October
MarchNo show without punt
Robert Seaford (27/3) graciously concedes that punters “make a contribution” to racing, but “that does not give them a right to say how the show is run”.
Saying punters make a contribution to racing is like saying football fans makes a contribution to the AFL or NRL.
They may not “put on the show”, but without them there is no show.
More accurately, there might be a show but there would be very few people getting paid to put it on.
Racing has other sources of income — sponsors, club members, paying racegoers and Robert’s beloved owners — but the great majority of them are also punters.
That’s especially true of the owners, who at the end of the day are just punters on a larger scale. Many owners may profess to be resigned to ongoing losses, but without at least the possibility of a profit — a huge profit if you’re very lucky — I guarantee there would be very few owners remaining.
Without wagering, the Australian industry would be on the level of a suburban football competition, where very few are getting paid at all and even fewer are making a living.
I therefore say punters do have the right to say how the show is run.
Robert is entitled to his opinion, but before writing his riposte he might want to research the history of industries that have been run for the benefit of their participants rather than their customers.
Cremorne (Vic)