Time for Harness Racing's PR employees to Step Up

[Messenger]

I have had to attach this blurry image or you would not believe it. I could not find a link and being a Melbourne story I doubt there will be a SMH link - usually the best way to get an Age story link.
Yep the The Age has a full page feelgood story promoting the doggies on Pg.3. As the snip shows, it even encroached on pg2

To those who are supposed to be doing Harness Racing's PR, some have not expected you to be able to compete with the gallops PR but after this doggies story all I can say is - you have been left in the boxes!

It does not have to be a big news story - just get us some coverage. Maybe get the cameras there for the next start of A Bit Of Bling. The general public love unusually marked horses

Do anything because I fear we are 'going to the dogs'

[gutwagon]

First step would be to hire some PR people !!!!!!

[Smoken]

Agreed! It definitely would help the industry! Don't these head honcho's know this, or shouldn't they already know this? It's not rocket science..

[Messenger]

Just back from a bushwalk and the plan is clear

We get the OK from Dreamworks and we make Michelle Wight and Kerrie Hymers an attractive offer and then we hit the media with

SPIRIT IS A HARNESS RACING HORSE

with the attached pic (or a better one of Bling with less gear)
We make it known that Spirit will be doing exhibition laps at 7.20pm each Saturday night of December leading up to Christmas - on the 6th at the Cranbourne Cup, on the 13th at the Ballararat Cup and on the 20th at Tabcorp Park Melton
Admission is free, there will be Spirit gifts for the children etc etc

Who knows it may suit Michelle's training program to give him a fast lap after a warm up

It is a no-brainer. Remember all the people who have said it was an early experience that got them hooked on harness racing

December would be great for the above clubs (and Spirit has just started his first racing campaign and is in serious work) but maybe January would do

HRV pm me and let me know what you think :)

[Race For Fun]

Could it have a race with Spirit, Flicka, Fury and Racing Stripes and if anyone else can add to the field that would be good. You wouldn't have been out in the sun if you were in NSW it's over 40 degrees..........

[Amlin]

Rose and Gerry are a nice couple Kev. I have known them since before they were famous. At least Gerry did mention the trots in the article though!

[Amlin]

Those dogs are in the headlines again Kev...


http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/foodpoisoning-scare-at-sandown-function-centre-20141126-11u1wa.html

[Messenger]

It is sickening how they keep getting the publicity ;)

[Messenger]

Just caught up with ABOB's 2nd start at Charlton on Monday = public appearances are his future.
Smoken you were right (see ABOB thread) - he will never win a race and I do not think he is doing his stud career any favours (would have been better to keep his lack of ability/speed a secret)

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-results.cfm?mc=CH241114&ms=vic#CHC24111404

Getting off topic - some improvement by Magic Attack to win that race and notch his first win in 3½ yrs despite death seating in nice time (someone fancied him as he was only 18/1 after being 124/1 the previous week when he did little)

[Messenger]

When I click on my number 2 favourite page (this is of course number 1 ;))

http://www.harness.org.au/vic.cfm

Of the 3 featured stories (with pics in the box) I keep seeing one that is an ad for a Harness Review program back in April (so old that if you click on the link you cannot get it). I know the featured stories are just a lucky dip from recent News Room stories but we have to do better/more recent than this - it is a waste of a promotional opportunity, when people bring up the page to get fields or results.

[NormanS]

With the announcement today from Racing Victoria re it's joint venture with Telstra to provide digital content to the home and eventually a "you choose your camera angle" deal, have HRV or HRA or any of the "stake holders" looked at a similar proposal for us? Imagine sitting at home (although at the track would also be awesome) and watching the race with footage from a drivers headcam, especially if it was the horse that you backed. Then imagine at the racetrack the winners room providing the winning Owner a chance to wear an "Oculus Rift" or any other VR headset and watch the same race - almost feal as though you drove the winner yourself. (The Telstra deal here because part of their deal is to get the digital footage uploaded quicker and providing it to the stewards at HQ in all but real time as well)

[Messenger]

I do not want to be specific and embarrass people BUT some of the HRV stories I read contain absolutely nothing that I would not know by watching the race and reading the results. Placings, trainers, times, margins, positions, statistics, breeding, owners etc etc.

