Racing goes to the Dogs? comments please.

Good morning all, I am sure we all want to get racing back on track, or people to the track, it might be rock concerts, days for students??

Its a difficult task, but here is more food for thought.

Your additions and comments welcome on "what can we do for racing"?

Industry figures back racing competition idea


AN IDEA that racing could learn a lesson from greyhound racing's biggest competitions was on Tuesday backed by industry figures as the kind of "encouraging" proposal needed to shape the sport's future.


Responding to an article by Racing Post editor Bruce Millington, Coral communications director Simon Clare suggested that such ideas would be welcomed by those behind Racing For Change.

In his weekly column last Thursday, Millington highlighted the appeal of the ‘big competitions' in greyhound racing, suggesting the structure of racing 48 dogs through heats to a grand final, such as the ongoing Betfair East Anglian Greyhound Derby at Yarmouth, could be translated to horse racing.



Clare, who has been a Racing For Change committee member, said: "Racing For Change has been in the spotlight as a headline initiative and can act as a catalyst to the challenge of moving racing forward.


"This is an excellent idea. It works for greyhound racing and I think that it is very achievable with racing."

National Trainers' Federation chief executive Rupert Arnold suggested the proposal was worth "serious consideration".

He said: "Racing For Change has come up with good starting points but I thought Bruce Millington's idea was compelling and worth serious consideration.

"It would create its own story line, attract serious sponsors and give owners and trainers a real target."

Millington suggested a ‘London Cup' series at Kempton for 64horses at handicap level, run over six weeks climaxing with a final in which the first four in each heat would eventually qualify.

Racing needs to force its way back into the hearts and minds of South Africans. Racing could take a lesson from SA Rugby. In 95 Rugby made its way into the hearts and minds of all South Africans. Legends were made and mere mortals became Gods over night. The mainstream media played its role in creating the hype which in turn created these "Gods".

Jono Snaith's Queens plate efforts, as great as they were should be multiplied 20 fold on a national level in order for racing to thrust its way into the mainstream sporting market.

Telly Track should remain the slot machine that it is and Supersport should be approached to promote the sporting side of racing. Who better to promote the sport. Look at what they have done for fishing. Who ever would have thought that we would watch fishermen fishing twice a week, on different shows, five years ago.

Perhaps an inter provincial league should be set up to create sporting hype around racing or individuals could be followed. To make life easier a list of 50 of the top horses, who would likely compete in features could be published for the general public to follow. I cannot simply sit here and dream up ideas as I type and this would need to be thought through carefully. I'm in insurance Im not a sporting agent, but sporting agents are the ones to create hype around their athletes. Perhaps they should be approached to throw their weight in. Yes I am suggesting agents for horses. Look at how Big Brown was treated as a "God" in the states before his triple crown attempt. People wanted to be close to him. I remember a thread where we could win or were bidding for Pocket Powers signed silks (I think). We all wanted these silks. This should not be limited to us racers, the general public should want them too.

Ideas are only limited by what you allow yourself to imagine. The media is the vehicle that will turn your ideas into a reality. Hire the right people. Approach media experts. Create a workable campaign. Brand racing - look how rugby has succesfully created brands, Springboks, Sharks and the rest. These are international brands that rank right up their with the likes of ManU Arsenal Liverpool, Chelsea. I have had dealings with the Loeries (advertising industry awards). The event was held in Margate for a few years running. Let me tell you there are some really creative people out there, lets use them rather than dream up half assed ideas that fall flat and get dropped before they even get a start.

Start here.

Start with a proffesional add campaign www.theloerieawards.co.za/default.aspx?link=awards_finalists . Here is a list of this years finalists and the add campaings they are associated with, then think about how these adds have affected you. Think about racings image as it stands. Right now there is nothing "cool" about racing right now. Its for the welathy,sick down trodden gambling addicts,thugs and gangsters would be the general consesus of a survey if one was done.

South Africans limit themselves with there conservative way of thinking. We do not think big, thats why you will never see a theme park on the scale of a Disney world in SA.

Lastly,create a brand and the turnover will follow.

