Track entrance fees - The best things in life are free?

I agree with Scotia, especially the swipe 'loyalty' card - excellent idea.

I must say, as someone yet to visit the Country - let alone one of it's racetracks. I'm astonded that there isn't any admission charges for the general public.

Quite simply imvho, you need to know your 'value' to be able to grow and develope.

Say a R10 entrance fee, that gets you a drink and/or snack - has gotta be better than a total free entrance.

Obviously, if your an owner I wouldn't expect to be charged as that is very much one of the perks. But certainly, free entrance doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever - so I would certainly be for a general admission charge. And receciving said beverage, snack or bet as an incentive/thank you would feel valuable?

I also agree w/Soldier in terms of live music etc. and many such events happen around the world as a way of getting the younger set to attend, in the hope that it's seen as a 'cool' thing to do - Jim.

We passed on some ideas to RA and Phumelela on how to try get people,young and old, back to racing.

Water off a duck's back.

Their attitude reminds me of a chinese dude that occasionally sat next to me during my dark blackjack days, who no matter what hand he was dealt, kept repeating, "I sollenda, i sollenda."

Calling back the past when every meeting was busy,bookies were downstairs in a circle and punters would push and shove to get the best prices on offer,vibes were good,media coverage by Francoise Wolfaard covered the back page of the Sunday Times after every meeting. As an owner today if you are fortunate enough to get a winner,when you step out of the winners enclosure you get these so called Well Wishers who follow you all the way to your table,and the only way you get rid of them is if you give them cash.I have noticed that at Calvins pub he has got security,and they are asking for a cover charge to eliminate unwanted patrons.Sadly the Furios room we are sitting ducks,however i wonder if the Elevation room gets the same treatment,never the less its all part of our healthy racing environment.

On the other hand [ five fingers ] I have been racing overseas and in South Africa and you tell me what other racetrack can you visit, go in free, have a great view of the track, a private t.v. a tote facility 5 yards from you, air con, 5 star buffet, good waitress service, plug a laptop in, watch 2 channels, International racing as well as Tellytrack and pay R100 less than 10 quid for the food, consider it costs 30 quid to get into the stand in the U.K.
Sorry guys, we are VERY LUCKY? and I have no idea why the punters don't go racing, and every time I take someone new racing they are over the moon.

scotia

You right about the good waitress service,Scotia but must tell you about the JWB saga.

About 6-8 months ago, we had ordered a bottle of JWB to celebrate a win. We drank about half and gave it to the 'supervisor' for safe-keeping. A week or 2 later, we asked for the bottle,which was brought to us with barely a double left.We asked for Scot(the manager) but he was off duty so we were sent his assistant, a short-cropped,surly,gestapo-like apparition with an aggressive attitude to match.
Unbeknown to them,a mate had marked how much was originally left in the bottle and when we pointed it out to her,she shrugged her shoulders and told us there was nothing she could do about it. I asked her if she was in charge and she nodded. I insisted she act accordingly and in return got more 'daggers thrown at me'.She stormed off in a huff and refused to listen or act. I contacted Scot and on my next visit he rectified the situation. Hitler's niece still prowls the halls at Turfontein and still glares at me with serious intent.
What a disgraceful example to the other staff that are friendly,courteous and helpful.

My take on the issue is to continue with free entrance but to charge R50 to enter the public bars to restrict the undesirable element. A more intresting point is that the RA seems to wish to return to the "collar and tie" racing that bordered on financial apatheid. If the aim is to attract younger people into the game then i suggest a more youthful approach to the game. Sponsors that target the 25-35 age bracket should be approached and more diversions after racing ends that target this generation should be provided. Entertainment between races suggests that your clients are bored with your product hence your need to divert their attention from the primary reason they attended in the first place - to back winners. My idea would be to approach various trainers and ask for the services of an assistaint trainer to host invited new blood for the day. Most of asstaint trainers in the larger yards are under 35 years old and would relate to younger punters. I don't think that racing needs a flood of new inexperienced owners but i do think we need a younger crowd of punters that come racing to have a few bets and then speend a few hours having a party after the last race has ended.

Good points,mr hawaii.

