WHAT CAN YOU BRING TO RACING? - APATHY!

Seems to me that every post is directed in getting new people in the game who have money. Its the masses that actually keep racing going. Without your R6.00 minimum betters the industry will go bust. Target the people,like myself, who cannot afford owning his own race horse and who cannot afford a box or going to the course with 5k a meeting.

Why not one of you wealthy guys donate one of your horses to a group of people who cannot afford their own horse. Say 100 people can all have a share in the horse and n order to have that share they must attend the meeting whenever the horse runs. These 100 people who have never owned a race horse will let all their friends know about "my horse" and when the horse runs they will not only bring themselves along but their family and friends as well thus adding at least 500 people to the gate.

You could call the group "the peoples horse". It will generate an interest especially if the horse is of a goodish quality.

Imvho the NHA are perceived not to be policing racing with the result that the integrity of racing is challenged by the public and the industry in general. If you dont believe me ask any trainer about stipes, jockeys, non-triers, apparent preferential treatment, race programme, starter problems, draws etc etc etc.

Clean up the perception of racing and you have a chance. Back to basics is the answer. Get the crooks out of the game for good.

As to punting dont expect Phumelela to improve the product, they are only interested in volume not quality.

Andre has a point history - French Revolution - punters are the key and they are the ones that are left in the cold with dividends taking ages to clear, no betting slips, toilets, food seating, formguides, staff that treat them badly, standing in long lines because only one window is operating - endless list - I agree with Dave though you can't really fault Turfontein upstairs - downstairs another story - what do they say "Take care of the pennies(punters) and the pounds(owners,trainers, jocks and shareholders etc) will take care of themselves"

Another thought, been discussed as many other items on the forum

Internet points, have a room or floor allocated to attract the yuppies, no waiting to put a bet on, can also do it from phones now.

scotia Wrote:

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> Another thought, been discussed as many other
> items on the forum
>
> Internet points, have a room or floor allocated to
> attract the yuppies, no waiting to put a bet on,
> can also do it from phones now.


Thats exactly what I mean. You guys are trying to make it a sport for the privileged and only the privileged, once they become bored they move on unlike the dedicated punter who go racing until the day he dies.

Educate "all" the punters, if you can use an autobank you can place a bet using a computer point, lets call it an Internet Cafe facility rather than for yuppies, they can bring their own laptops

In the US they have a machine similar to a casino slot machine or even a parking gargage pay point. Slip your money in, select your bet on the touch screen, and it spits out your bet. The machines are available.

only problem with that sharkie is when you go into a bodega and you start playing Keno you will end up been there the hole day.

I would bring my mates to the track on Friday, for the Kenilworth twighlight meeting...only problem is they all going to the cricket at Newlands.

Alcaponee - why now again, we've already posted some very good input over the last year on this site.....is this going around in a blind circle again?...all of the above posters + more (eg. Garrick) have posted about 5 posts on the same subject.
Please could someone have the balls to print the posts and send it to the powers that be and not just 'wish' someone will stumble upon it on the forum??? How about send it along with someone going to that RA meeting tomorrow?

yep Don...Print and give to the advocate...i agree

The racing game is ( and always has been ) full of anomalies.

When evaluating the present lets have a glance at the past :

I started racing in an era when :

1.) There was no Tellytrack.( Binoculars sold by the bucket load ).

2.) We knew little or nothing about horses outside of our respective provinces.

3.) A day at the races was a 'day out' and we particiapted fully in visiting the parade ring, watching the canter down, scrutinising the bookmaker boards and (probably!) queueing to place a tote bet. Facilities overall were average to poor -particularly on big days.

4.) There was no Pick6 but if you were fortunate to win the Jackpot or Place Accumulator you drove to town early in the following week to present your ticket and collect your winnings.

5.) There was sufficient time between meetings to prepare for the next local event although this era preceded the arrival of form guides.

TECHNOLOGY changed everything. And we are still struggling to adapt.

Reading the forlorn cries of ( largely older ) racing fans for well attended race meetings is like watching those elderly enthusiasts on the History channel dressed up in period attire and re-enacting long past events. It ain't going to happen again soon!

Despite the abuse heaped upon Phumelela regarding their perceived indifferent treatment of the local industry I sometimes wonder if we are not already getting more attention than we merit. In the grand scheme of things South African racing may not be worth saving let alone promoting! Furthermore I would hazard a guess that but for the often maligned international racing and the revenue generated from it SA racing might already have disappeared up its own windy backside.

Smell the coffee : There has been a steady stream of South African talent - both human and equine - out of the country in search of the global stage. That's natural behaviour. The controlling bodies are ( correctly ) exploring and developing areas when an income stream of significance can be built. If it continues to succeed local racing is effectively supported by it. Not because it necessarily deserves it but because its the model which Phumelela believes is sustainable. Whether they are right or wrong only time will tell. But I don't see an awful lot of evidence to suggest that they are wilfully abandoning the local product.

If the controlling bodies are wanting to spend more money then I would rather they spent a couple of million to further improve the simulcast and upgrade the equipment to High Definition so we can see even more clearly what is going on. And throw in some professionally trained presenters while they are about it. It's called improving the product offering. Oh! And start mining the data base that they created when they made us all register for channel 232. If you are looking to speak to your customer base surely that is the most obvious place to start?

As to enlarging the punter body - that is a tricky one as we are wanting a predominantly impoverished population to become addicted so we can flourish. Nasty word that: 'addicted'. But no matter how you couch the term that is what a regular punter is - an addict. And we need more of them. Quickly. If you don't believe me then ask one simple question : How many people do you know who have prospered from punting horses over a lifetime? I can think of one. And he STARTED wealthy. And appears to have remained so. So insofar as punters go we face the same dilemma as the tobacco industry - we are promoting an activity that probably should carry a 'health warning' as little good will flow from your participation other than very expensive entertainment.

Like many others on this site I have done almost everything that racing has to offer except breed horses. Virtually every activity has been a significant financial drain. My life without racing would probably have seen me become significantly wealthy. But would I have had fun? Possibly. Probably. Maybe. Maybe not. But, hell, I have met some fun fellow addicts!