Reply With QuoteID heats would have had money on fixed odds as well.Originally Posted by Mitch
If there were three that had enough points this year it was Smoken Up, ITMQ and Reactor. All three won. Cotton wool theory abolished.
ID heats would have had money on fixed odds as well.
The 4 heats had a pool of $318K as you said. I'll take a guess and say over the three nights close to $800K.
No heats at all = $0.
Yes that is correct but my point is that if 4 races that are not grand circuit heats can generate almost the same win pool turnover what is the point of the heats. If this is to be our premier event and the format that everyone is so passionate about is so good I would expect it to generate win pool turnover significantly higher than normal. Clearly this isn't the case.....
Like Steve said just run the final with Smoken Up, ITMQ, Auckland Reactor, Raglan, Crombie & Feelgood.
The heats have never been about, and should never be about, generating TAB turnover. The Interdominion is a series where all eyes are on the final. Just like the NRL grand final on Sunday twilight/night, the last saturday in September for AFL, the American Football Super Bowl, The baseball world series etc it is all about the final.
It doesn't matter what race it is, when you have a $1.04 favourite (Smoken Up), a $1.30 favourite (ITMQ) there simply isn't going to be as much in the market. I doubt Black Caviars pools match the pools of ordinary metro races in the gallops. Especially on the third night, when even though it didn't pan out like it this year, The Form Student pointed out punters are wary of horses being kept in cotton wool.
With the sheer dominance of ITQM and Smoken Up it kept many away from the trip to Perth. I have no doubt from horses not at the series you could run a race, maybe even two or three or more, that would shit all over the consolation on Friday night. That's not the IDs fault - thats the big travel and two horse dominance. In Sydney that fear factor of travelling for no reason is gone for most of the kiwis and the eastern seaboard. With the inclusion of those extra horses the series would be much more competitive and more turnover would occur (also because its on at a decent time of night, the market of people who are up until midnight betting on harness would be minimal with Perth 3 hours behind this could only improve with the series at Sydney).
Brendan, our premier event has to be all about generating TAB turnover, that's what the industry survives on!
Don't kid yourself about it not being about that. As I said earlier I love the tradition of the Interdominion but the heats process just doesn't generate the betting interests it needs to make it worthwhile.
I also question whether trainers really want to run their horses 4 times in 14 days at that level with they way horses are bred these days???
The industry does not survive on the TAB turnover on the heats of the ID. The figures aren't that bad anyway.
This $318K sure beats $0 that no heats would have......
NSW Pools Last night
Rc1: $24K
Rc2: $13K
Rc3: $17K
Rc4: $23K
Rc5: $39K
Rc6: $31K
Rc7: $23K
Rc8: $19K
ID average: 23K
Other ave: 26K
Now lets look at Gloucester Park from a fortnight ago
Rc1: $21K
Rc2: $11K
Rc3: $21K
Rc4: $13K
Rc5: $30K
Rc6: $15K
Rc7: $13K
Rc8: $7K
Rc9: $5K
Rc10: $4K
This shows that the IDs rolling into town have helped turnover overall. It also shows as I said earlier the lateness of the races has an affect on pools; which the eastern seaboard won't have problem with.
It also shows how the late factor is so prevalent because most of the money is just blokes sitting at the pub with nothing better to do. The blokes with nothing better to do will bet on trackside, Broken Hill dogs, Royal Randwick or Interdom heats with no thought, just another bet to them, the status of the race means nothing. The extra punting money that comes with bigger races for harness is smarter money and actual harness fans and pro/smarter/bigger punters money that will not be bet with the TAB tote, it will be with another source trying to get better odds. Of course some it would still come through the TAB though. Helping it come through the TAB would be if Smoken Up was lining up against Melpark Major or Smiling Shard instead of Alzona and Wrongly Accused - which would have happened had it been at Menangle.
I don't know how TAB turnover got bought into this but there you have it; its A) not that relevant B) not that bad and C)has a lot of upside.
Edit: I probably haven't explained the not that relevant part in detail. In one season, 363 racing days, there would be thousands of races - 12 ID heats are very minor in the scheme of things. Effort at promoting turnover would be better put into the thousands of country races a year.
Last edited by aussiebreno; 02-26-2012 at 03:11 AM.
After reading Sams baby again , IMO its stupid.... 7 winners , they select their barrier so they fight amongst themselves who gets what one or pull it out of a hat or something ...who goes first in that situation.....the runners up make up the rest of the field..... they are there just making up the numbers cause they aren't good enough in the first place . The heats will attract the GOOD horses & the also rans as per usual , the GOOD will go through . The rest struggling to make the final , but they will have no hope in the final because of the barrier draw.....There has to be a better way & a few on this forum would have to agree . Some have even suggested other ways better than Sams .
Last edited by murray green; 02-26-2012 at 04:30 PM.
Yes Brendan I realise that, however the industry as whole is reliant on TAB turnover as the major source of revenue to increase prizemoney etc. My point is that if our premier event is not attracting significant increases in TAB revenue and its not drawing the sponsorship dollars and public attention that is required then we should look at changing something.
I agree that the time difference and travel distance has impacted on the above it we would see stronger revenue and better fields if the event was run in the eastern states of Aust.
Personally I'm not convinced the format NSW are going to run with will work either.
I would use the $1.6M in prizemoney up for grabs this year to have 4 races over a 4 week carnival open for entry to all pacers who have passed certain qualifying criteria. The field would be determined by a ballot based on career and current performance.
Week 1: 1609m Group 3 of $150k (Winner exempt from ballot), combine with Oaks heats and 2yo Sapling Stakes for fillies
Week 2: 1609m Group 3 of $150k (Winner exempt from ballot), combine with Derby heats and 2yo Sapling Stakes for colts
Week 3: 2300m Group 2 of $300k (Winner exempt from ballot), combine with Oaks Final, Mares Stakes race, a trotters stakes race & female drivers event
Week 4: 3200m Group 1 Interdominion of $1M field of 10 (3 winners above plus next 7 best performed horses in Aust/NZ) off the front at Menangle, combine with Derby Final, Mares Stakes race, Trotters Cup and a 2yo Stakes race open to Colts & Filles PBD/Sex & a junior drivers event
I would run the carnival for the 4 weeks post the thoroughbred autumn carnival and work with NSW events and the ATC to extend the carnival of racing brand to incorporate both thoroughbred and harness racing. You could even push back the Sydney APG sale and hold it at the back end of the easter sales at Randwick to broaden the scope of the carnival.
Posting Permissions
