Harness Racing Research Project

Hi, my name is Patrick, over the last few months i have been working on my research project which is related to harness racing. my research question is 'To what extent can the major issues within the harness racing industry be addressed to insure its longevity?'
As part of my research project I have created a survey on the issues of harness racing.
If you would like to complete my survey, please copy the url below into your url bar at the top of your browser or click on the url. The survey is only 7 or so questions long, and should only take up to 5 minutes of your time. It is also largely opinion based.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3KSX3BX

Thank you to anyone who completes the survey for me, you will have been a great help!

Hi Patrick, great to see your interest. I have completed your survey and would recommend it to others. The sport's slide is probably due to greater and more complex factors than your survey questions touch on. If you are looking to take an academic approach to the topic I would recommend a book called A Global Racecourse which was published in 2008 by the Australian Society For Sports History. There is an excellent chapter called Taking The Heat Out of The Red Hots by a gentleman named Wayne Peake. Of course there are many more avenues of inquiry you can take and you could probably write a thesis if you had the time and inclination - that's how our interesting our sport is! Good luck!

Thanks Patrick, luckily I have a couple of hours left to unwind before bed (I'm a night owl) as that survey certainly got me wound up. I hope you end up one of our saviours

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Originally Posted by Excursion

Hi Patrick, great to see your interest. I have completed your survey and would recommend it to others. The sport's slide is probably due to greater and more complex factors than your survey questions touch on. If you are looking to take an academic approach to the topic I would recommend a book called A Global Racecourse which was published in 2008 by the Australian Society For Sports History. There is an excellent chapter called Taking The Heat Out of The Red Hots by a gentleman named Wayne Peake. Of course there are many more avenues of inquiry you can take and you could probably write a thesis if you had the time and inclination - that's how our interesting our sport is! Good luck!

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I too will have to seek that one out David. It is strange how 'rogues' are seen as being particularly harmful to our code and yet the gallops seem to be impervious to theirs

we would all like to know how your survey went patrick.

Thanks Patrick, I'm sure you will see some common denominators in the results.

I've done the survey Patrick, was a bit disappointed "breeder" was not an option in the "whats your involvement" question. The most important people in my opinion !
I honestly think the old board was to focused on raising turnover and let on course attendances drop so we now have a shortage of owners and breeders.

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Originally Posted by gutwagon

I've done the survey Patrick, was a bit disappointed "breeder" was not an option in the "whats your involvement" question. The most important people in my opinion !
I honestly think the old board was to focused on raising turnover and let on course attendances drop so we now have a shortage of owners and breeders.

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Rest assured Rick, you were not the only one that made the point about attendance being the forerunner to ownership

There have not been to many positive initiatives in the past 10 to 15 years, the one that stands out the most to me are the pony trots. I think they are brilliant and are providing many future trainers and drivers. Just a pity there is nobody on course to see them besides trainers, owners and drivers.
Also the reeducation programs for retired horses like" Raising The Standards" and "Hero" are a good thing for the industry.

I completed the survey Patrick, I thought it was a bit broad but well done for that and hope it provides enough worthwhile information. I also agree with the posts regarding the course attendance drops having a major impact.

I also think the OHS/WHS bans on the public entering the stable area has made it harder to get new people involved. Nowadays you can't take potential new owners and their kids down to the stables to pat your horse and meet the trainer and driver. Truth is you are a million times more likely to be injured on the drive to the track than in the stabling area.
I know it was hands on contact with the horses and meeting some of the characters involved in the sport that got me hooked.
The lack of any undercover spectator seating at Melton and a shortage of inside sitting areas also ads to the issue.

I used to take notice of those signs Rick

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Originally Posted by Messenger

I used to take notice of those signs Rick

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I think Melton is the only club that checks if you are licensed as you enter the stables. I have seen stewards asking unlicensed people to leave the stable areas at several other clubs though. It's a bit rich having to pay $99 a year to visit your own horse at the track , just one of the many perks of being an owner and another thing keeping new owners away ! And once you are a licensed person you can be fined or banned if you say something the board doesn't like on social media !

It doesn't sound like a license would suit me :o

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Originally Posted by gutwagon

I think Melton is the only club that checks if you are licensed as you enter the stables. I have seen stewards asking unlicensed people to leave the stable areas at several other clubs though. It's a bit rich having to pay $99 a year to visit your own horse at the track , just one of the many perks of being an owner and another thing keeping new owners away ! And once you are a licensed person you can be fined or banned if you say something the board doesn't like on social media !

