Should Harness Racing Introduce Drivers Colours?

[cyclone george]

Jamie I'll assure if he was running the Nsw harness racing ten years ago instead of Victoria you wouldn't be trying to clean up all mess now. Don't know of a steward that was so tough but in the end had the respect of everyone,everyone knew where they stood.

[Mitch]

Mitch agree with most you say in your post, but gallops turnover has also stagnated for a few years now as well . I have always been a big fan of drivers colors just for the reason kids fall in love with either horses or drivers. My 9yo son loves the horses but my 12yo girl follows the drivers. I don't think trainers these days could really complain about colors theres barely a race these days a drivers not wearing promo colors for some cause. Owners colors are important for owners and I respect that , but so is growth in ownership and turnover .if people could just get together and put the industry first and look outside the square we might be all better off. If terry bailey thinks its a no brainier ,that's good enough for me because he was quite clearly the best steward /admin employee that hrv has ever had .

Hi Greg,

I don't mind if they change to drivers colours or not. What I am saying is that it will have no material impact on anything in the industry so let's not waste too much time on it.

Mitch.

[Mitch]

Mitch, I would add a third reason for decline and that would be lack of media coverage/promotion. We have failed to break down the bias that the gallopers enjoy. Maybe your first reason encompassed this too but I do not see it as innovation just catching up.
I will forget pay TV for the moment although with the reduction in subscriptions beginning to happen, maybe it can reach enough non converts in the future, but with so many free to air channels now struggling for content how is it that the gallops can put their product on 7Two for more than half the Saturdays of the year and we cannot get ours on any. I think the gallops have realized that with people increasingly betting on TV sport, they needed to be on TV more. Of course they have always had fair News hour coverage and for their carnivlas, this alone we would kill for.
Newspapers are in decline but could still provide valuable coverage/promotion. The Age gives us nothing so maybe we just have to pay for a half page for big carnivals. They cannot refuse our money - they have prostituted themselves for some ridiculous stuff this year. If we were a customer then maybe they will butter us up with a column inch or two sometimes

Hi Kevin,

I agree and it is implied in my 1st point re product innovation. To be brutally honest I don't think our sport has evolved enough to be in the mainstream for free to air media.

It's going to be hard to break back in but there are so many other communication platforms to reach people these days that it's not doom and gloom. People spend more time on their personal devices and social media than they do watching TV so that is where I would start.

Mitch.

[Triple V]

Come on Jamie. Youve had a problem with Adam long before this. Hence your 'Minty Man' nickname for him and Mick Guerin.

VVV- Quite right. They've both been doing it for years as have numerous others. This is just one of his more recent, imo, transgressions.

[Messenger]

Hi Kevin,

I agree and it is implied in my 1st point re product innovation. To be brutally honest I don't think our sport has evolved enough to be in the mainstream for free to air media.

It's going to be hard to break back in but there are so many other communication platforms to reach people these days that it's not doom and gloom. People spend more time on their personal devices and social media than they do watching TV so that is where I would start.

Mitch.

I know I am old fashioned Mitch but I would still love to see some TV coverage. You can then advertise that it is on ......... Has a lot more appeal to me than spruiking that you can get an app to watch it on your teeny little screen.

And we could fit into whatever is available - maybe there could be a Sunday afternoon opening on one of the many digital channels for some part of the year. There is really is some rubbish and repetition on them now.

Wishful thinking I guess but I wish I was sure that our administrators are busting a gut to break down some of the barriers

[Race For Fun]

Many years ago Kerry Packer went to Harold Park of a friday night on a regular basis and bet big. If he could have been kept interested in harness racing, who knows what might have happened. Was that a missed opportunity? He wouldn't have been told "your horse is racing in these colours".

[Lucky Camilla"s Lovechild]

VVV- Quite right. They've both been doing it for years as have numerous others. This is just one of his more recent, imo, transgressions.

Oh. I thought he may have ran over your dog or picked up your girlfriend or something.

[Plunge Punter]

This issue surrounding driver's colours has been quite funny to sit back and watch. I really don't care either way what happens, I couldn't care less really what colours a driver wears when he/she drives a horse. Here are some questions I would love to have answered though;

1. Is this biggest issue currently facing the sport?
2. Is this in the top 50 issues currently facing the sport?
3. How much will driver's wearing their own colours increase wagering turnover on harness racing?
4. Would any CEO really want to risk all the political pain of messing with what colours drivers currently wear for what is very questionable if there will be any gain?
5. If this is the silver bullet to increase wagering turnover, why haven't the gallops industry in Australia been using jockey's colours?
6. Don't trainers currently have the option on HarnessWeb to nominate with the driver's colours?
7. How will driver's wearing their own set of colours instead of the owners/trainer's colours improve the driver's professionalism as some have suggested on Twitter?
8. Will this really be the final blow to hobby trainers as some have suggested if driver's colours are introduced?
9. Will owners really leave in droves because they can no longer use their own personal colours as some have suggested?
10. Why do people in the harness industry constantly look at how issues affect them instead of taking a step back and looking at how certain issues affect the WHOLE industry?

As I said, I really don't care either way, if the colours are or are not changed, it won't change my wagering habits one bit. It just amazes me sometimes how people come to their conclusions/views on the industry. Are their thoughts formulated based on emotions, facts or what is in their own best interests?

[Race For Fun]

I think the fact that owners pay to have horses trained is part of the reason that they care about what colours are in the photo that takes pride of place over the bar.

[Messenger]

10. Why do people in the harness industry constantly look at how issues affect them instead of taking a step back and looking at how certain issues affect the WHOLE industry?

As I said, I really don't care either way, if the colours are or are not changed, it won't change my wagering habits one bit. It just amazes me sometimes how people come to their conclusions/views on the industry. Are their thoughts formulated based on emotions, facts or what is in their own best interests?

Here is one more question:

In what industry does No.10 not happen?