Cryptic notes from the crib
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A Big Dance in a downbeat and locked down 2022?
Borrowing the term from American basketball, the race to ride on the coattails of the wagering behind The Race That Stops The Nation is called The Big Dance.
This Big Dance is the latest strategic driven brainchild from our old friend Pee Wee at Racing New South Wales, below, boasting prize money of $2 million, and scheduled to be run at Randwick right after the running of the Melbourne Cup. Something doesn’t make sense, but who are we to argue with genius thinking?
On the one side, this move comes across as part of the long running game of thrones to create further divisiveness between the North and South that’s been going on since the dark days of TVN.
On the other side, one could call it being competitive, strategic and a timely opportunity to grab a slice of the pie during the biggest day for wagering in Australia.
Who will be part of this Big Dance when most of the big name jockeys would be riding in the Cup?
Maybe no one really cares and it offers an opportunity for other riders and trainers other than the usual suspects- or the usual suspects support this race with other runners from their stables not suitable for the Melbourne Cup.
With two more new races in New South Wales during the Melbourne Spring Carnival scheduled including the $2 million Five Diamonds run over 1800m sandwiched somewhere between two of the major races in Flemington- the Cantala and Mackinnon Stakes- no matter what some might think of his combative style of leadership, all’s fair in love and war and Pee Wee is free to keep prodding the pussycat that’s Victoria racing. In this Lunar New Year Of The Tiger, one wonders if the still leaderless pussycat might finally rise to the occasion with claws out, hissing and ready to fight fire with fire.
Then again, with what and why bother in 2022 when it’s tough enough to keep horse racing continuing despite all the moving of goalposts as the world continues to fight a deadly invisible enemy that’s constantly changing from one variant to another.
As for Pee Wee, it’s Pee Wee being Pee Wee and playing the same game as his big wheel ain’t broke, so why fix it? Plus, how long before he leaves horse racing? Surely he’s had enough big dances to read the tea leaves and see what lies ahead? But, while he can, Pee Wee is playing to his strengths and again trying to prove that he has a far better understanding of the customer profile of the average Australian racing fan than his competition. With most of the racing media seeing him as Chauncey Gardener, he’s winning for Racing New South Wales and his brand.
Of course, there are sure to be more surprise attacks lying in wait. It’s only February.
Having said all this and him having a thick skin, Pee Wee might not see that it’s all getting a tad claustrophobic and predictable. He could even be getting ready to announce “creation” of The NFT Race or The Bitcoin Sprint.
Nothing would surprise us, and honestly, we find him amusing in a kinda goonish way. Quantity and not quality with maybe The Masked Singer thrown in only shows more subterfuge to cover up the lack of substance, and hide what might be the real sheik your money shaker. Let’s not be naive. Yassir, the more things change, the more they stay the same and recycling ideas soon lose their relevance, especially in a down economy. It’s where the only ones with something to gain are those usual suspects still flushed with money and needing new places to stash the cash.
More pertinent is that this is 2022. It’s a time in space where Lockdown days and nights have changed lifestyles forever including how with every sport now being a television or streaming product and watched in completely different ways- if watched at all. Get real. Nothing is the only game in town.
This is a time when businesses have crashed and burned, investments in cryptocurrency are being entertained, travel restrictions are signalling a significant decrease in tourism and travel, the fear of Omicron and with strict social distancing measures have taken over the world with many not even wanting to venture out these days.
What for? What’s out there? Is going out even worth the hassle?
It all reminds us of that movie “What If They Gave A War And No One Came”.
Same with something like The Big Dance 2022.
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Cryptic Notes Short Cuts
On Racenet- and if one can figure out all the legalese and everything needed to get past the paywall- well worth reading is Bruce Clark’s candid interview with one-time superstar jockey Greg Hall and his highs, lows and lessons learned, which he is happy to share.
Stories that help others need to be said, and need to be put into words. And very telling amongst everything else is Hall mentioning just how glib the line “Gamble responsibly” is when it’s often followed by a barrage of tips for anything and everything and nonstop talk about “the punt, the punt, the punt”.
It not only underlines how hypocrisy is alive and well, it’s another reason why sponsors approach anything to do with gambling wearing a necklace made from garlic. It’s often a tacky presentation of any game of chance and something that’s going to affect their brand image with their consumers. This keeps something like horse racing in, yes, it’s own little bubble, and stunts all opportunities to grow and expand its customer base. This situation continuing, especially in 2022, when any experienced marketing person knows this is old school naive thinking, is just another reason why the sport remains outside of the entertainment world. Greg Hall sharing those tough life lessons he’s learned as effective and credible PSAs- Public Service Announcements? Why the hell not?
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The “Enough Of The Stupidity” Award
Winner: Horse racing in 2022, and where we’re meant to believe that jockeys can’t/don’t bet though their wives, girlfriends, families, amigos, drivers, domestic helpers etc etc can...as do the trainers who book them for rides. Please.
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The “What younger people in horse racing, Pete?” award.
Rewind to the 2019 Melbourne Cup and Taylor Swift’s promised appearance at The Race That Stops A Nation and all the shimmying and backup boogaloo that followed this announcement.
Then, just as quickly, Swifty, certainly no fool and very much in control of her brand, backed out. Why? Pressure from animal activists and her loyal Swifties.
Funnily enough, her next music video showed a white horse playing quite a big role in the story that unfolded.
Not to fear. Snoop Dogg and Paris Jackson gave the race star appeal by adding “glam” to the Melbourne Cup.
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The “Twin Peaks Award For Weirdness”: Tobin Brothers Funerals.
The funeral home must know their audience as they are the main sponsor of Melbourne’s racing and sports radio station RSN whose jingle features jolly voices singing the line, “This is what we live for”.
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The Plodder might be making a comeback? Seriously? Why? How? What happened to “The Changing Of The Guard”?
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Terrific to have Robyn Louw back and writing about her favourite subject...
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Well worth a read is “Chance” by Andrew Rule about the horse racing game and those who ran Australian racing- and who and what might still be driving horse racing.
Absorbing and fascinating last week was Gareth Hall interviewing Andrew Rule on RSN and where the highly respected journalist dropped some big gonad reality bytes on some of Australian racing’s very sacred cows. Riveting stuff.