October
SeptemberWelcome to the jumble
For an industry that often trumpets how big it is and how widespread its influence, the racing industry in this country remains a jumbled, eclectic mix of carnivals, gambling opportunities and hard graft.
How can the industry make any decisions in regard to government regulation and industry direction? What are the priorities in regard to betting turnover, local attendance, promotion of racing, the breeding industry, funding and distribution of prizemoney? No answers — just a lot of bones being pointed.
And just how is our industry structured?
Our biggest racedays and prizes are either for early-maturing, tough and quick two-year-olds or for top-class staying horses. In both cases, the opposition is relatively thin.
Most of the good racehorses bred in this country are sprinters, but the top grade are rarely those who dominate early two-year-old racing. Takeover Target, Scenic Blast, Apache Cat, Weekend Hussler, Sacred Kingdom, Rocket Man — these are the premium (and representative) results of the Australian breeding industry.
None of them even looked like running in the Golden Slipper and all of them would have a heart attack at the two miles of the Melbourne Cup.
We give most of the prizemoney funds we generate to stayers but we breed world-class sprinters and ordinary stayers. How does this make sense from a national industry perspective?
We laud these champions, but we run all our biggest non-restricted sprinting races as handicaps and weight them out.
Handicaps are seen as greater generators of betting turnover, and if that is the cornerstone of our industry, this makes sense. On the other hand, the rest of the world use their biggest races as tests to determine and/or to fete champions.
The concept of a Group 1 handicap (Doncaster, Epsom, Newmarket, Stradbroke, Oakleigh Plate, Emirates Stakes, Railway Stakes — all the top money races at less than 2000m) is just ludicrous to them.
Why would you try to ensure that ordinary horses win your best races on your biggest days with the champions home in their boxes? It seems like an odd way to try to bring people to the races, to bring sponsorship and generate publicity. But it is our way — perhaps it simply spreads the returns around a bit better. Or is it just an accidental consequence of our racing history?
The racing industry has concentrated on identifying and reducing administrative overheads. However, it is still a grab bag of committees, each tasked with looking after its own club’s self-interest.
There is no blueprint, no long-term plan, no understanding, no documentation of the ways and means that industry participants rely on each other and can focus on mutual achievements.
The racing industry has now recognised that this mess will not be resolved without federal interference. However, just asking for laws to control gambling industry returns, although necessary, is not the panacea.
It is time the racing industry took the initiative and resolved to establish an overall infrastructure plan for an integrated industry that is mutually supportive and has a sustainable, flexible and entertaining future.
St Kilda (Vic)