CALL IN THE YANKS OR THE POMS."URGENT".

After watching our Premier racing event flop once again,with that miserable turnout i think its time we call in the Yanks or even the Poms to enlighten us on how to make this day special.They seem to just now how to get the crowds to full capacity,on their calender.Im flabergasted and it seems that our only great event is the J&B MET,which has a capacity crowd,and the right buzz,and oh maybe the Durban July,otherwise we seem to be heading in the wrong direction.The coverage and camera work is phenomenal in the UK/States,ive watched some of our camera work and the winner will flash up the last 40 metres from nowhere,as if it was a forgotten runner,nevertheless,we need help pretty soon.Ive been racing for several years but i cant get that same enthusiasm like i used to get,feel more comfortable watching on tv flicking channels WHY?

why can the saffas get crowds for rugby and cricket...? but not racing???

Over 100,000 at the Japan Cup on Sunday and 850 at Ludlow (uk)last week..

Controversial idea,follow the Irish and only race 3 times a week and make people hungry for racing again...

www.racingassociation.co.za/RacingAssociation.html...mission and vision....failing...5,000 at the Summer Cup is embarrassing to say the least.

The Japan Cup had a crowd of 100 000, from a city with a population with more than 12 million. That makes the 50 000 that go to the Met from Cape Town (2,5m) one of the biggest racing crowds on the planet, behind perhaps Mauritius.

I don't know why you guys go on about 'crowds' at the racecourse. After the Met, 70 people wonder around like ghosts in the very same venue, week after week.

I would go to the course to see a horse that looks special. But now that racing insists on offering rubbish sub-70 MR handicaps as the main course, most of the cards look like a shit soup strained from a toilet bowl.

The shitty handicaps force us to watch one poor horse battle it out against another poor horse and reverse the form 2 weeks later, while good horses apparently sit in their stables "waiting" for the "right" races.

The program is appalling as it's main aim is to bleed out stakes to more poor horses, while the spectacle of good horses winning multiple times is surrendered.

Here is the plain truth of the matter: Owners ultimately control racing. Their policy is to spread stakes around, which has resulted in many rules that protect weak horses and hold back good horses.

It's like a win pool vs a place pool, or a P6 vs a PA. Sometimes a more 'winner take all' attitude causes better competition than paying all the way to last place.

So now the only "good" horses we have are in graded races, and the brilliant handicappers we used to have in "A" and "B" divisions don't exist.

In some ways, PE has escaped and a horse like Hear The Drums (best since 2006 has been 2nd in a listed race and 4th in a Gr1) has won 27 races in 100+ Hcps and Pinnacle plates. IMHO it's better to pay the money to HTD for his performances and the place cheques to those decent horses who try to beat him, than to the winners of MR66s and the crap that try to beat them.

If racing wants to keep peoples interest, perhaps it's time to give them interesting races rather than this socialist fodder that is handicap racing below maiden plate level.

There are influential people who really make policy decisions, and they decide what and where the money is spent on. The simple truth is that these people have got it wrong. But perhaps I'm just being negative.

I'm with you Jack. If I had my way, all handicaps would be done away with. Level weights all round, even fillies against colts, young horses against older. Let the best horse win. Imagine telling Bolt he has to carry weights around his ankles.

It's easy to card races for the weaker horses to make sure they get a share of the prize money too. Just be innovative with race restrictions eg. graduation plate for horses that haven't won in the last six months etc.

Anyone to actually seriously propose scrapping handicaps would probably be tarred and feathered though.

I'd really love to know the figures compared to emerald cup or the charity mile

The problem is that the horse has finally bolted.

For years and years those that run racing has not bothered to look after their customers.Finally it is starting to catch up with them.Don't kid yourself,there may be 50000 people at the Met but 40000 are students who don't come racing again until the next year,because it's the 'place to be' on that particular saturday.

A few months back I took my 8 year old son and 2 friends to Durbanville for the afternoon,and they absolutely loved it.We literally had to sit on the grass though,the stands looked liked they hadn't been washed for about 10 years,and were full of bird crap.The food options were pathetic,and they could have a coke,a cream soda or a ginger beer.That's it,the only options.

Almost without exception this is a game of old men who have been punters for 40 years,and eventually they will pass on.Who will replace them.

I say the same thing over and over on here,racing is perceived as crooked by the general public.Whether it is or not is irrelevant,it is perceived that way.You can do as much marketing as you like,whilst these perceptions remain in place you can have the best product in the world but new people will not be enticed into the game.The customer remains the least important person in the industry and he knows it.I speak from experience,I have been a customer for a long time and I know how that feels.

When my ex was a few months pregnant with my son we went racing to watch one of my horses.We were sitting upstairs @ Kenilworth in the section where many of the owners and trainers sit.A trainers wife proceeded to light a cigarette right next to my obviously pregnant missus despite the sign right above her head which said no smoking.When I asked her to put it out she just laughed it off.It may seem insignificant to everyone else but that is the blatant disregard for the customer that permeats throughout the industry.

I have not owned a horse since that day.

Keep the targets low so they don`t miss?