G'day Kev,
I don't think bigger tracks are the answer if Menangle is an indicator, the drivers have learned how to drive the track to the rules and leaders are very dominant there as well. I think the minimum time standards for leaders have played a part as the rule makes sure the horses at the back tend to stay put, as does the tendency to shorter distance races.
I really do think there should be more opportunities for horses that are drawn wide and/or on the back row to get into the race. So how does one facilitate that?
We have had a few problems maintaining our punters over the years and I think in trying to give them more certainty we are inadvertently making racing more predictable and subsequently more boring.
I know I bang on about standing starts all the time, but one thing for sure, even in the old days when horses/trainers/drivers and punters were better practiced at it, the racing was no where near as boring as it often is now.
Short races on big tracks make for fast times and that excites some people, but I'm yet to see any evidence that fast times encourage punters to invest more.....in fact I believe the opposite is true.