MY CALL - OUTRAGE OVER THE POSITIONING OF THE FEATURE RACE AS THE LAST EVENT IS UTTER RUBBISH
By David Fowler | Tuesday, October 1, 2013
David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.
Surely race clubs are entitled to pull a rabbit out of the hat to improve their bottom line?
The Melbourne Racing Club and the Moonee Valley Racing Club have done just that by positioning their feature races as the last event.
But many have bemoaned the fact.
There were some rumblings when the feature race was at the end of a day card but that was nothing compared to the outrage that the Moir Stakes would run at 10pm last Friday night.
HOW DARE THEY? IT'S 10 O'CLOCK!
Are these people for real?
I've seen some of these same naysayers stumbling out of bars at 2am in the morning (or later) and betting anywhere after midnight. But 10 o'clock for the Moir is just not on.
What utter rubbish!
Race clubs do it tough these days and need to maximise their attendances when given their chance and maximise their turnover into the bargain.
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Let's compare apples with apples on the Moir.
When it was run an hour earlier in 2012 it held $302 841 on Tattsbet compared to $409 834 last Friday night. In excess of a $100,000 increase.
So punters didn't give two hoots about this dreaded 10pm allocation.
And despite the weather turning dirty after race six, the crowd naturally stayed to see Australia's best sprinters in action.
Isn't it common sense to leave the best until last?
Tell me the last time you watched a TV program and the highlight happened halfway or three quarters of the way through.
And just for good measure the Sir Rupert Clarke run as the last race at Caulfield on Sunday held marginally more than when it was run two races earlier in 2012.
I, like many, am often resistant to change but every case should be based on its merits.
So to those detractors, I've been waiting a long time to use this expression but this is the perfect opportunity … BUILD A BRIDGE AND GET OVER IT!
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Glen Boss is an outstanding rider and a good role model for racing.
So his racetrack chicanery in big race wins and the subsequent dummy spitting seems out of character.
Exuberance is hard to bottle but surely Boss is mature enough to delay his delight until the race is over.
Now that this situation has gathered momentum it's amazing the number of racing enthusiasts who have voiced their opinion by saying "pull your head in".
It's simple in concept. It's against the rules. Don't break them.
And when people like Roy Higgins write that it's downright dangerous and could cause a fatality, doesn't that mean something.
After his latest indiscretion, Boss carried the issue on further in an enclosure to Racing Victoria.
All this achieved in the public eye was portray him as a spoilt brat who can't accept authority.
"It's good for racing", some cry. When you explain to me why rather than just chanting a cheap slogan, I'll listen in.
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Interested that Racing Queensland CEO Darren Condon said phase two of RQ's infrastructure plan has not been completed when I spoke with him on Radio TAB's Monday Experts program.
The announcement of $22 million for dogs and trots at the Gold Coast was welcomed but will there be any folding stuff to repair Eagle Farm's worn out course proper?
Light rain falling on raceday at Eagle Farm is lethal. Even the sprinkle we got last Saturday clearly demonstrated that.
We wait with interest.
Until next week.
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