Hereford - to go?

krizon

krizon

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Rumours were strong at Brighton yesterday that Northern Racing's going to ditch Hereford, its weakest performer in income of its nine courses. Dave Evans's rep was among those who'd heard the whispers. Anyone heard if it's likely? I'm not sure that anyone directly connected to NR will know any more than anyone else at this stage, so haven't asked, although might trawl for more info at tomorrow's extra meeting. Would be a shame for particularly Wales-based runners, but if it's not performing, I doubt that NR's owners, Simon and David Reuben, will hang onto it. Given their posture on buying the company that they would never use any courses for 'development', it'll be interesting to see what happens if it is let go.
 
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To judge from the apathy on here it wouldn't be missed? Has the opening of Ffos Las had an impact on it?
 
I think its just a bit quiet on here recently. Not that surprising this time of year.
 
Id be a bit sad - its a nice course, and it makes a nice change to be able to see everything !!

that doesnt make for good business sense though.
 
Underinvestment and shocking prize money I imagine - the latter a hallmark of Northern Racing tracks .

Shame though if it happens I see it has been there since 1771 - the website says there is a conference centre there maybe they plan to concentrate on that .
 
Roddy Owen said:
Wouldn`t like to see it go ,especially having one a bumper there this week. But for only £1400
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I was going to ask you about that, Roddy. That sort of prize money is a bit of an insult, is it not? Especially when you consider there was probably at least £1m wagered on the race.
 
Poor prize money a feature of Northern Racing and Arena Leisure as well as some of the indies, Ardross, although the drop-off has been huge across the board. The Levy has, as you'll know from so many articles on the subject, cut its contributions because it says it is receiving much less from bookies' shops these days and because so many operations have gone offshore, where they don't have to cough up a penny. Also, the deleterious effect of the exchanges which, as far as I know, do not mandatorily contribute a sou. Racecourses' picture rights fees have increased and one might not unreasonably expect them to kick in a bit more, but none of them have (per se - I'm not talking about what sponsors are doing).

The ROA needs to grow some serious cojones and demand its owners boycott all racing in the UK for just one week. Repeat the dose until sense prevails. At the moment, though, there is a serious lack of leadership at the helm of racing, probably because there are too may bloody groups: The Horseman's Group (which most people are hard-pressed to remember, let alone know what it's supposed to do), the BHA, the ROA, the NTF (which is doing no pressing at all, other than a feeble whine now and then through individual trainers, but no group action), Racing for Change (now there's an issue for them to wrestle with, but they're not, they're farting around with the lace trimmings, not the suit of clothes), and so on... nobody is strongly at the helm in this age of 'teams'. And bookies and exchanges laugh.
 
Alliance...

The problem is that those advocating a rationalisation of the fixture list and a consequent redistribution of prize money face a new unholy alliance of racecourses and bookmakers.

The racecourses seem to have become incredibly powerful in recent times and have railed against any attempt to trim fixtures. Indeed, I think many would happily see more meetings. With them are the bookmakers who at the moment seem to want to see plenty of races in the shops and want to see races at different times (eg: lunchtime races) in an attempt to bolster their turnover and profit.

Then you have the Owners and Trainers who seem split down the middle. Those at the top seem to want fewer races with more prize money but those at the bottom (not surprisingly) seem to want more races even if that means less money.

The forces in favour of a status quo or more racing seem formidable at the moment and a token reduction of 100 meetings next year will probably satisfy no one.
 
What I can see happening is a reduction in meetings, per se, but an increase in the number of races per meeting to make up the diff! Nobody said there would be fewer races, just fewer fixtures. Plumpton finished with 8 races last season (plus a feckin mascot race beforehand and two pony races for kids after the last real race, making an 11-race day for the SIS camera and all raceday crew at no extra pay). Another course - I've just forgotten which - ran a 10-race card of regular races, ffs. If that's the way courses plan to get round the issue of reduced fixtures, I can see a lot of staff buggering off to work at B&Q!
 
If prize money isn't high enough, why are there so many horses in training ? The natural economic argument is that too low prizes would result in trainers closing and owners deserting. Not happening is it ?

I do find some of the offerings in many races embarassing and maybe like some factors it will take a little while to kick in, but its been a supposed complaint for so long now and frankly there is no economic argument to up prize money when races are being filled
 
That is absolutely true, Clivex. I thought that there was a backdoor conspiracy going on to try and get shot of the Class 5 and 6 animals by reducing prize monies to the cost of a couple of weeks' holiday money, but, correctly as you say, there's no end to the number of lowly-rated horses contesting for peanuts. Some are erstwhile good things (like darling BEAVER PATROL), some not either interested in or perhaps able to do something else with their time, others clearly never got out of the low ratings. But there we are, year on year, with races well stuffed and fixtures well supported. It makes less and less sense to me!
 
I see there's a big hoo-ha going on about how much more money Betfair is willing to contribute to racing in California than in the UK, in order to get the ban on exchange betting lifted in that state and to be the first into that market.

I'm not sure whether I heard or read it, but was there not a mention somewhere about betting tax being reintroduced in order to help finance racing? (After the Government has taken its cut, of course.)
 
