“Petitions outside tote offices does not sound like a strong message? What happened to the last group that were taking over racing SANTA ?”
SANTA’s leadership and financial backers must be as disappointed as 4Q’s leadership and financial backers. SANTA did claim to have unlimited funds to fight the NHA to REMOVE THE ENTIRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NHA.
We can only be thankful that SANTA did not remove the entire board of directors of the NHA.
I understand that SANTA appointed their representatives to have their say on the NHA’s Nominations Committee. SANTA’s China’s have failed to fill 2 vacancies on the NHA board of directors for more than 3 months. The Nominations Committee has only one job and responsibility.
HOW ON EARTH WERE SANTA GOING TO FIND 10 REPLACEMENT DIRECTORS OVERNIGHT IF THEY ARE BATTLING TO FIND 2 DIRECTORS FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS?
“Petitions outside tote offices does not sound like a strong message? What happened to the last group that were taking over racing SANTA ?”
SANTA’s leadership and financial backers must be as disappointed as 4Q’s leadership and financial backers. SANTA did claim to have unlimited funds to fight the NHA to REMOVE THE ENTIRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NHA.
We can only be thankful that SANTA did not remove the entire board of directors of the NHA.
I understand that SANTA appointed their representatives to have their say on the NHA’s Nominations Committee. SANTA’s China’s have failed to fill 2 vacancies on the NHA board of directors for more than 3 months. The Nominations Committee has only one job and responsibility.
HOW ON EARTH WERE SANTA GOING TO FIND 10 REPLACEMENT DIRECTORS OVERNIGHT IF THEY ARE BATTLING TO FIND 2 DIRECTORS FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS?
Because they need to find two that fit their narrative.
OK thanks Bob
I actually have no idea what happened.
My comments were based on the press releases and high level support that SANTA had vs the new initiative to have petitions signed outside tote outlets could be rather naive?
I despair for South African Racing. The relief and euphoria after the Oppenheimer billions were used to prop up racing has long faded. What happened to the "we got this, give us time?" mantra from 4Q? It is depressing going back to that time and reading, or watching items on how racing would be going in the right direction after years of plundering. What happened?
One thing I can say with the wisdom of time and hindsight is that we were lied to. There has been little to no transparency shown by the 4Q crowd after promising so much. Who knows what the plan is going forward besides the inner circle? What are the plans to address the dwindling pools? Is there one? If anything, racing has gone backwards since 4Q took over from a participant viewpoint.
I believe that they have a plan. I am sure that the destruction of local racing is not the key objective regardless of it seeming to be so. What 4Q wants to achieve in local racing remains to be seen, but it clearly is something that is divisive, and reeks of bully boy tactics when you see how Gold Circle have been treated by 4Q. There is no transparency, seemingly no will to improve the image of our racing ( the less said about 4Q TV the better ), no communication and no delivery of previous promises. It's a mess. Perhaps I am overthinking things and the reality is that the people in charge do not have a clue.
My message to one and all - avoid the tote at all costs. Support the open bet. I am pretty sure that they would have made a massive loss in the time since they have taken over. At some stage Slack will be forced to pull the plug regardless of what is in those coffers. Quite simply 4Q don't deserve our support.
Insofar as SANTA goes, it was inevitable that their actions would end in defeat. Led and guided by a Gold Circle director and a previous Kenilworth Racing legal man, what was expected? The way they got played by the NHA was embarrassing.
Just another failure from people who have failed racing for years. Hot air is all they have.
The pools are dwindling not because of 4R but because the general populace is no longer interested in horseracing. (Yes, I do understand that 4R can do a better job on Ch240). The best you, yourself, can do is to campaign to the populace to have a bet.
Once we clansmen have left this planet I doubt there will be any horseracing in SA.
Update from UK via Racing Post as they enter the flat season
With the traditional start of the Flat season approaching, some of the sport's biggest trainers have expressed their concerns over the potential impact of the gambling review, following predictions stricter legislation could cost the British racing industry more than £100 million a year.
Flat trainers focused on getting their teams ready for the start of a new season on Saturday received a rude awakening with the dire warnings that strident action around affordability checks, advertising and sponsorship could "kill racing stone dead", according to British racing's Gambling Strategy Group member Charlie Parker.
The possibility of intrusive affordability checks, whereby customers are asked to provide personal financial information to bookmakers, continues to cast a shadow over British racing and, set alongside spiralling operational costs, such as fuel, bedding and insurance, it leaves trainers facing mounting pressures.
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