How do we make Harness Racing strong via today's sports betting market

[Maorisidol]

The thread about promoting harness racing. If the last 400m of that race last night wasn't the best promotion for a long time then I'll go he. And note...FREE promotion.

Fell in? He was headed after they turned. Then Chilli Palmer had him in his sights. And he still won. That from a horse that doesn't want to do it?

Don't know why you taking a pot shot at Lance. He drove the horse to win last nights race against the horses that were in last nights race. And he did it perfectly. He won.

He's doing it to keep himself in the limelight? Please...gimme a break. You go out to the trots when he's racing. People turn up to watch him race. Doesn't matter where it is or what type of race it is, they turn up.

Go check out the trots items on social media. See how many people comment about him before and after he races. Every time he bowls around. You don't think that's one of the reasons he might still be racing?

They are a long time retired. Why would you retire him when he's still competitive and providing so much enjoyment to so many people (and free promotion!). Everyone had him written off 6 months ago. Then he broke 1.50 round Menangle again. Not following one....doing it himself out in front. Everyone was wrong. Lance was right. He'll know when it's time for the horse to retire.

Punch drunk boxers get knocked down and don't get up.... Smoken Up does.

The last 400m a great promotion...i agree but problem is, will we see that anywhere in the near future in any Marketing perspective?
And more importantly will it be outside the realm of people who already know about our great Trigger and who are already fans of him and the sport?
Connecting to people who have never heard of Smoken Up is the important thing and unless i didn't see it, has Trigger been "promoted" outside our inner circle in the last 4-6 weeks???
This is what needs fixing.

[gutwagon]

The standardbred horse joining the police force is a great promotion for our sport. He was retrained by "Raising The Standards". They retrain ex harness horses for riding and find them new homes. They also have at least one graduate that went on to join riding for the disabled.
Raising The Standards was started by one girl that loved horses and has grown with help from HRV and other sponsors. They have retrained hundreds of horses and found great new homes for them.
They are on facebook and have their own website, all horse people should check it out.
http://www.raisingthestandards.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/rtstandards

[Messenger]

Thanks for the tip Paul (How did you know?) - Bob got good TV time then

[Toohard]

Thanks for the tip Paul (How did you know?) - Bob got good TV time then

Via Ricks links just above.

Great stuff!

[Amlin]

Terrific story.


With hour long news bulletins these days there is no excuse for networks not to be picking up on good news stories in our sport rather than running blurry clips of garbage they have plucked from YouTube.


The two things our board should invest in are: a person who liaises/lobbies these outlets regularly, and keeps feeding them leads/items, and a broadcast quality video camera so that we can film the required footage ourselves at the track and email it straight to the studio with some notes on the event. Then all the network needs to do is a voiceover and put it to air!


Our local TV network sent a cameraman to our Easter Cup - he filmed random crowd and racing shots, and he had a piece of paper with some possible topics for a club spokesperson to comment on to camera, then the station taped the Cup off SKY and put it all together for a 3 minute story the next night.


No need to even send a reporter out into the field. Too easy!

[NormanS]

Make better use of footage like this (Jodie Quinlan driving): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22IaHgUjXwQ AND get more footage as well (as an owner currently living in Far North QLD, would love to be able to get in race footage like this). This "Puts you in the seat" and maybe if all drivers were required to wear a helmet cam there would be no place to hid from the stewards, maybe then everyone gets given racing room which should equal less interference which maybe leads to punters getting a better run for their money. If the stewards permit them to be used in a race, I'll send a GoPro or Sony Action cam down to my trainer tomorrow.

[NormanS]

As much as I like seeing My colours (currently only as an owner) going around in a race, I much prefer seeing my horse going round in a race. If drivers colours means that we can do this sort of promotion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYuF5DNGglQ (Tim Tetrick), or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiF4d0SNw30 (Dave Palone) and actually market our people to improve participation rates be that as owners, trainers, drivers, punters, race day visitors then I would accept that for the moment my colours have to hang on my wall.

[Messenger]

Terrific story.


With hour long news bulletins these days there is no excuse for networks not to be picking up on good news stories in our sport rather than running blurry clips of garbage they have plucked from YouTube.


The two things our board should invest in are: a person who liaises/lobbies these outlets regularly, and keeps feeding them leads/items, and a broadcast quality video camera so that we can film the required footage ourselves at the track and email it straight to the studio with some notes on the event. Then all the network needs to do is a voiceover and put it to air!


Our local TV network sent a cameraman to our Easter Cup - he filmed random crowd and racing shots, and he had a piece of paper with some possible topics for a club spokesperson to comment on to camera, then the station taped the Cup off SKY and put it all together for a 3 minute story the next night.


No need to even send a reporter out into the field. Too easy!

My daughter works for one of Australia's/the world's biggest PR companies - that is what they do One of her clients is a sporting body bigger than HRA - if we do not have a PR co. then we should.

[barney]

I live in a galloper dominated area no harness closest is Redclife or Albion park.When i try to convince mates or even just other punters re the benefits of Harness and how great a sport it is the negatives are thrown at me.No one knows the names of our good horses except Blackie up here as was a local idol.I have mentioned Smoken up many times as a champ but been shot down by the fact he won an inter dom but then returned a positive, and had race taken off but trainer was suspended and just kept appealing a bad look.
in this thread closing tracks has been put up as an option up here no tracks left to close .Hopefully in future Gold coast will start again but really no money in racing Qld.

[Messenger]

In his recent Horsham Harness Racing History, the ever astute John Peck wrote:

' The show races are long gone due to the wall to wall racing, OHand S concerns, disinterest from a succession of State controlling bodies and poor stakemoney. You cannot help but feel that with their demise so went some of the sport's soul and opportunities to recruit new young fans who were enthralled by the Show trotting action.'

John Peck, Horsham Harness Racing History