Go Jump Racing

B

BHA

At the Start
Joined
Dec 2, 2008
Messages
23
Hello all,

New site launched by the BHA, www.gojumpracing.com

Designed to promote people going to jumps racing by offering discount tickets on nearly every jump racing meeting.

Discounts along the lines of:
- 50% off all tickets to long walk hurdle at ascot
- Cheaper entry, free bets, free pint and racecard for peterborough chase day at huntingdon
- Advance booking discounts on many meetings
- Group booking discounts on many meetings

I hope you dont mind me using forums to get the message out there- we just designed it to be a win-win: The BHA wins because if more people go racing its great news, you win because you save money on your racing tickets

Its completely non-profit as a site- all proceeds go to the racecourses as normal, we just saw it as an opportunity to get people to go racing for less, especially with the credit crunch on.

Have a look and see how much you can save on racing tickets

Cheers and good luck

Rob
 
Just thinking aloud ...

99% of meetings you just turn up and pay in, what is the point in selling tickets cheaper in advance and having to go through the hastle of matching the tickets with their purchasers? I would imagine the only people who will buy on the site are people who would have gone anyway i.e persistant racegoers, new\casual racegoers probably wont look at the site. Attracting the more value conscious punter probably means lowering the gate prices and costs within.

Another thought that occurred is that rather than selling tickets, you could set up the site for members to self print vouchers (limited per meeting per account - for a reference pigsback.com do something similar with shopping coupons and restaurant special offers) for discounts to the courses which would save on delivery and administration of selling tickets and processing cards.

Nice site all the same.
 
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Hi Melendez,

Many thanks indeed for your feedback, it is very much appreciated.

This is the first time the BHA has carried out an initiative like this, and we are very much going to see how it goes. We believe that the site could have value in terms of bringing new people to the sport (hence why we have included the beginners guide to racing on there) and as such hopefully attract the new/casual racegoers. In addition the site is being marketed to try to reach these audiences.

In addition, we are hoping that some of the promotions make racing so affordable that it does become a win/win as we attract more racegoers to the sport- I think a good example could be a racing man who would have liked to go to the King James meeting on Boxing day, but has family commitments- using the gojumpracing site he could take himself and his wife for a discounted £12 each and kids go free- so thats £24 for a whole family day out at the races.

I appreciate this is a very specific scenario but just one example of what we are aiming for.

I like the idea of printing vouchers- this is a quite novel idea and one we could look into in the future.

Many thanks though and i do suggest use the site for all your planned racing trips! I'm sure it can save you some money.

Many thanks indeed.

Robin, BHA
 
I've just spoken to the BHA's media office and actually ended up having a chat with Robin. I am happy that the site is genuine and sanctioned by the BHA and isn't a ticketing agency trying to muscle in and mislead customers. Therefore I don't see any harm in supporting the initiative as the aspirations to support and grow the popularity of racing and jumps in particular is common to both parties.

Robin has also agreed (within reason) to try and provide an interface dialogue between the BHA and its race going public (you). Where as I'm not asking for an avalanche of the ad hoc, as that would be unmanagable, on a question by question basis, but if any of you have anything you would like to ask of them concerning the adminsitration of the sport, plans for its development, or suggestions then can I suggest you post them here, and once we reach a decent number it would probably be easier to address them in one fell swoop rather than on a piecemeal basis. Provided the questions are kept within the confines of the sensible, then this might hopefully lead to a regular chance for forum members to input into the sport in a constructive exchange between the adminstration and its public.

I trust you're all happy to oblige, and in the meantime I think its probably fair to say that we would wish to support anything the BHA are doing to try and gro the support in these increasingly competitive times
 
BHA said:
I think a good example could be a racing man who would have liked to go to the King James meeting on Boxing day, but has family commitments
Click to expand...

Is this new fixture part of the initiative as well? Where is it being held? :p

Seriously, it looks a good site and a step in the right direction.
 
Alright that's an unfortunate gaff, but I trust most of you who are quick to get on the back of the BHA from time to time, will take the opportunity to raise serious rather than puerile points in the spirit of the BHA trying to reach out and communicate with their customer base, which lets be honest, makes a refreshing change.
 
Yes, the King James meeting, its being sponsored by Stan George VI bookmakers.

Apologies for the typo, but many thanks for your positive feedback much appreciated!

Robin.
 
Why are the likes of Ferdy Murphy allowed to announce to the media that he intends sending a horse for a schooling session in a Grade 1 race (not that the race level matters), when the BHA spent all the time and effort (not to mention money) on pursuing Fallon when the evidence was never there? Do the BHA condone non triers?
 
Probably not the right person to discuss it with Hamm. It's ok to do it in Ireland though so they should have just taken him to the John Durkan.
 
Warbler said:
Alright that's an unfortunate gaff, but I trust most of you who are quick to get on the back of the BHA from time to time, will take the opportunity to raise serious rather than puerile points in the spirit of the BHA trying to reach out and communicate with their customer base, which lets be honest, makes a refreshing change.
Click to expand...

More trigger-happy, po-faced "moderation".

FFS.
 
yes

It's disappointing when you take the time to check out the legitimacy of a site and contact the BHA, then persuade them of the merits of engaging directly with us, that the first contribution we get (Grasshoppers) was of the nature that it was.
 