We know racing on its own is too mundane for most for various reasons. There is little or no marketing,education,communication,etc and the 'competitors' are doing a far better job. Perceptions of corruption,fixing dont help either. Casino's provide proper entertainment in a plush safe environment and attract people of all ages and all walks of life. Also more value to the gambling rand elsewhere. Coupled with that,Phumelela/RA have no intent and have given up getting people back to racing. It doesnt matter to them,revenues remain intact irrespective. Therefore its up to the new RA Board,ABC and racing lovers to take the bull by the horns and make racing exciting. The RA must insist that Phumelela plow some of its profits (and monies like that R13.9million and others) back to this end. Do deals with chain stores,proper tv coverage on other channels besides Tellytrack,on radio,more newspaper exposure,etc. Create entertainment,attract youngsters, families, bus pensioners and disadvantaged and others in. Once you get them in you got to keep them in (keep that gestapo fraulein outtasight for starters). Music, entertainment between races, flea markets,exotic cars,(erotic girls?),estate agents,sporting heroes,icons,internet facilities, fashion, Mrs. HC's cocktail lounge, games arcade. There are slots now available,make those there interested,they must come to the parade ring(which must be up front),where an 'expert' explains confirmation and attributes to look for, pick a horse and if it wins,the winner gets a betting voucher or such-like. Every RA member,owner must be encouraged to bring at least one person,be it a friend,business associate,staff member,family etc. Horse syndicates, big companies to have a day at the races, this all helps and these are just a few examples.

There is much that can be done, will take time but there must the will and intent, and the greed merchants must part with some of their accumulated sheckles to this end.

100%, guys, good points, one question?
Can older people also attend the after party!


hope so scotia.

Perhaps i may come across as being insane but my feeling about new owners is that we need less not more. There are not enough races to cater for the horses we have in training at the moment and with Dubai Fever having created a completely false breeding market we have an oversupply of horses to races. With the weaker Bloem racing being removed many mediocre horses will never win a race much less recover their purchase price and trainig fees. Many a new owner will run scared after their "retirement" plan cost them more than the family's monthly grocery bill to maintain and never runs a drum. I think that many a breeder may face financial ruin in the comming years if we do not find a way to increase stakes and limit the amount of stock that is being produced. I believe we need to protect the sport by curtailing greed - if a mare produces nothing in three crops she should not be allowed to be covered - we may loose a few good ones but in the long run bad blood will exit the market. Another suggestion would be to limit sires covering so as to give unproven sires a chance to get some top mares. Let's face it very few of our top horses will make the grade overseas so why not try to produce fewer sales entries so that the general breed can be enhanced?

However w/'New Blood' comes new energy, input - financial and otherwise.

In my imvho, I simply don't see that the argument of no new owners, is better for the game. Only progressive thinking - expansion, will grow the industry and thereby make it 'safer' in the long run, for all stakeholders.

Whereas, the argument for 'better' racing stock is a valid one - I don't know how you can legislate for only 3 breedings etc. Ultimately, only by increasing the gene pool can you get to said 'better' stock, which by definition will mean more 'lesser' types along the way. And I dare say, their will be plenty of examples of a Dam's 4th, 5th. . . foal being a 'world beater'!

Overall, I believe that you can't un-ring the bell and nor should we - generating new blood - both owners/racegoers and actual 'bloodstock' is the only way to go, and in the long run will continue to 'grow' S. African racing.

Jim.

Some cracking responses on this thread, hard to disagree with much of what has been said but I'll add my 2p.

UK and Ireland aside there are many overseas tracks with free entry. Last time I went to the Arc it cost next to F all to get in, though Longchamp charged like a wounded rhino for a round of beers. Many of the tracks in the States are free to get in unless its a big day. Attendances in Spain are booming, no charge there either.

One thing I would say is whilst the difficulties in attracting new blood to the track are accepted, nobody shoud give up and P, GC the RA, and the race media, including our site, has a role to play, imo.

Do we monitor and track attendance levels? we don't seem to publish them like other racing jurisdictions. Mr. Costa wrote a letter earlier this year which took up 2 pages of the Sporting Post. His gospel in defence of the outgoing RA board and its Phumelela brothers in arms included the misconception track attendances worldwide were in decline. We proved it wrong by publishing the Irish track attendance figures (again handed onto the RA) with a blueprint which could / should be adopted in SA.

Months down the line, bollocks all is heard until this latest initiative, though appreciate its early days for Clyde Basel and understand he shares the vision which the RA board has blatantly ignored or misunderstood in the past.

The longer people seemingly perceive / accept that getting healthy attendance levels at the track is no longer a possibility, the further racings status in the sporting world will sink. The online gaming opportunity is a great leveller and thats where I agree poker and casino are the competition. For racing, you have to have attended to really appreciate the thrill and get the bug. If you get new blood there, a chunk will stay hooked. they will punt and many will aspire to own, some will realise that dream.

What it needs is imagination and a focus on sport rather than corporate business, IMO, there are to many people with fancy marketing titles on the business cards who have no idea or interest in what's happening long term.

Common sense and passion and not arselicking social and corporate climbers are whats needed in racing.........but at the moment thats what we've got to much of in the hierachy.....

Which is sad......but can and hopefully will be reversed one day.

POST FROM THE PAST!!!!

THE QUESTION OF TRACK ATTENDANCE, I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD THREAD AND WORTH A RE-VISIT, PLEASE READ ABOVE.

SCOTIA