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Rick, I remember back in the 80's at Gloucester Park the overzealous gate attendants requiring you to show your trainers licence before entering the stabling area whether they still do it now I don't know but at a guess, I would say definitely.
I presume they still allow the public to get up close to view the horses parading in the birdcage area before going onto the track. If that was banned that would be an absolute deterrent for the harness racing patrons. I don't attend race meetings these days, Gloucester Park may be an inner-city track but getting there for the first race in peak traffic time on a Friday night can be a nightmare.

Once they know your face at the GP stabling area you are ok, but now and then you get the odd "show us your proof" from an attendant. Funnily enough if you go in from the river side entrance the attendant is on the gate but you can wander in willy nilly near the birdcage gate where the horses come back in after racing. But I found it generally very good especially if you wanted to go and see the might quinny or smoken up etc...not a problem. Of course, you had to hide your beer..:) I would be very pissed off if I couldnt see one of my horses before the race and not being able to have a chat with the trainer and driver, that is what it is all about.

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Originally Posted by gutwagon

I think Melton is the only club that checks if you are licensed as you enter the stables. I have seen stewards asking unlicensed people to leave the stable areas at several other clubs though. It's a bit rich having to pay $99 a year to visit your own horse at the track , just one of the many perks of being an owner and another thing keeping new owners away ! And once you are a licensed person you can be fined or banned if you say something the board doesn't like on social media !

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Doesn't cost an owner anything to visit their horse on track.
$99 would be a stablehand licence

Do the signs say 'Licensed personnel and owners only' Wayne?

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Originally Posted by Messenger

Do the signs say 'Licensed personnel and owners only' Wayne?

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?
Refer to post #12 Kev.

Just realised I should edit #17
Doesn't cost an owner anything to visit their horse on track.
$99 would be a stablehand licence

Add - Admission fee to enter the track (free at Melton) or Trotcard for every Vic meeting which can be purchased very cheaply...although at some meetings owners are often given free admittance.

Wayne, I was referring to Rick's post 11 and yours - what I was asking because I cannot remember/picture it vividly, is whether the OHS signs that are on the gates into the stabling area say 'Licensed personnel only' or whether they say 'Owners and Licensed Personnel only' ?

Wayne, I prefer not to have to go and get a pass from the secretaries office every time I go to watch my horse, and when my horse isn't racing I still visit trainers in the stable area. And do they allow your friends to go with you ? It's frustrating when you do the right thing and follow the rules but the rules aren't being policed very often.
I believe the signs say " Licenced (or authorized) persons only past this point" , or something similar to that. I'm sure owners cannot enter without a pass or stablehands licence.

I realise where you're coming from Rick and agree it's particularly frustrating for the owner/s who is part of the team. Is there a better way to work around the OH&S necessity?
I think the gallops are more stringent and I believe once the greyhounds are kennelled only the handlers can go near them and only at race time.
My post was more due to the people who look into the forum who might be on the fringe of ownership that may believe they had to pay $99 just to pat their horse after it wins.

About the policing, not all tracks having gate attendants all the time. All I can say is, having seen first hand some of the abuse voluntary club members have received when doing their job, it may well be a case of no-one wants to do it. I'd rather scoop the poop of the track.

As for the signs Kev, I was at Shepparton last night but hadn't read your post before I left so I'll go with Rick. Irrespective of whether the signs display "owners", I'd think all trainers would let their owners know they can see their horse in the appropriate manner.

But on a happier note here's a link to Lenny's trial last night, trial no.2 http://www.sheppartonhrc.com.au/news.php?id=1012

I really don't believe there is a OH&S ( or WH&S as it's now called) issue . The only case I have ever heard of anyone being injured in the stable area was caused by fireworks spooking a horse. If they can't go back to the old system all tracks need pathways up each row like Melton so the public can get closer to the horses.
I'm sure people will bring up other injuries in stable areas now but they were extremely rare under the old system .

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Originally Posted by gutwagon

I really don't believe there is a OH&S ( or WH&S as it's now called) issue . The only case I have ever heard of anyone being injured in the stable area was caused by fireworks spooking a horse. If they can't go back to the old system all tracks need pathways up each row like Melton so the public can get closer to the horses.
I'm sure people will bring up other injuries in stable areas now but they were extremely rare under the old system .

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Equally public liability as WHS, risk assessments would prevent going back? These days, would you get an insurer to cover if we could go back, let alone what it would cost? Does anyone cover gross negligence?

Would be nice if the 3 mill for integrity could have gone towards stabling changes, the pathways, and speaking of the Racing Minister, I think he'd close harness racing down if we went back to open access.

Have seen one potential for serious, multiple injuries, under the new system. Thankfully no-one was injured but the liability was greatly reduced by having less people in the horse movement/stabling area.