need for colours let alone driver colours, however they could wear their pants, have their helmets...they could have skivvies with their name.
Although, a lot of people would be just as, hopefully excited to see the drivers, in their civvies. A bit more personable, (yes, opposed to pedestal)...a bigger thrill to see your favorite footy, sports, player in the supermarket than away on the field(?). I'll use the Bont, AFL Buldogs captain. On the field he wears the same colours as all the team, could never go with individual footy player colours, but a lot of people like to think they get a glimpse of the person. Don't know how the Bont dresses, grunge...hipster...crotch below his knees...007 but in civvies he's still admirable, the aura but real-er...an every day person or kiddy could aspire.
Definitely no fence sitting, I can't agree going to driver colours will do much for us, at all. Sounds, again, a bit of change for change's sake. In the case of North America, are the drivers instrumental in retaining poker machine revenue? Seems to me their enjoyment of self promotion is backed by the pokies more so than their colours.
If drivers can lobby Mr Pakula to somehow double our total prizemoney, I'll forgo the pic on the wall with my owner colours...maybe I still wouldn't.
Was interested to hear what some of the younger, progressive, media people were saying. Caught a replay of In The Gig. Jason Bonington, his thoughts, agreed with more horse and driver promotion but not driver colours. I think Brittany Graham may have been each way. I'll take that as a no.
Another thing that's interesting is the default for colours in Harnessweb is driver colours. Meaning trainers have to consciously select owner or trainer colours. Some might say their owners and themselves might be living in the past, selfishly holding the sport back, as the great majority would see selections of either owner or trainer colour. But I doubt it's holding us back.
Like the thoroughbred owners and trainers, owner pays the bills, the trainer toils for much much longer than two minutes. And using the gallopers as an example I really couldn't see any benefits for them going to jockey colours.
Haven't been here for a bit so I'll throw another one in. Some industry insiders who support driver colours do so in support of their association with a particular driver/s. It's not necessarily an improvement to the bottom line of the industry as a whole they're thinking about.
And just one more. I'll whisper - here in Vic, not a great idea to be thinking about driver colours whilst VCAT is in the integrity mix.
