October
MayBookies spoil the party
There is no doubt the Brisbane Racing Club and Brisbane racing community did a magnificent job promoting their big Black Caviar day last Saturday. Their efforts were rewarded with an exceptional crowd for horse racing by today’s standards. There was a real team effort — club officials and their employees and contractors, media, owners, jockeys and trainers. What a wonderful opportunity to introduce non-racegoers to the sport of kings.
It is a sad pity therefore that two integral members of the racing family, bookmakers and Queensland Racing, failed to contribute.
It has been well known and well documented for years among regular racegoers that Brisbane bookmakers’ percentages are totally unfair,and set up for less knowledgeable punters to be absolutely fleeced and denied a fair chance of winning. I gave up betting on Brisbane races years ago.
Queensland Racing is seriously at fault for allowing this practice to continue unabated, without any action by their betting or integrity stewards to monitor the percentages bet by bookmakers, and use their immense power to correct what has now become a serial problem, openly discussed and I regret timidly accepted by some punters, who are decreasing in numbers on a regular basis.
I believe the average crowd on most Saturdays to be less than 5000. Black Caviar with her immense promotional backing was able to swell that by 300 percent. It must be presumed, therefore, that 15,000 of the 20,000 in attendance were not regular racegoers, many probably going to the races for the first time. If only 10 percent of these could be converted to regular racegoers, it could create an estimated increase of about 30 percent in regular attendances.
Yet our greedy local bookmakers bet an average of almost 127 percent throughout the afternoon (SP prices) with a peak of more than 134 in race eight and a minimum of 117 in race six. Of course they were making hay in a rare splash of sunlight as far as attendances go, and were probably well aware that the majority of those extra 15,000 racegoers wouldn’t have a clue about bookmaker percentages, nor that they were never given a fair chance of going home a winner, unless exceptionally lucky.
If Brisbane bookmakers and Queensland Racing were fair dinkum, you’d have thought they might enter into the spirit of the occasion, and apart from betting fair percentages — which should be routine — organise promotions so common these days with corporate bookmakers. Free bets, a five-percent bonus on winning bets — anything to encourage the novice punter to come back next week.
On the same day the betting ring at Sale bet an average of 121 percent, getting down to 112 and 111 in two races with the maximum 129. The Caulfield ring, on a very average day but with Australia’s best bookmakers, bet an average of 115 percent all day with a 111 minimum and 117 as the maximum — the same as Brisbane’s minimum.
And these are starting prices. At various stages of betting in Melbourne percentages were well below 110 — a regular feature at the Southern tracks. And you should see those bookmakers operate on their big days, when swollen crowds give them the opportunity to "make a book". 105 and 106 percent are common.
I happened to catch Richard Callander last Saturday making exactly the same criticism I have just outlined. For once I must say, "Good on you, Richard — spot on." But is anyone listening? Unless Bookmakers change their ways race attendances in Brisbane will continue to decrease to the point tracks will become little more than TV studios.
Brighton (Qld)