Might be my fault Brendan I was aware that it was a stand but I left that part out, I should have written that the pacers would have been drawn up in a mobile trial with faster class horses. Sorry if there was a misunderstanding.Originally Posted by aussiebreno
Coming home today to go to Hamilton tomorrow but just looked up fields and find there are only 6 races! Might still have gone but find the last is so late that I will be dodging kangaroos.
Then notice that there is a meeting at Melton and think I could go to that on way home but it is a Sunday Night meeting!
Clearly attendances are not eve considered nowadays
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Do we really need to make the attraction race the last race at this time of the year?
The good program at Charlton tomorrow really tempted me but I am not staying until 5pm to dodge Kangas while possibly looking into the setting sun
http://www.harness.org.au/fields.cfm...romstate=vic#8
http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=26701
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Hi Kevin,
That time slot, I'm told, is clearly the strongest from an off-course wagering point of view.
The trot has just been run at Horsham and it seemed to gather a few more spectators than the previous races but on counting there was less than 50 of us on the steps. There was about 40 blokes but I would only bet that 2 of them are younger than me - I am a few weeks short of 60.
I know it is a Wednesday arvo and probably anyone not retired should be at work but it made me think - if it is true that punters will only bet on what they can watch, are daytime punters mostly over 60, Pro's or in the loo at work with their i phone
Whoever wrote that is clearly very intelligent Brenno
I am sooking because I wanted to go but would not stay around for the last race BUT when the last race is the cream of the meeting you cannot justify the trip
I really do understand that attendances mean zip nowadays but I think that we have to at least take night attendances seriously for as I have said many times before - I doubt tomorrows owners (the lifeblood of our sport) are going to come from club or home lounges
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
I can recall when all clubs participated in the Sires series - the heat on the program usually assisted the little clubs in also getting good entries for the support card and you could promote the card locally to generate some interest. A memory now though for clubs like mine as we send our trainers all over the state in order to compete in the series.
It'd be great to see thousands flocking to the trots every meeting, everywhere, but alas times have changed from what I often hear referred to as "the good old days". The industry lifeblood is the wagering dollar. You maximise that and reap as much benefit as you can from it, and then you have a war chest to increase awareness through marketing and media, bolster stakes and hopefully build crowds. It's an ultra-competitive wagering market. You can bet on so much more now than just racing and Aussie Rules win/loss, under 39.5 and over 39.5 points etc nowadays.
Getting the programming right is pivotal and while many will have their views about how it should be done, I can assure you HRV has some very experienced programmers who take lots of factors into account when deciding which races should go where on a race card.
I was having a whinge because it did not suit me as a traveller but seriously Cody, blind Freddy would know that the latest race on a day program is going to have a better chance of more punters especially with a couple of better known horses in it but I am sure the programmers are very experienced colleagues. I wonder whether they picked that the R3 C0 would hold just as much on the TAB?
The industry lifeblood is also the horses and thus owners until betting on cartoons becomes more popular
IMO you are unlikely to become an owner if you have never attended a few meetings
I reckon the 'hopefully build crowds' might take a bit of planning - other than that we need to hope that the old herd have been very fertile and put their stamp on their progeny
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
As I said, it would be great to see thousands pour through the gates on a mid-week program at a Charlton or Hamilton etc - as an old-school trots fan myself, who is much younger than the hardened trots fans you seem to speak of - I love being track side at a meeting with a big crowd.
But programmers would be remiss not to factor the wagering dollar in when putting a race card together.
IMHO, get the wagering dollar right to secure the best return for harness racing and it opens up the opportunity to invest heavier in marketing, communications, breeding, ownership promotions, horse welfare, you name it. Secure a greater share of the wagering dollar and the sky's the limit.
As a trots fan yourself Kevin, what sort of approach would you take to programming a mid-week meeting?
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