The Anonymous Widower

Horseracing in Crisis

The long running dispute about the size of the Levy seems to have hit the stops again as horse racing and the bookmakers can’t agree how much should be paid.  According to this article on the BBC,   the decision will go for the last time to the Government.

I love my racing, but I know that this can’t go on!

In the first place, horse racing needs bookmakers and bookmakers don’t need horse racing, as mugs will bet on anything from horse racing videos to the X-Factor.  I bet rarely, but I still have one running on Strictly Come Dancing. Any unbiased analysis of bookmakers income shows that their profits come from areas other than horse racing.

One of the troubles with racing is that it is perceived in the wrong way by much of the public and racing sees the public in the wrong way too. For instance, few know that most race meetings outside of the really major ones, let those under 16 in free with an adult.  I’ve always found that children enjoy racing as it’s something so different to what they encounter in normal life. Many race courses do try to encourage families in the summer, but others just don’t bother.  They just don’t realise that by changing the product on offer slightly they can reach a whole new audience.

Another problem, that exists locally is that big meetings at Newmarket often clash with football at Ipswich. And I suspect Norwich too!  I suspect these aren’t the only clashes either.  Planning of meetings must be better!

But racing real problem is that it continues to make really bad decisions at the top.

One thing that I can’t understand is why racing has split its television coverage between two separate channels, one of which is free and the other is so much a month.  If ever there was a decision that smacks of corporate suicide it is this one.

The trouble with the quality of the decisions, is that it allows those, who perhaps should be funding the sport, like bookmakers, to find ways  out of paying for the product.

Racing only powerful card is that it is a large employer, but so were the coal mines and look what happened to the miners.  It was just an industry whose time had come.  Not because of politics as many on the left would believe, but because of the carbon dioxide burning it produces.

So has horse racing’s time come?

Perhaps in its present form, Yes!

I wouldn’t dream of telling the racing industry what to do, but I know they must change, or at least be perceived to have changed.

Can the Government do anything to help?

I believe one trhing that would help is to move the clocks to European time, as this would give us extra opportunities for evening meetings, which do seem to attract crowds.  But even here, some people in racing aren’t as pro this, as I am.  But I suspect, it is something that will finally happen.

Racing often has a big asset and that is land, which sometimes is not used to its full potential because of planning restrictions. The Government is giving more power to local people, but would this be for or against racing’s interest?

I would hate to see racing fade out of the rich pageant of Britain’s sporting scene, but unless we think long and hard, it might just happen.

I hope not!

Possibly!

October 25, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | Sport | Betting, Horse Racing