What do you see as racing's biggest problem ?

Not talking about the quality but the credibility

trouble is that those who follow sport in a general way will know that the conference is not the premiership as they will know that noddy ODI's in sharjah are not Ashes tests (not that the conference is dodgy i hasten to add)

But they see racing as a whole. Publicity about conned bookies and "coups" works across the board.
 
G-G said:
And they don't show the horses.
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Or the most important part of the races themselves - the zoom in on Annie Power that meant you couldn't see the final hurdle she fluffed was a nadir. Understand they weren't C4 pictures (same feed as ATR, not sure who supplies it, RaceTech?) but no-one really gives a **** about that - if you show it, you own it.
 
I hate the tendency to zoom in on a clear winner so you don't see the battle for second


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The biggest problem racing has to contend with is the perception that there is an inner circle of people who know everything and an outer circle who know nothing.
 
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"The biggest problem racing has to contend with is the perception that there is an inner circle of people who know everything and an outer circle who know nothing."

A perception given credence by the supporters of certain horses such as ......... ...!
 
Aye, everyone now jump on the bandwagon about the staff channel 4 employ, same ones' who said at the time that Big Mac was this and that. Claire was the greatest presenter of all time etc.

As I said at the time, you got what you wanted, now get on with it. Hope I'm not being overly sharp here, but from memory there was about 2 of us who were against the switches re-C4 on this forum, widely castigated back then.. now dozens.
 
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Tout Seul said:
"The biggest problem racing has to contend with is the perception that there is an inner circle of people who know everything and an outer circle who know nothing."

A perception given credence by the supporters of certain horses such as ......... ...!
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:lol:
 
Not sure if its been mentioned but the cost puts me off going to more races. I dont mind paying £25 - £30 entrance but when it starts pushing £40 a time I cant justify it on top of petrol etc.

Kempton have had a great pricing policy for the recent Sunday meetings at £9 advance or £12 on the day - and lunch in the Restaurant at £15 so you can sit in the warmth whilst betting. A great way to get non regulars in whilst still having serious punters in. OK the first one we went to probably had less than 200 people but it wasnt greatly advertised and that is another problem.

I dont agree with dumbing down racing to make it more popular but these sort of prices regularly at weekends will help get people in.

Agree with the other comments about good meetings not being spread out, ie Grand National day normally has how many meetings - 7? Is that really sustainable and/or viable and does it take away the focus from a prestige day (or one that the general non racing public can engage in?)
 
marble said:
Aye, everyone now jump on the bandwagon about the staff channel 4 employ, same ones' who said at the time that Big Mac was this and that. Claire was the greatest presenter of all time etc.



As I said at the time, you got what you wanted, now get on with it. Hope I'm not being overly sharp here, but from memory there was about 2 of us who were against the switches re-C4 on this forum, widely castigated back then.. now dozens.
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There was plenty of criticism of the new show on here when it was first aired.

Just because the new show is awful doesn't make the old one any better. The only one who deserved to stay that didn't is Francome.

Big Mac is an unmitigated twat whichever way you look at it.
 
He did his job well though Benny, the industry is full of twats. Maybe I'm a twat. He wasn't pretending to be something he wasn't.

He raked in the viewers. IN terms of success, I dare say he's been racing biggest broadcast success of all time, in terms of punditry.

Francome was good, not a lot different to Big Mac, but a prettier face, smoother voice, and he didn't pick his nose, so not a twat then?

I don't have a huge problem with the new show, neither did I the last one. Its just a programme FFS.
 
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The bottom line I reckon is that people judge him ultimately for being a judgemental basteward, but often in doing so, they are judgemental bastewards themselves.

There is a word for that, it begins with 'H'
 
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1. Horses run twice a season. I want to see the top ones run 5/6 times
2. Graded races contested by 3 and 4 runners, yet trainers complaining that there is nowhere for them to run.
3. Friends ask whats your favourite sport. I will get one of 3 responses
Thats not a sport the wee man just needs to sit on a horse
Ohh you must be a big gambler then , eh no you probably spend more on fags and the lottery
Its cruel to the horses isn't it
4. Lack of top class jumps horses up here in Scotland
 
It isn't racing's biggest problem but the Grand National prize money is too high relative to the rest of the season. Too many of the better staying chasers are being kept at home or are running in hurdles to protect their mark for Aintree.

Today we have a 50k chase at Sandown with only one horse rated over 140 running, and a 30k chase at FFos Las with only two 140+ horses in it.
 
chroniclandlord said:
It isn't racing's biggest problem but the Grand National prize money is too high relative to the rest of the season. Too many of the better staying chasers are being kept at home or are running in hurdles to protect their mark for Aintree.

Today we have a 50k chase at Sandown with only one horse rated over 140 running, and a 30k chase at FFos Las with only two 140+ horses in it.
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Bang on! A handicap should not have more prize money than the sport's blue riband event
 
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I don't have any problem with the National having more prize money than the Gold Cup.

It's a one-off, a different test and grabs the attention of the nation in a way that answers so many of the questions on here regarding lack of prize money being a serious issue.

Nowadays, multiple winners don't get much of a chance in the National. The handicapper hikes the winners of the big Saturday handicaps - rightly - to the point that only those on steep curves tend to win more than once.

But when was the last time such an improver won the National? It's been going to sleepers or hidden horses for years. That's because those with serious intentions towards the race know that exposed, in-form horses don't win.

To some extent when you put away a horse for the race you're sacrificing big pots along the way. It's a gamble.

And National winners don't win again these days. It's a financial swansong. A golden handshake to a race-winning career.

With the Gold Cup, you can pick up three or four big pots along the way knowing your handicap rating is irrelevant. On the day you're either the best horse or you're not, all other things being equal. And you can win again the next season.
 
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The whip issue...don't like it, never have and never will....but will not get into an argument over it...
 
As far as the Morning Line is concerned, for all the ongoing criticism being directed at it, it is improved beyond measure simply for not having McCririck.

I said that in my opinion bookmakers are the biggest problem in racing. McCririck would have been a fair second if he wasn't a non-runner.
 
Can't agree with that. Much poorer show without big mac in my view.
Think Marble summed it up perfectly.
 
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