Time between Races

Maybe I have a short attention span but it is unlikely that I will bother to go to Hamilton on Thursday for apart from a 1hr+ drive each way the time between races is as follows:

33m 38m 35m 37m 35m 35m 38m

It is no doubt controlled by Sky scheduling but if it was 30min between races I would be ¾ of the way home (41min) before the last will even be run. 25min between races would carve a whole 76min off the program

Like it or not we are part of the entertainment industry and although there are ways to amuse oneself between races, 8 races spread over 4¼ hrs is not a lot of bang for your buck (yeah it is free but it needs to be to get people to travel far). Some no doubt have broader interests than myself and are happy to watch every dog, gallop and trot race Sky shows between the Hamilton card

Maybe, misguidedly IMO, getting people to come to the track is not a priority
and maybe there are bigger issues but being at the mercy of the current Sky arrangement does not give us a lot of freedom

Afterthought: I guess I could skip one race which would give us time to get into Hamilton town and back and still have about an hour to eat or whatever (mind you the meals are generally pretty good at Hamilton)

What's there for young people to do between races? If you dont bet, what do you do? Stand around? They need bands, fashion shows, competitions, Its not all about betting - its about people enjoying themselves and coming back again and again because it was good entertainment.

They need some young people on trot committees to give their insight

and that's another thing. Its great that harness is getting its ass onto social media but guess who follows harness media accounts? people who like harness racing so they're preaching to the converted.

Invest a few bucks and put some paid social posts out there to draw new people in. Post how to read a form guide, what a quick time is (like sure, people know a race was run in 1.56 but is that fast for that track and distance? What use are numbers if the everyday punter doesnt know how it equates. Announcers always mention lead times but a) Ive been in horses since i was 4 and still dont know what a lead time is and b) if they say a leadtime, i have no clue how it compares to other races), how to pick a winner-perhaps a fake field with a bookie suggestion on who would win based on the fake stats and form, trainer stats, the horse's gear and what it does, history of standardbreds, historical events, how fast they're running and compare it to Usain Bolt..

Make it fun for non harness people. Instead, they're posting about how many races there will be and to come eat at so and so bistro for a meal. yawn

Quote:

Originally Posted by Messenger

Maybe I have a short attention span but it is unlikely that I will bother to go to Hamilton on Thursday for apart from a 1hr+ drive each way the time between races is as follows:

33m 38m 35m 37m 35m 35m 38m

It is no doubt controlled by Sky scheduling but if it was 30min between races I would be ¾ of the way home (41min) before the last will even be run. 25min between races would carve a whole 76min off the program

Like it or not we are part of the entertainment industry and although there are ways to amuse oneself between races, 8 races spread over 4¼ hrs is not a lot of bang for your buck (yeah it is free but it needs to be to get people to travel far). Some no doubt have broader interests than myself and are happy to watch every dog, gallop and trot race Sky shows between the Hamilton card

Maybe, misguidedly IMO, getting people to come to the track is not a priority
and maybe there are bigger issues but being at the mercy of the current Sky arrangement does not give us a lot of freedom

Afterthought: I guess I could skip one race which would give us time to get into Hamilton town and back and still have about an hour to eat or whatever (mind you the meals are generally pretty good at Hamilton)

Izzys Tavern in Hamilton gets a tick from me.
Agree 20-25 minutes would be better. 20 is probably the minimum for trainers/drivers. Dogs seem to have 15minute turnarounds why can't we?

I agree allround, it has to be better, after the first few races of studying the form, having a yarn and a beer that 35mins can really stretch out. This can be a pain if you have gone to watch one particular horse or race which is usually stuck in the middle of the program.
The 15min turnaround may be too short, what happens when you are waiting on a driver for your horse who has ridden the previous winner, especially in the country where you are waiting for numbers as well ? Have seen this happen a few times. I think 25 minutes would be suitable.