Racehorse TALK

free entry into all meetings outside of the major spring meets would bring in the crowds.

Its simple

Personally love going to the track to watch races but i don't enjoy betting there,


Better coverage of other meets at the track would be good more big screens and what not showing everything rather than just the Bris,Melb & Syd races.

They got 20k at the meeting that was lost didn't they...so a combo of good cards and high profile meet can still get an attendance of sorts.

WR - very difficult to survive in any business giving away your product for free.

You have to wonder how much those punters that don't go to the races because of the entry fee will put through the totes, bookies, catering etc.

For the bar flies at my local TAB (one of the worst in Australia for mine) to go to the races more than 1-2 times a year you would have to provide transport to and from, throw in a feed and provide punting money!  They would then still probably complain they couldn't get a sausage in a slice of bread or they didn't have bbq sauce or something.

Good old days of my father's of having to line up to get into the Turf Club then lining up to get paid by bookies gone forever! Never to return!  Too many choices to watch races and bet nowadays.............TABs/pubs/taverns/Corporate bookies/mobile betting/Sky at home blah blah blah.............add to that -  the young aren't remotely interested except to go and get drunk on major race days!   Disposable income of young spent on much more exciting things (to them!!)Alcohol, drugs, fast cars, overseas trips, electronic games/facebook/blah blah blah blah..........the choices now are many and varied!   Racing trackside a "dying" sport.   Have a look at the average age of the people in all members' lounges.  Many Turf Clubs renting out rooms for Conventions/Weddings/Christmas Parties trying to "break even"......not going to happen .(who wants to get married watching horses run around?  Or worse, during the week when no horses running around.  .............core reason for turf Clubs gone forever.  Free entry never going to be long term answer!  The young will pay outrageous prices for entry fee/tickets if they really desire to see something.  Absolutely no "desire" on their part to regularly attend race-courses!         IMHO   

 

Depending where you live in any of the Cities it can be a hassle to get to the races . Stay at home payTV or local pub or Tab there are no dress regulations and no need to travel.
At the races ,for me,there is drive across town,find a park, pay to get in unless you're a member and you've paid in advance,exhorbitant food and drink prices and under the odds with bookies in Brisbane better to bet early on the PC better odds generally .
The only benefit in going to the races is it's a day out and you see the horses live and can check their appearance which sometimes leads to backing a winner on the day or in the future.

Several years back the tab did all they could to turn people of going to the races ,lets face it if you go to the races you might bet with those awful bookmakers depriving the tab of it's rightful turnover but now it's bitten them on the arse because the stay at home punters are betting on betfair and the corperate bookies so now i see at rosehill on sat i think they are offering incentives if you go to the track and bet on the tote.

Putting all the crap aside, people go to the races to gamble, but there is little incentive to go to the races when you can walk down the road and gamble on the same thing in your local club pub or on line.

The casino survives because it offers other gambling options you can not get so readily.

So the only way racecourses can survive is to produce a betting option of their own.  Some ideas could include, reduction in take outs for on course punters along with "on course" only jackpots. Such as pick 6 or triple trio

I believe entry fees should be retained but should flow into these jack pots.