Sea the stars lost to the general public?

Just watching a show on at the races and the guys are concerned about the response of the general public to the champ.

Seemingly they done a straw poll on the streets of London on the Monday the day after the Arc and very few members of the public had even heard of Sea the Stars.

They go on to say the the BBC on the sunday, the peak viewing figures for the race attracted 0.9m viewers for the race,compared with the GP bike race 1.1m directly before and the snooker 1.2m directly after the race ,which is saying to them that racing is a turn of.

They also wen`t on to say that his run in the Champion Stakes the Leapordstown course attracted less of a crowd than an average Jumps meeting would.

Shame !!

I was first taken to the races in the early 80's as a friend of a chap who worked for the original Computaform and so I often ended up in the pressroom.

I remember 8 members of the main daily press, all pro journalists who seemed often put out that specialized members of the press in almost every other sport seemed to be better treated than they were. I guess it's a perk to be handled somewhat respectfully if you're from the press.

Anyway, by the 90's one had died and the rest went on to do other things because racing looked like a dead end career with no perks. They really were treated like an afterthought.

I'm not sure how we let the interest just die out, but we did. The only thought that occurs to me now, is that other sports seem to be run from from time to time by legends of those sports and people who think that the sport is bigger than themselves. That may not translate into our sport, but as half pointed out in Goosen's column, I think racing had better face the facts that it's ALL about gambling and it's truly time that racing starts heading in the same direction taken by casinos.

BTW, I also switch to GP bike racing and Snooker when monotone-chariots are forced down my throat, but as N Pretorius snapped on TT, there's more coming so better just get used to it. Fools still think they're the only game in town, and that we'll forgive and forget. Ha!

So were the journalists in it for the perks or the love of the game? If the former then their departure was no loss at all.

Hibernia..

I for one...did not know that there was a horse called Sea the stars..

it was this forum that educated me..
many of the overseas racing activities..I see or hear for the first time on this forum..

Team Valor..never knew they existed...

and yet I have been in racing 28 years..
as owner..
as punter..
as bookmaker..
as private box holder..
as mug..
as ....
but failed as jockey...cannot make the min weight..tried...

never looked at the owners names in the computerform..
have no clue about breeding..
colours...had my own as an owner..but cannot tell the difference..

shouted to Rhys van wyk: he looked good in the colours..in the ring..bright pink..what a commotion after that in the ring..

never knew larry, peter and derek had something to do with the RA..
did not know what the RA did..
now I hear NHRA..trainers something...

ps..I know TEX..he runs the gang..

thought that Debbie were in charge...
graham was commentating after Peter duffield..
knew were the tote "GOOD FOR" is ...
knew were the bookies were..

and that Scott & William are now the hamburger kings..

The Internet is a great educational tool. Everyone knows that. Except racing's administrators, one sometimes feels.

magiclips Wrote:

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> So were the journalists in it for the perks or the
> love of the game? If the former then their
> departure was no loss at all.

I disagree, their departure was a big loss.

We wake up one day...no independent media etc etc, and wonder why snooker and bike racing are more popular.

You were at one time banned from tellytrack for I presume no good reason. Is this how a sport-business should sell itself to people who are employed in the marketing of the sport?

If all we have left is the long suffering...what a tired business it will be.

Endless freebies are not the answer. If that is the main reason for wanting to be a racing writer then there is a major problem right there.

magiclips...

you got banned from tellytrack...that's not serious..

i got banned from the race tracks in RSA..
i think.... twice...if I remember..during the 80's
and nearly a 3rd time by the stipes NEWMARKET during the 00's

will have to check with David Abromowitz..
he typed the letters..distributed it to every tattersals in the country..
they stuck the notice up at the front door on the notice board..

why..outschemed the bookies..and they did not pay me the first time..
2nd time..6 months..then we settled..
3rd time..for a commotion by the bookmakers ring - newmarket night racing..

never took notice of their letters..
they were to greedy..wanted to lay me bets...

The Arc was shown on one of the BBC interactive channels, so viewers had to make a specific effort to watch it. Non racing fans would simply have not made the effort.

I think Sea the Stars had a pretty big following amongst the many racing fans who realised they were all witnessing history. I attended the Derby this year and I understood straight away I had witnessed one of the greatest horses of all time. Very few horses have done the Guineas and Derby double, never mind the Arc as well.

Even in the UK racing is unfortunately relegated way down the list of general sports coverage so it will always be tough for a horse to reach hero status amongst the general public. Furthermore whilst racing in the UK is very well attended I think many race goers enjoy the festivities of going to the races and having a good time, rather than being steeped in the knowledge and history of it all.

Its even tougher when a horse only races in the public domain for a few months as a 3 year old. I would say what STS has done in 6 months is quite incredible, just think of what he would do for racing if he trained on as a 4 year old. A horse like Kauto Star has captured more of the UK publics attention as he's been around for a few years, similar to Yeats.

On an international level STS has achieved unbelievable aclaim in his short racing career. I was talking to a local owner who doesn't really have an interest in UK racing and even he couldn't stop talking about the champ.

Its just a shame Tellytrack didn't show the full BBC coverage on a seperate channel, but I suppose then we would be taking away the attention of meaningless racing at Huntingdon, which would be so disastrous for Phumulelas bottom line.

Jack Dash

there is no fun in snooker and bike racing...

it's fun..or let me say..it was fun to go to a track..stick the bookies out..

they have all moved away, each have a venue..very strick rules..no fun..

boring going to a venue..sit...sit..sit...
on the track..you can move around..scheme the jockeys in the jockey room..then off to the bookies to scheme them..back to the table to have a glass of wine..

that was fun...

now..
like hospital..or old age home..

sit..sit..I cant see the TV...

ps.. have you noticed..all build like classrooms..the teacher in the front

maybe they want to teach us a lesson...

Being banned from Tellytrack has been to me as serious as being slapped with a wet marshmallow. Meaningless. I am not in this for a free lunch or an ego-stroking TV appearance. The game is much much more important than that.

magic to be band from the tv is a blessing. Your face is strictly for radio!