Probably not initially if they have to spend on a proper add campaign, but it will be a long term project which would result is sustainability for years to follow.

Perhaps they status will remain unchanged. At least their shareholders will have cash to buy a Sharks Shirt (lol)

Alcaponee ..

You write..
Racing needs to force its way back into the hearts and minds of South Africans.


Certain people like certain things..
some like classical music, some pop music, some like jazz, other like no music..
RACING CAN ONLY BE FORCED BACK INTO THE HEARTS OF A CERTAIN GROUP...

I think, and it's my humble opinion..
A. we need to define "who do we want at racing"

Is it:

1. More owners..
2. More trainers..
3. More Jockeys..
4. More bookmakers..
5. More socialites..
6. More punters...

B. We need to realise that all of us, took up certain careers..

1. those that like blood, that lost every fight at school..became doctor's
2. those that stole you lunch, and became prefects at school..became attorneys.
3. those that could understand the difference between + and - became accountant
4. those that were good at breaking things..became engineers..had to fix them.
5. those that were good at copying homework..became teachers..
6. the headboys and headgirls became dropouts...
7. the realy scared guys became 007..3 from my class..no wonder...
8. those that stole the school fees..became bankers..
9. the ones that were clueless, like myself..became IT guys..no wonder..

the point I am making..
doctors have no interest in numbers..they can't even keep to the clock..
attorneys will make good stipes..argue all day..for the sake of the punter..

HENCE, if you are looking for more people (PUNTERS) on the racetrack..
target the NUMBERS PEOPLE..

ACCOUNTANTS...call the governing body
IT STAFF......I gave you the list
JSE BROKERS...like DEREK, GREG

and last but not least..to create hovoc..the socialites..

Frankly.. I think its as easy as pie..
Focus on the correct group..and dont shoot in the bush..
Keep it simple..these NUMBERS people can add 1 and 1 to get evens....

(little leb at school..teacher..can someone tell me what one and one is..Little leb..evens ..)

Have to agreee Andrewest - valid points. That is why I have suggested proffessionals getting involved in the marketing aspect of racing. I am sure that they will do an analysis and identify the target markets and formulate a campaign that will reach its target.

Focusing on owning. Its long been assumed that owning horses is a good way to stash cash away from the taxman. wheteher this is true or not is beyond me, but what it does show is that you need to create a reasonable incentive in order to bring new owners to the game. From what I have gathered from info on this site and watching the progress of horses in certain ownerships, I would hesitate to part with cash for a horse unless I have enough cash, have nothing better to do with this cash and am doing it for the love of the game. Seems a bottomless pit of fees, food and keep with very little benefit unless you fluke the 1 in 6000 above average JJ the Jet Plane

like SARS is realising, less taxpayers, less income. Get more PUNTERS.......that is where the circle starts...

Depends if the blinkers are on or not.

can racing afford to let punters/stakeholders/supporters/fans to be wearing blinkers??? is that not precisely why there is no support in the first instance? (reference Hong Kong, reference Achievers' Day). Make racing an interest with a fair chance of mindgame, not a blatant rip-off with no ready information, bad service and no customer care.

i should've known its rhetorical.

i think we should outsource racing to the Casinos.

Sylvester - 100% Can you imagine wht racing would be in the hands of Sol Kerzner. With thim there are no half measures. One of the few amrican style big thinkers that I alluded to in a different post

I watched the end part of the interview with Graeme Hawkins on TT a few weeks ago where he explained how full all the stabling facilities are everywhere. I know in the Cape there are waiting lists and the ever present problem of housing visitors.

Therefore I was very surprised to see that looking back at figures over the past 20 years, that the number of horses in training at the highest point was in 1997 with 9250, while the last 2 seasons of 2007/8 has us at the lowest point of 5700.

To think that 4 horses out of every 10 has simply disappeared in 10 years is almost unbelievable.

For interest (Racing)Import/Export 2007 = 231/134 and 1997 = 77/94, which sees us lose top horses, but we have also gained horses like Ilha DV, Eyeofthetiger, El Picha amoungst many others.