Sky Racing Blackout

[Race For Fun]

Story in Sydney Telegraph that TVN are to prevent Sky Racing from showing Thoroughbred races in NSW and Victoria from today. Wonder if this will help harness racing get a fair go on Sky? It's to do with money for television rights (I'm on my mobile and don't know how to link the story, can someone else do it)?

[Messenger]

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horseracing/sky-racing-shuts-off-nsw-and-victoria-coverage-20141217-129d5q.html

[Race For Fun]

Thanks Kev.

I was watching Sky last night and they punted a race at Mildura trots to Sky 2 that was on time to stay with a gallop race that was already 3 minutes late and still loading horses in the stalls. How is that fair?

[Messenger]

Exactly, that is why I started a thread about HRing needing to grow a pair (crude I know) - the other day they punted one mid race for a gallops race from out the back of nowhere which was 6mins behind.

[Mister JayKO]

Exactly, that is why I started a thread about HRing needing to grow a pair (crude I know) - the other day they punted one mid race for a gallops race from out the back of nowhere which was 6mins behind.
When you are running a distant 3rd in the turnover stakes you can't expect much more. I know it's disappointing, but that is the reality. Making Sky 2 harness and dogs only would be the only way to prevent that and as we have seen from the current blackout, every dollar is carefully spent. Blame corporate bookmakers - they have taken more out than they will ever put in.

[Race For Fun]

When you are running a distant 3rd in the turnover stakes you can't expect much more. I know it's disappointing, but that is the reality. Making Sky 2 harness and dogs only would be the only way to prevent that and as we have seen from the current blackout, every dollar is carefully spent. Blame corporate bookmakers - they have taken more out than they will ever put in.

You are 100% right as sad as it is it is true.

[Messenger]

When you are running a distant 3rd in the turnover stakes you can't expect much more. I know it's disappointing, but that is the reality. Making Sky 2 harness and dogs only would be the only way to prevent that and as we have seen from the current blackout, every dollar is carefully spent. Blame corporate bookmakers - they have taken more out than they will ever put in.

My concern with making Sky 2 harness and dogs (even assuming that Sky 2 becomes part of Foxtel's basic package like Sky 1 and TVN) is that you are very much the 3rd ranked racing channel and will only be seen by those who are already fans. Corporate bookmakers are surely parasites

[barney]

Messenger the only chance Harness has got is to get the confidence of the small punter back a confidence that has been eroded over the years.My website insiderail which was predominately harness has gone from close to 200 members down to a mere handful now and regular died in the wool harness people have given up punting on the sport.When people like this give it away we are in trouble.
I have asked a few of them why and the number one answer is the dominace of certain stables and the pre dominace of short priced horses.
If i was asked what could be done to improve the situation short of having lock ups for horses engaged at a meeting for at least 48 hrs i would struggle for an answer.

[Messenger]

I hear you Brian and you would know that we have had a couple of very large threads about what harness racing needs to do.
I think it is widely accepted that most harness followers were smitten with the sport at a young age.
I know that we need to get young people interested in the sport.
I attend weekday meetings which most employed people cannot attend
I have only been to Melton a couple of times so I would like to see the age breakdown of the attendees (although we are probably talking about mostly Melton residents)
We need to attract young people to night harness racing all round the country
I think if I was asked what I would like to see happen most of all, it would be to see harness fight for the evening slots before gallops completely take it over too

[Mister JayKO]

As a fan of Harold Park, when they moved to Menangle and gave up Friday nights, it really did more harm than good. I can remember when the Peace's won the metro premierships in both states by shuffling horses between both HP and Moonee Valley. As someone who frequented both places regularly I have never been to Melton and been to Menangle once and it was a soulless experience. I can't say that either move has been the filip for the sport that they promised to be. Exactly the opposite I suspect. Punters like form that they can follow, mixing it up just makes it less likely that people will retain interest. I find races at Menangle terribly boring as a spectacle, it's not all about speed.

[Messenger]

As a fan of Harold Park, when they moved to Menangle and gave up Friday nights, it really did more harm than good. I can remember when the Peace's won the metro premierships in both states by shuffling horses between both HP and Moonee Valley. As someone who frequented both places regularly I have never been to Melton and been to Menangle once and it was a soulless experience. I can't say that either move has been the filip for the sport that they promised to be. Exactly the opposite I suspect. Punters like form that they can follow, mixing it up just makes it less likely that people will retain interest. I find races at Menangle terribly boring as a spectacle, it's not all about speed.

Spot on Stu. I have never been to Menangle but I find 90% of mile races boring. I have only only been to Melton a couple of times, dropping in for an hour on my way back home and was impressed but even though it was busy on the balmy summer evenings I was there, I suspect the crowd was nearly all Meltonites as it is too far from Melbourne

[Messenger]

I was interested to read that TVN actually pay Ch7 to telecast 25 meetings a year.
I knew we would have to pay (and wish we would for a few) but it surprised me that the gallops would