What Will They Come Up With? (BHA Consultants report)

I'd also dispute that you need the horse's colours displayed on them whilst in the paddock - that's what the numbercloth and number on the lads' arms are for - if people have trouble matching numbers, that's their bad.

And why do we need every horse introduced?? More unnecessary garbage - watch it on TV if you want a running commentary on every horse you clap eyes on and need to have its colours displayed in order to identify it.
 
Shadow Leader said:
And why do we need every horse introduced?? More unnecessary garbage - watch it on TV if you want a running commentary on every horse you clap eyes on and need to have its colours displayed in order to identify it.
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I think it's a good idea if you want to branch racing out and open it up to the general public, as is the purpose of the exercise.
 
Goodwood supplied headphones by the paddock for people to have info piped into them, this disqualifies the need for it to be blasted to everyone who doesn't want it.
 
Gamla Stan said:
I think it's a good idea if you want to branch racing out and open it up to the general public, as is the purpose of the exercise.
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Me too....the aim of most racecourses seem to be get as many people in the gates as possible and then do feck all. There is no need for it to be "blasted" in anyones ears but that sort of thing is good.

Fairyhouse racecourse is great for also doing lots of interviews in the parade ring before each race (trainers, jockeys etc) plus lots of reaction afterwards. I generally do not go near the big meetings/festivals simply because after a big race I am always wanting to hear the interviews with the winning trainer/jockey to get his response or hear of any excuses or explanations for poor runs. Most of the time when I do go racing things like that are greatly missed bar like I said at Fairyhouse.
 
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Galileo said:
Me too....the purpose of most racecourses seem to be get as many people in the gates as possible and then do feck all. There is no need for it to be "blasted" in anyones ears but that sort of thing is good.
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Spot on, whenever I go with "non racing" friends, they leave no wiser than when they arrived despite my efforts.
 
I think horses should be introduced through a tunnel of swirling dried ice and flame throwers and trot into Wagners 'ride of the valkyries'.

I agree with Shadz about the commentary though. A PA system that was not only enhancing the profile Derek Thompson et al, but would be used for nothing more than to try and hawk over priced shite merchandise would quickly become an intrusion in what should still be something of gentile sport (big raucous meetings apart).

There's a whole host of 'little touches' that could be introduced. Sandown's 'idiots guide to paddock watching' cellotaped to the rails I thought was a good idea, for zero cost. Chester's over use of hanging baskets despite me snorting at it, undoubtedly helps create and altogether more pleasant ambience
 
I can't see why people have to be constantly spoon fed; there are racecards for sale on every corner and I am assuming (maybe wrongly) that most adults are able to a) match number to number so identify the runners and b) read what is written in the racecard, both in the way of form and the write-up on each runner - so why the need to regurgitate such information aloud again for those without the brains or the wherewithall to work it out in the first place?
 
Shadow Leader said:
I can't see why people have to be constantly spoon fed; there are racecards for sale on every corner and I am assuming (maybe wrongly) that most adults are able to a) match number to number so identify the runners and b) read what is written in the racecard, both in the way of form and the write-up on each runner - so why the need to regurgitate such information aloud again for those without the brains or the wherewithall to work it out in the first place?
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Because some people dont have the brains or wherewithall to work it out form in the first place if they are not regulars to the racecourse. The whole point of the exercise is to introduce people more to the sport....what exactly are people "constantly spoon fed" at the racecourse already?
 
The Target Audiance

Hmm so what is actually wrong with horse racing is it that we are not getting enough numbers through the door, trainers moaning about prize money and punters vrs the bookies on going disputes. The racing industry for me is too expensive to get into and I can name another sport thats struggling because of its (F1), its a daily clash with no one out there to help each other but just to keep sucking the life out of the industry and you got the trainers/jockies stuck in the middle somewhat an evil circle.

