October
AugustGet on the front foot
Enough time has elapsed to collate and consider all sides of the jumping debate, even for the arm’s-length punter and part-time racing enthusiast, but most importantly for those who are passionately or professionally involved.
In my opinion these are the people we should all be considering most, apart of course from the competing horses. And I believe both have been terribly let down during this long debate.
Time and time again we are given the same old diatribe about moving together to produce a more workable and safe operating environment for these participants, and I grant you at ground level on raceday club employees and stewards alike are striving to achieve this goal.
But have industry leaders and politicians committed to this on the same level of passion and professional duty?
Using an analogy from business, when one of your products is set upon by your competitors looking to undermine your effectiveness in that market, you don’t change the quality of the product from a premium level to a lesser level hoping to minimise the damage.
The correct decision would be to show that the quality of the product has not diminished, and to attempt to grow their market share by making the product available to new markets .
Jumps racing is a premium product. We should have seen a press conference at the very least with all Australian and New Zealand capital city clubs committing to the support of the product and, over time, where applicable its reintroduction, invigorated by the injection of serious prizemoneyand conditions, thereby ensuring quality competitors.
Don’t let this spectacular product continue to head towards the discount bin. Don’t get distracted by what your competitors are doing.
Leaders of the racing industry in each state should be working together to re-establish a new jumps racing product.
Jumps racing is a magnificent spectacle, but the spectacle is in the jumping itself, not the speed at which it is done.
An exciting new Australasian jumps racing product can be a reality, with talented horses jumping quality fences for premium prizemoney.
Edwardstown (SA)