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yorick

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Mar 2, 2018
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Had an ew bet in the 4.30 at Newcastle this morning when there 8 runners.

I've gone back to the race and what do I see?

That 8 runners is now down to 5. So my ew bet now applies to first two rather than the first 3 plus any winnings I might get is slashed into by a 30p in the pound deduction. Why on earth would anyone bother? This is happening every day and it seems that 8 runner fields are the exception rather than the rule.

I'm getting so hacked off that I bet less and less.

There are 24 nr's today at the meeting, all citing 'going' as the reason. Someone's taking the piss.

I asked the BHA to provide me with evidence about the number of nr's in the two years before the new decs rule began and then to provide me with stats on the number of nr's for the last two seasons. No answer.
 
yorick said:
Had an ew bet in the 4.30 at Newcastle this morning when there 8 runners.

I've gone back to the race and what do I see?

That 8 runners is now down to 5. So my ew bet now applies to first two rather than the first 3 plus any winnings I might get is slashed into by a 30p in the pound deduction. Why on earth would anyone bother? This is happening every day and it seems that 8 runner fields are the exception rather than the rule.

I'm getting so hacked off that I bet less and less.

There are 24 nr's today at the meeting, all citing 'going' as the reason. Someone's taking the piss.

I asked the BHA to provide me with evidence about the number of nr's in the two years before the new decs rule began and then to provide me with stats on the number of nr's for the last two seasons. No answer.
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I hate "going" being cited, connections should be expected to give further details about the type of going that's causing the withdrawal (because then everything's transparent)

Of course there's the 3 place market on Betfair where it stays at 3 places even if there's a withdrawal - shame the markets are so weak nowadays
 
I keep citing the 48hr final decs rule that was introduced, which trainers, at first objected to on the grounds that is was too far from the race to predict what the going would be on race day. It was changed in order that British racing could get race cards printed in time for overseas punters to get them. The irony is that those punters and British punters were equally badly served by this. British trainers eventually agreed to the 48hr decs but it is clear that
a) Trainers are now just taking the mickey
b) The BHA has sold punters down the river. They claim that the overseas revenue from the race cards go back into British racing. Impressive eh? Look at the pathetic prize money. No visible improvement on that score and punters consistently screwed by the farcical idea that trainers now have to be weather forecasters too.

All this and still the racing press skirt around the subject. They're so full of themselves with their tips but who will champion an end to this catastrophic situation?

And never mind 'going', what about all the 'self certs' being cited along with so much other crap: didn't eat up, bruised foot etc with no input from vets; just trust the trainer to tell the truth. Yeah, right.
 
There is quite obviously something wrong at Newcastle.

If I had a horse in training I would not want it to run if there were any safety doubts.
 
If the going is different on race day from that at declaration time, connections are entitled to withdraw without penalty. However, they still lose the entry fee so the decision isn't taken lightly.

I notice that the Newcastle going now has the word 'firm' in the description, albeit only as good to firm in places.
 
I honestly don't want to be a smartarse and I do sympathise BUT....

1. Anyone who makes a proper study of going stick readings (ignore CoC going reports - they are under immense financial pressure to say what gets horses boxes to the track in a desperate bid to maximise field sizes) could tell from early morning it would be lightning quick at Newcastle today.

2. Newcastle even admitted their watering equipment was broken and this info was available online - this is all a recipe for lots of non runners once trainers got to the track and saw what the ground is really like.

3. Any each-way bet on a "dead eight" is vulnerable to being ruined by a non runner - it's not a bet to be having hours before post time.

You could argue this info should be more readily available, but it's "dog eat dog" in this game and any long-term winning punter wants it to be hard for other punters to find out what's going on so they can have an edge over the betting market.

Please don't shoot the messenger on this - I am only trying to offer advice which might help in the future.
 
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Ian_Davies said:
I honestly don't want to be a smartarse and I do sympathise BUT....

1. Anyone who makes a proper study of going stick readings (ignore CoC going reports - they are under immense financial pressure to say what gets horses boxes to the track in a desperate bid to maximise field sizes) could tell from early morning it would be lightning quick at Newcastle today.

2. Newcastle even admitted their watering equipment was broken and this info was available online - this is all a recipe for lots of non runners once trainers got to the track and saw what the ground is really like.

3. Any each-way bet on a "dead eight" is vulnerable to being ruined by a non runner - it's not a bet to be having hours before post time.

You could argue this info should be more readily available, but it's "dog eat dog" in this game and any long-term winning punter wants it to be hard for other punters to find out what's going on so they can have an edge over the betting market.

Please don't shoot the messenger on this - I am only trying to offer advice which might help in the future.
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Thanks for that input, Ian. Appreciated.

Yes, I would argue that the dissemination of track conditions isn't good enough or available enough.

You are right that I was mug. I am a mug, I'm realising that punters are a very long way down the list in customer satisfaction. I would argue that the introduction of 48 decs on a training community that didn't welcome it, simply to satisfy the need to print overseas race cards for far-away punters (who were also going to be adversely hit by it), racing authorities have shown scant regard for a big part of the racing community.

The problem is/was exacerbated by the need to generate funds for the racing industry when, really, the nettle to grasp is exacting a proper price for the product from the off-shore bookmakers. The sum generated by the selling of race cards is just small beer when compared to what is needed to bring prize money up to scratch.

The levy is something that has been contested for generations: bookies want to get the profit for as little as possible and have long been unwilling contributors. The racing authorities have become increasingly sheepish in this regard and instead of taking on the bookies head - on, they'd rather make some piecemeal, insubstantial gesture which hits punters and doesn't get the industry anywhere near the funds they need to adequately fund it.

This is a pressing affair which the racing authorities have shied away from for too long.

Yes, such info should be more readily available; both from the BHA and the (lazy) RP. I wouldn't want to accept that customer care comes under the heading of 'dog-eat-dog'

You're correct, Ian. All race fields are vulnerable to non - runners and the dead eight will be affected the most. These days, though, it's not even a risk; it's a certainty. It's a shame that if I see eight runners declared, I must declare myself to be at fault rather than being able to trust racing authorities to protect its customers. Fat chance of that. Nr's are an epidemic which no-one seems to care about.

Meanwhile, I should accept responsibility that I'm the problem. Hmmm

And that, Ian, is why I'm betting less and less.
 
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