Cryptic notes from the crib
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One more time...with feeling
Maybe- just maybe- there’s a need for some kinda Zoom summit that brings together the Big Boys to see how horse racing might be able to inject some much-needed new excitement into the game as The Curse Of The Variants has brought everything that’s fun to their knees.
This was something we were thinking about when unable for different reasons to tune out from listening to the same post-mortems of Saturday’s Perth Cup Day that were repeated and repeated and repeated into submission.
From everything we know, and is still ringing in our ears and ringing in our ears and ringing in our ears, it was a successful and fun meeting according to the three panelists on Tab Radio. On early Tuesday morning, the same programming was still on Repeat.
Perth Cup day was all it could be, and maybe more, considering the snap restrictions that were introduced after a new rise in Covid-19 cases and the spread of the latest variant.
Masks, double vaccinations etc had to be implemented and three leading jockeys including “The Wizard Of Oz” William Pike had to sit out this important day in the Western Australia racing calendar. The race was won by Midnight Blue ridden by Patrick Carberry.
As expected, attendance figures were down. This downturn certainly isn’t exclusive to horse racing. The humongous ‘live’ touring market for musicians has stalled for almost two years.
In some way or another, every single industry is looking for solutions and how to keep their businesses afloat.
Putting on a horse racing meeting is not inexpensive. Before enjoying the main event, there are numerous boxes to be ticked and then ticked again as we’re talking about everything in the world facing a fast moving enemy.
This is not to cause even more widespread panic- if that’s possible. It is about looking at the economics of everything involved, and, perhaps for horse racing, to learn from the other bigger and more popular industries are going through- problems and solutions-especially if the game is to attract people back on course.
If staying home, it’s how to make “the show” have more entertainment value.
Horse racing’s current loyal base isn’t going anywhere and, well, they’re too old to change. But what about expanding that customer base?
WHO IS THIS CUSTOMER BASE IN 2022? Let’s not get into those “younger people” again, Pete. Give it a rest.
Younger people aren’t even interested in music these days. Coldplay is a nostalgia act. U2 are dinosaurs and Taylor Swift is considered old.
Those “younger people” in their late twenties are travelling with things like NFTs and looking at creating new doors of opportunity for themselves instead of going through the same old ones.
With this being the case, surely the presentation of racing on television or via streaming channels need a complete reboot?
We’ve been saying this for over two years and haven’t seen anything exactly groundbreaking being introduced to engage viewers/audiences at home.
Like what?
Without handing out free ideas, competitions?
Memorabilia? NFTs? Sponsors?
More creative camera angles, on-course interviews etc are a given. Enough? No.
With all the current restrictions not going to go anywhere anytime soon, we’re probably looking at two more years before things start to get back to some semblance of normalcy.
Surely, like many other businesses, the various racing clubs should take this time to look at ways of retaining audiences who have plenty of other options when it comes to leisure activities?
As for making the trek to the races despite having to wear masks, show proof of their vaccinations, some venues not serving food, others not allowed to serve drinks, customers having to sit down and forget about dancing etc, why bother?
Answering this question just might get the wheels of change in motion. Try.
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Robbo changes course...
Happy to hear that he’s not retiring, but is instead moving to Queensland. And who can blame Craig Robertson?
With especially Victoria bursting at the seams with some hugely talented young guns like Jamie Kah, Jye McNeil, Damien Thornton, Theo Nugent, Fred Kersley, Will Price, Blaike McDougall etc, it’s a realistic career move by Robbo, who some might remember from his days riding in Macau.
He’s a no-nonsense and tough rider, a terrific guy and we wish him the best of luck.
As for those days when racing in Macau was booming and banging and everything was Viva Patacas, we really need to post this photo.
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SHORT CUTS
It’s Hong Kong racing’s Quote Of The Year- and 2022 has barely broken into a trot.
Speaking about his recuperation period to Sam Agars of the SCMP, and how, instead of munching on wing, he could eat a whole turkey during Christmas time, spend time with the kids and be as normal as he could be, Zac The Influencer added, “I’m just going to have to be like a John Size horse and work my way into fitness as I come back”. There’s a tip there.
Hong Kong racing’s new Power Couple?
Joining her partner- trainer Jamie Richards- in Hong Kong will be the excellent rider Danielle Johnson, 30, currently sidelined with a broken leg after the tragic on-course fall of the Cliff Goss trained Gold Watch.
Taking a wait-and-see attitude, the recuperating top hoop whose praises Caspar Fownes has been singing for the last few years and quietly “campaigning” for her to ride in Hong Kong, will arrive a few weeks after Richards- but only as a support system to get his career in new surroundings up and running.
The next year for Hong Kong racing just might not be as predictable and the yawn fest some think it will be.
PERTH RACING’S COLIN BROWN: GRILLED
It was a strangely soft-hard interview between Colin Brown, non- Executive Chairman of Perth Racing, and Marty Young from TAB radio.
Perhaps we’re wrong, but Mr Brown appeared to be somewhat on the back foot at certain times that he could have been banging into furniture as Marty became Rocky and pummelled the nervous sounding Chairman with upper cuts, body blows and relentless questioning about when new announcements of senior executives will be made, the negotiations with Sky Racing, the corporate culture of the racing club and when one might hope to hear some answers to these questions.
What one heard from Cliffie was pretty much garbled and muted corporate waffle with some warmed over mush.
After the buildup to the verbal pummelling, co-host Andy Vlahos mentioned how he thought the interview had gone well. After a pause, Marty replied with a long drawn out, “Wellllllll”. Enough said.
Over the past year, Perth Racing has been under the spotlight for a purported dodgy corporate culture that saw the immediate sacking of one of its key executives- managing director Jon Yovich, pictured below- for inappropriate workplace misconduct. A few months later, the whistleblower was apparently forced to resign.
There have been other allegations of various improprieties, and whether true or not, the Club needs some serious spring cleaning to rebuild a reputation that can be described as sporting self inflicted wounds.
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Quite incredibly boring...
The above tweet has been making the rounds for a couple of weeks and reached us hoping we could forward it to a certain horse owner in Hong Kong we know. The problem is that we aren’t in touch anymore. What we do know is that the central character in this horse opera sold the Class 5 galloper named, well, Incredible, to the Hong Kong owner mentioned above.
Incredible ran as favourite in the first race of the first race meeting of 2022. Unfortunately, the galloper pulled up with blood in the trachea- disappointing considering the galloper had won his two previous runs at generous odds after being transferred to the stable of Trainer Benno TP Yung.
Previously with the Manfred KL Man “barn”, the gelding finished an ignominious last in all its starts. And there you have it.
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