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It's a lot more common that you'd think Kri, to have 7 or 8 race cards complete with an arab race or 2 pony races, or both! The Sandpit had two pony races today before the 7 race card, with the added entertainment of one of the kiddies in the first bailing out on the way to the start after being pissed off with for 2 furlongs! I can't understand why he'd have risked breaking his neck to throw himself off when he only had to hold on and wait until the little bugger stopped!
 
Yes, it's a disturbing trend which ought to be stamped on firmly, Shadz! I'm all for the little brats learning how to race ride, but perhaps they could do it in an Arabian-pony combo meeting, rather than clogging up the 'real' racedays! As for your bale-out boy, yes, I'd rather sit clinging tight until it carted me all the way home, than have to get a good thumping and leg it - or hop it - back. I think that's a 2 on the 10 points for 'what to do when bolted with'!
 
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I don't mind the pony races really - they don't affect me! - and the standard of riding in them has increased tenfold in the last few years, they act as a good education for the youngsters. I'm still confused as to why this lad baled out and so early as well, he only had to sit and steer till it stopped rather than risk killing himself!
 
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I'd rather hope he did get a good talking-to about it, though. If he was frightened to bits, he was still better off letting his pony run itself out of puff or at least find its way back by just sitting still on it. It's not like it was headed for a busy main road or a cliff, so I hope he's taught to stay on unless it's truly the lesser of two evils.

Shadz - you heard any whispers about Hereford being on the hit list? It's weird - lots of people have 'heard about it' but there's been nothing in any papers, as far as I know.
 
When I was about 11 and rode regularly, I did similar when a horse ran off with me, it was alongside a road though and heading for a large fence by a house!

Regretted it afterwards though when I'd fractured my arm!
 
Nope, I've heard nuzzink about Hereford. It's not one of our tracks though so I wouldn't necessarily expect to hear, either.
 
I'd be interested to know if you do hear anything, Shadz - it could've been something misheard or misinterpreted, of course, but it's odd how so many people (well, eight or so!) had all heard it was going to be 'let go'.

Gamla - I know the feeling! I was 12-13 and on the smallest pony I'd ever been on, riding bareback, when it took off like a rocket up a dirt track, down a hill, and at the rate of knots for a very busy main road - the stables being on t'other side. I was contemplating whether getting creamed by a large truck was likely or not, or whether I should chuck myself into the bushes now, when I came round to my riding companion asking me how I was. Not that great, as it transpired! Nothing bust, but the muscles down my left side all ripped, so I walked around like a lopsided Quasimodo for some time. The little fecker made it back to the stables entirely safely, natch. Still no memory of when the tipping point occurred, though, as I was briefly KO'd.
 
My opinion and probably a bit naive but:

Race-cousces need to take ownership of their own future. If the bookies are unwilling to pay a reasonable price then they should have no say in race/meeting planning.

The bookies need to realise what an important part of their operation a 'relatively' honest, well run, substantial and 'constant' sport that horse-racing plays.

The premier league took off when the major football clubs took the decision to almost sideline the FA in the business end of running football.

To be a successful professional sport you need the infrastructure, stadia, spectacle, and stars. Racing has all of this and needs to shrug off its dependency on a levy it seems unable to demand.

Regardless of what many professionals think, I firmly believe that AW racing has played right into the hands of the bookies and turf racing should now plan for its own future.

Even smaller/lesser courses should be able to put on a spectacle that will attract an audience and from the race meetings I’ve attended recently (all turf) there was a good feel atmosphere and a future to go for.

The question is does racing as a sport need BIG BETTING or can it survive with a marginal betting market run primarily from the racecourse itself.

MR2
 
Well, that's interesting! I haven't heard anyone put forward the idea that racing could shrug off its current fascination with trying to get more money out of the bookies, let alone exchanges, which feed off its produce. At present, most races are sponsored, be it little local businesses, grandpa's 80th birthday celebration, or via some really big hitters which include bookmakers &c. There are the excellent picture rights, of course, which courses should still receive payment for, and there are the increasing hospitality packages which can be amazingly costly for the premier meetings.

Can it survive? Yes, it I think it can survive and, with the use of British courses more and more as non-racing vehicles for other events, show a decent profit - although it would be necessary for the commercial (non-racing) side to kick in its profits (which can be considerably more than the racing ever brings in) towards prize monies.

On the other hand, maybe the installation (gulp!) of slots and an extension of the racing day into casino/nightclubbery with music and dancing wouldn't be too quantum a leap? After all, the ingredients are usually available at most courses - especially somewhere vast like Epsom, with its huge entertainment suites. Just expand the remit of licensing and also build onsite hotels (these to be put up by companies like Marriott, Hilton, etc.) so that guests have a 'total experience'. Chuck in some spa treatments and possibly a spot of golf, and you could turn racecourses into a full-sized holiday venue. And what, one asks, would be so wrong with that? Stay, relax, eat well, go racing, win a wad, play some roulette, lose a packet, play some golf and host a birthday party, go home happy. Keep all prices aimed firmly at a middle income level and what's not to love?
 
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