If we are too get more people interested then I don't see the reaching out to the youngsters as such a bad motive it's a way into the parents eyes and vision - theres a number of ways you can make your message heard once you got their attention and word of mouth is a powerful thing but then I hinted earlier it falls down to a financial aspect which is a big stumbling block, if the racecourses want the insurance of wealth over the quanitity of numbers then set your sights in that class range although you'll still be in the same position the next 20 years, you gotta get them in before you trap them.

Where and how are you going to get these extra people well for a start there is 2.6 million people using the London Underground every day, T.V, other sporting events etc its just the message isn't being heard and all the foundations are there - if people can be persuaded that beign gay is fine then im sure they'll accept horse racing is just a stuck up persons weekend jolly up
 
Why should people be spoon fed about which horse is which when they have the information readily available to them should they care to use their brains, Gal? I'm all for promoting the sport but reducing it to having to explain every little thing to the human races lowest common denominator is going too far, so far as I am concerned. Not everyone is so damn thick they need things announced to them over the loudspeaker before it sinks in their head - and racing could do without such showiness, it's not needed.

I do think that racecards in the main are vastly overpriced though, £1 would probably suffice. Although it is worth mentioning that people don't need a racecard, they could bring a few ripped out pages of the 30p Sun if they're that bothered about spending any money when they go racing.

There are some audiences that are worth attracting; and some that are not.
 
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Its just setting the scene really much the same as when two boxers enter the ring or when tennis players are hitting up before the start the announcers gives the players history etc.
 
Why don't they do a deal with the Premier League, surely when kids and adults sign up to have a club membership they get leaflets through the door each month and thats a bloody lot of doors - text on the front page of the magazine and adverts inside plus 20% discount wouldn't go amiss.

Has anyone ever seen a racing advert on the ad-boards in a premiership game?
 
Of course it's not the end of the world - nor is it so if they stick to the way things are now and don't bother with it!!
 
Fanzines:D

Racecards produced by the punters and sold at a level below the commerical rates. They took off in football. Indeed, I used to buy the fanzine precisely because it wasn't laced with club propaganda and had a much greater editorial scope, often produced with good humour and was damned sight nearer echoing the sentiments that the long suffering supporter went through. Some fanzines went on to out-sell the over-priced match day programme!!! But that won't happen in racing, and the nearest we get to it is probably the 'Paddy News' when Powers put their promotional staff on to the streets of Cheltenham at the close of play with a list of tomorrows decs etc.

I'm sure racecards could be produced free Gal, as they certainly contain enough sponsorship and advertising to cover production I'd have thought
 
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Shadz, if everyone in the industry had that attitude, the sport would die on it's arse from a lack of attendance, interest, and ultimately outside investment (the desperation of the Derby sponsorship shambles illustrates this).

People evidently don't look through the racecard, some of them are full of jargon and people are natually lazy, they won't go out of their way to try and understand something which seems complicated to them. Having someone talk them through it en masse is a great idea.
 
And on the topic of racecards, at Longchamp and Nad Al Sheba, you get a full glossy magazine for free with all the runners in and at Nad Al Sheba, a lot of top quality articles about the runners, trainers and jockeys.
 
As soon as you force your consumer to do things then you'll ultimatly lose them - I suggest a big framed glossary in every grandstand and if people wish to learn more they can, also a list of facts around the racecourse about it's history wouldn't go amiss
 
I'm half wondering (for marketing purposes) if racing should consider itself a sport even, or is it some type of lesiure activity?

Sports come in many different forms;

you get high intensity fast moving sports, you also get those that rely on subtle accumulations of advantage. Increasingly these days it seems, the fast moving, high impact, easy to follow and quick result is in vogue.

