FROM THE SHERIFF'S DESK: TAKING TIME TO ADMIRE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE HORSE - THE LIFEBLOOD OF RACING

By John Schreck | Wednesday, September 21, 2016

John Schreck, a former Chief Steward in both Sydney and Hong Kong, has seen both the colourful and the dark sides of racing. His wealth of experience and his deep knowledge of racing matters across the board is unquestioned and the reputation he built as a racing ‘lawman’ remains firmly entrenched in racing’s history. Shreck’s personal blog, ‘From the Sheriff’s Desk', appears exclusively on HRO.

Some time ago the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald said that racing is in a bind.

He put forward the argument that because there are few stars ... the odd horse aside ... racing is no longer a spectator sport and he posed the question, will racing become little more than a gambling medium?

My opinion is that if it does, it will surely wither and die on the vine.

I, of course, am shamelessly a fan of the horse. I reckon a horse can make your heart flutter just by standing in the box with its head over the door greeting you with anticipation.

We will all admit that we have no greater appreciation of a horse than when it comes through for us. Often they deliver more than we can expect and certainly much more than we are entitled to get from them.

I bring this up on the back of the outstanding performances of Winx and Hartnell at Randwick on Saturday.

They delivered for most last week and will undoubtedly do so again many times during the spring and I think it is timely that I make this declaration for some of us that the horse ... not betting ... is the lifeblood of racing.

To me it is very important that people understand that.

Betting, of course, is a by-product of racing and without it the sport can’t be what it is, but it is important every now and again to stand back and admire the horse for what it does.

The likes of Winx and Hartnell give us obvious opportunities to do that, but there should be a greater awareness by race-clubs on an on-going basis to promote and give the horse its due.

I understand that a different clientele is at the track these days compared to the genuine racing enthusiasts of the past but when the horses are in the parade ring and when they race other race-day activities should be put on hold for that brief time to give people the chance to admire and acknowledge the horse.

That is a vital attraction that has to be sustained from one generation to the next otherwise if, as has been touted, horse racing just becomes a pure gambling medium ... well then, I don’t think there is much future for it.

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It was interesting to see today’s Matamata meeting run on a ’Heavy 11’ track.

The track rating system in New Zealand does extend that far with ‘11’ being the heaviest rating.

That aside, I don’t understand and therefore do have a problem with the rating system we have in Australia. Looking from afar I have to say that I just think it is a lot of crap.

The average punter doesn’t take a lot of notice of it and, if they do, I think it just confuses them because of the number of rating options and also with track ratings being altered during a race meeting, some retrospective to the previous race, others not.

Similarly, the big gamblers don’t take much notice of official track ratings. They work it out themselves fairly quickly by having people walk the track etc ... and they will continue to do that whatever the track rating system might be.

I think it is too complicated the way it is now and therefore I think the average punter doesn’t care.

As I’ve said before, I am a great fan of the KISS standard ... Keep It Simple Stupid ... and I think most racing fans would prefer it if a more straightforward and simpler track rating system were to be put in place.

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In conclusion, a slight change of pace.

I enjoyed a week away in Tasmania last week and I spent some time at the MONA Gallery (the Museum of Old and New Art) in Hobart.

It is a bit of a ‘way out there’ gallery. It would suit some people and not others. It’s modern art and old art ... and some of the modern stuff is very modern, but the part that fascinates me is that the MONA gallery was put there by David Walsh, one of the largest and most successful gamblers in the world.

Because he has made such a lot of money David Walsh decided a couple of years ago to put something back into Tasmania and I have to say that I think what he has done for Tasmania is really quite outstanding.

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