To make these stories interesting we need to hear from the connections, not that that guarantees enlightenment but it may tell us something we did not know - the quirkier the better (just IMO of course)

[Messenger]

Great stuff Cody you did your best to tip us into a $21 winner

http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia/Son-of-Major-In-Art-can-step-up

The odds suggest not many/any of us listened even those of us who had enjoyed the read beforehand.

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-results.cfm?mc=BA040615&ms=vic#BAC04061506

[Toohard]

Reading HRNSW have scheduled two 'qualifiers' for Miracle Mile (Cordina and other one) on Vic Cup night.

[Toohard]

Gareth Hall "So at this stage @TPMenangle will hold coca cola, Chariots and Cordina all worth 200k as Mile qualifiers on the same night as Vic Cup"

[Messenger]

http://www.espressocommunication.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Head-in-Hands-Flickr-Photo-Sharing-by-Alex-E.-Proimos-624x332.jpg

We might have to start a face palm decisions thread!

[Richard prior]

^^^^^^ That's me!!

[Toohard]

Dunno for sure but would also mean Miracle Mile and Hunter Cup clash the week after?

[squaregaiter]

With the announcement today from Racing Victoria re it's joint venture with Telstra to provide digital content to the home and eventually a "you choose your camera angle" deal, have HRV or HRA or any of the "stake holders" looked at a similar proposal for us? Imagine sitting at home (although at the track would also be awesome) and watching the race with footage from a drivers headcam, especially if it was the horse that you backed. Then imagine at the racetrack the winners room providing the winning driver a chance to wear an "Oculus Rift" or any other VR headset and watch the same race - almost feal as though you drove the winner yourself. (The Telstra deal here because part of their deal is to get the digital footage uploaded quicker and providing it to the stewards at HQ in all but real time as well)


I have just returned from overseas and just catching up and have seen this posting and it interests me greatly


I wasn’t aware of this happening, however with the demise of TVN it would appear that RV has seen the writing on the wall that has been there for several years now, that being WIFI/MIFI / Broadband/DB radio ect. is where it is all going, and therefore had the foresight to take the steps to insure themselves of any SKY dominance happenings, one can only hope this has already began also at HRV months ago (with either Telstra, Optus or ANY satellite provider- not forgetting Foxtel is in partnership with Telstra also) at the very least, to understand where the next decade is taking us. In regard to Harness IMHO, TABCORP/Sky ( or is it SKY2) have a lot to answer for the overall placing ( in many forms of media and public perception) of our sport and I believe as our “partners” of TABCORP Parks in Vic & NSW that partnership should be called on for help in several area’s including the Press and including the placement of races, that need to be address with some serious discussions, I find it amazing and a insult that I am looking at a race from TABCORP PARK and then the screen splits to the dogs at UBET ( as a example) track and then have the harness go to Sky2 while the dogs also run late. There are several area’s of ways to go to help correct all this and the sooner a think tank is made on this one subject alone it will improve just where we are at.

[squaregaiter]

With the 7WEST deal not coming on for a period of time and the ceasing of TB racing in Victoria this week ( and we thought we ( race clubs) own the product) this monopoly (TABCORP/Sky) with bring TB racing to a great disadvantage so hopefully we will have Harness to fill in their broadcasting gaps and take advantage of the situation and at the same time have talks to place long term broadcasting and promotion of Harness to its best advantage. ( can you imagine the national monopoly because of this stance, becoming with some fine maneuver's, to nothing more than a regional NSW broadcaster only) What a chance for corporate bookmakers to come in and take more of the market because if you have to listen to the radio to hear races why would you place any bet with the TAB when they as a group have deprived you of what you are entitled to in 2015.
Victorians have battled long ago the Broadcasting problems and have it go to NSW and when you add this to the ridiculous paper coverage of Harness ( and TB on country races ) it is time for the Victoria Government to enter the talks and solidify our rightful place in the entire Racing market in Australia and not simply a pawn to a monopoly or other State Governments or NSW race clubs.

[Messenger]

I am probably not reading it with due attention but Vic gallops are not talking about their product being exclusive to the 7 network are they? I know Sky is shutting them out for now but when/if 7 are up and running, Sky will have access to their video too won't they? It would be a huge risk for Vic to go it alone and require punters to keep changing channels. Although it would suit my style of viewing it would not appeal to many big punters