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As a prompt, this is what the BHA do (according to their website), possibly questions could be lined up under each heading ...
  • Compilation of the Fixture List
  • Setting and enforcing the rules and orders of racing.
  • Race Planning, including the supervision of race programmes and the employment of Handicappers
  • Licensing and registering racing participants - jockeys, trainers, horses, owners and stable staff.
  • Strategic planning and policy for Racing
  • Setting and enforcing standards of veterinary and medical care.
  • Protecting the integrity of the sport on and off the racecourse.
  • Setting and enforcing common standards for British racecourses
  • The conduct of a day’s racing
  • Central promotion of Racing
  • Encouraging and fostering the breeding of bloodstock
  • Developing and maintaining programmes of training and education
  • Representing Racing in dealings with Government
  • Liaison with the Betting Industry
  • Representing British Racing abroad, which includes membership of the Executive Council of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities
I'd get the ball rolling but I can't think of anything.
 
I would like to congratulate Warbler on an excellently proactive piece of moderation. Don't mind the begrudgers.

As an aside I think this years King James will be a race of Biblical proportions.
 
I concur with An Capall.

The only thing we are risking is a possible dashing of hopes but a channel for constructive discussion with a major player in the future of the sport we all enjoy is certainly to be welcomed.
 
Warbler said:
yes

It's disappointing when you take the time to check out the legitimacy of a site and contact the BHA, then persuade them of the merits of engaging directly with us, that the first contribution we get (Grasshoppers) was of the nature that it was.
Click to expand...

The first contribution was the word "spam", which you saw fit not to delete.

There was further joking around with King James/Stan George, which you were happy to let go.

Yet I make a reference to the mythical DontGoFlatRacing.com website, and it's deemed beyond the pale?

Have a sodding word with yourself.
 
Yet I make a reference to the mythical DontGoFlatRacing.com website
Click to expand...


Appalling to denigrate the sport of kings in such a disgraceful manner. Have you no respect? The queen could be reading this. Should be ashamed of yourself
 
The spam issue might have been legitimate at the time it was posted, it was why I rang the BHA to discuss it and seek clarification etc. You obviously weren't privvy to the detail of the conversation I had with the media relations people and Robin but the issue of spam was discussed. Under the circumstances once things had been clarified along these lines there was no need to remove it, hence my post confirming the site legitimacy and invitation to engage in constructive discussion followed afterwards. I should perhaps point out that given the variety of subject matter that is potentially available to cover, co-ordinating a Q&A session isn't always going to be easy for the BHA given that it might involve numerous different people, and so their agreement was appreciated, by myself at least and hopefully others too.

Unforunately your own post came after this, and after I'd suggested that for the most part TH is one of the more thoughtful fora about (telephone conversation) and that forum such as this shared the BHA's objective of promoting racing and encouraging attendances etc it was disappointing that you felt it appropriate to indulge yourself by inventing a mythical site promoting the contrary. As I'm sure you must realise your own post contributed little that was constructive other than to say 'hey look at me, aren't I funny, and I don't like flat racing'.

Tracksides subsequent post, fell more within the bounds of 'knock about' and did at least applaud them on their initiative and site content after he'd taken his small dig. Yours didn't, and just continued to snipe away.

As a few contributors have since suggested, an avenue to question and discuss racing related issues with the BHA would normally be welcomed on a racing forum I would have thought?, it might be they choose to disregard us? All I can suggest is that this is more likely to happen if we reduce ourselves to flippant posts rather than considered and thoughtful ones
 
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Hello all,

At the BHA we are keen to find new ways to interact with racing followers, and think that using forums to do so is a great idea.

The logistics of it might be the only issue, especially as we may have different questions for different departments, and no one person could be the spokesperson for all departments.

As a result we have this suggestion- ask away as many questions as you like, and lets say this, come end of friday we will close the thread and look through it. We will then next week answer as many of the pertinent questions as we can in a new posting, which again can be responded to and debated, and again we can respond en masse.

If this sounds like a decent suggestion please feel free to ask us any questions you like and we will get a response out next week. Or if you dont think there's much value in this then, again, let us know.

In addition, we are always willing to answer any questions you have directly- feel free to email info@britishhorseracing.com with any questions and we will endeavour to get back to you. Obviously these emails will be private and thus not as open for debate, but it will at the same time answer any pressing queries you have.

Let us know your thoughts and feel free to think up anything you want to ask the BHA!

Many thanks,

Rob
 
Cheers Rob that sounds fair enough.

Given the "other" website opened this week and the problems with it...the new BHA one is positively easy to use and access!!
 
It's worth a go.

I would suggest though that someone extracts and orders a list of questions from the thread rather than expecting you and your colleagues to wade through it. That way we can indulge in our usual nonsense without wasting your time.

I have a question based on recent discussion on here. What is the exact brief given to the BHA handicappers? Are they expected to rate a horse strictly on its achievements or are they also expected to draw conclusions about potential?

For example, Hi Jinks wins with its head in its chest on its seasonal debut. We all know the handicapper is entitled, expected even, to assume the horse could have won by more and to factor that into their rating.

On the other hand My Favourite Marmalade runs well on its seasonal debut having looked a bit tubby beforehand. Does the handicapper's brief allow them to increase their rating to take likely future improvement, when the horse is fitter, into account?
 
Anyone who wants to ask the Ferdy Murphy question will find Paul Struthers (posts as Silvoir on TRF) eminently approachable; he's so approachable, in fact, that he finally left the pub after Monday's Derby Awards (kick off noon) at about two thirty in the morning. I can't imagine one of his predecessors doing that.

In fact, for those who have dual membership, TRF had a massive BHA Q&A session earlier this year which makes interesting reading. I would have thought that the questions to be posed here should primarily concentrate on the BHA's attempts to promote the sport which is a wide enough avenue. As Robin suggests, it could be a logistical nightmare simply working out which department a question should be put to, never mind collating those questions and doing the same for the feedback.
 
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