Racing also has many disadvantages;

a) It's all but inaccessible to a few by way of participation. Most of the popular and major televised sports we've all been able to build a familiarity up through by playing ourselves (to various degrees of incompetance) at some point.

b) It has no sense of team bonding or obvious affiliations and rivalries that its followers can attach themselves to for any length of time, be they built on geographic proximity or competitive performance.

c) It's a poor viewing spectacle with so much of the action taking place at long distance and even then it fits that pecuiliar brand of short intense periods of activity interpersed with prolonged periods of nothingness

d) It's leading performers can't give interviews and tell the world how much they dislike each other, and in their absence we rely on crusty old trainers who'll hardly set the pulse racing, or muted jockeys (R. Moore) who in his particular situation is nothing short of a PR nightmare and an absolute disgrace.

e) It lacks any sense coherent structure with an overall objective in mind that can at least provide a sense of end focus

f) It has no meaningful international profile to reinforce a domestic programme. That is to say there's plenty of team sports and clubs that wouldn't survive on their domestic achievements were it not for the country being able to field a money spinning international team to play other countries


As such it falls between a lot of stools without being able to be planted on any. Given that their are key ingredients to any successful sports such as

* Spectacle
* Competition
* Excellence
* Rivalry
* 'Buy in'
* Participation
* Excitement
* Personality
* Value for money

and dare i say it? 'X factor'.

Racing has a problem. It can cover some of these, and for the most part does so badly. There are other areas where I just can't see it ever making advances purely because it simply doesn't lend itself thus, and perhaps limiting the terms of reference to a sport, might even be lookign in slightly the wrong direction.
 
ItalianStallion said:
As soon as you force your consumer to do things then you'll ultimatly lose them - I suggest a big framed glossary in every grandstand and if people wish to learn more they can, also a list of facts around the racecourse about it's history wouldn't go amiss
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Yep....

Nothing difficult is it? In itself it won't rescue the sport, but it's so simple and just creates and altogether more interesting environment. It's really a question of just putting a few simple things into place and the finger has to point at local racecourse management itself. How many people do you see at the courses that have an equine statue for instance taking the time to look at it and read the epitapth? Sandown's got the equivilant of a cricket 'honours board' as well as a paddock pickers guide nailed to its rails that I mentioned earlier. Most racecourses have got some lousy old under-used rooms or out buildings that could be converted into a minor museum with a lottery grant (mind you, they'd have to review their equal opportunities practices to apply for one).

Those that have IT and media suites could easily do a deal with a local school too, by way of a match funded contribution. (I certainly offered this when negotiating a planning permission for our ill-fated Blackpool venture - in return for them allowing floodlighting - I had to conceed on the over provision of stables too for use by the locals), but was happy to do so in the name of communtiy goodwill, which I realsied equalled potential customers. I agreed to host a farmers market too in ordedr to allow the locals a chance to showcase their produce. The more people I got used to using our racecourse for non-racing purposes, the more likely it was to succeed commercially (I somewhat perversely reasoned)
 
About racecards: Plumpton does throw theirs in with the price of an entrance fee, and most Annual Members get them free at pretty much most racecourses. I've lobbied for far too long at various courses to chuck 'em in with the price of the entrance - there are always loads left over for the bog-standard meetings as it is, so at least they'd get used.

As for information for the uninitiated - come on! Looks like no-one on here's read a race card for a lonnnnggg time! Here's the help that Ascot's provides:

Planning Your Day
Totescoop6 information
How to Read Your Racecard (the other way up, dummy)
A large map
Useful information for racegoers (it backs up the map - where to find disabled loos, baby changing facilities, etc.)
A whole page on how to place the different bets with the Tote (full explanations)
A whole page on 'placing a bet', from picking your horse to using the Tote or a bookie, the e/w odds for the numbers of runners per race, etc., etc.
A whole page on Totepool tips (an independent form guide)
And then, the piece de resistance, a whole page with diagram and little arrows on 'How to Read a Racecard'.

Flippin' 'eck! Along with all of the individual race card notes on every runner, and then 'Today's Race Conditions' at the back (another full page explaining the innards of every race's composition), I don't think any newbie could ask for more, apart from perhaps a week to read the damn thing!

Pretty much most cards now carry this, or at least a large enough version of it, to satisfy even the most novicey racegoer.

As for advertising paying for the cards - if there was much more, the damn things would run to 100 pages - Ascot's Victoria Cup Day programme ran to 62 pages!
 
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