OUR regular SYDNEY contributor PETER MAIR fires from the hip when questioning how good it is for ROSEHILL GARDENS to have capacity fields plus emergencies this weekend. He writes:
‘RACING NSW has a promotion for tomorrow’s (Saturday) races on its website.
A capacity field in the Black Type feature of the day at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday continues Sydney racing’s recent run of big numbers across the 10-race program. The …….Forklifts Winter Challenge sees 18 runners and an emergency clash on a card which has attracted 159 entries. Five of the 10 races have capacity fields plus emergencies – including the last three legs of the main TAB Quaddie.
One can only wonder why the drafting, and management approval to publish, did not have a clanger ringing loudly.
Of the 160 runners accepted, 25% are at pre-post odds of 25/1 or more – including 10% at 50/1 or more. Most likely these long-shot runners will be inflated-field clutter – likely to impede runners with better chances.
There will be scratchings from the 160 acceptors – mainly runners drawn wide. Checking for ‘double acceptors’ – there are five – one drew 17 & 18 and it is already out of both – the other four have a ‘you guess’ choice of starting from barriers 19 & 20 or barriers 2, 3 & 4. Delayed scratching decisions waste time of punters doing the form.
How can it be lauded as sound administration for RNSW to do this? Not only inflating fields with apparent no-hopers but, by accepting too-many runners, inviting the scratching of credible runners drawn wide.
………….. administrators need to rethink the inflated-field business model. It is not fair.’
AND this one from PETER MAIR on the FUTURE PROOFING OF AUSTRALIAN RACING
RACING industry minds are restive about finding funds to underpin its growth.
Understandable perhaps but, from a broader community perspective, perhaps not.
This was Gemini’s answer to a ‘how-big’ question:
.. the Australian racing industry is massively and disproportionately large …. its racing industry consistently ranks in the top three globally alongside the United States and Japan, both of which have vastly larger economies and populations.
The ‘how and why’ of this is a mystery rooted in political and administrative discretion.
Whatever, the local racing industry’s intention to keep expanding may not sit easily with the wider community — 90% of adults with no interest in racing may not be keen to keep publicly funding wasteful-wishes of the 10% actively participating and gambling.
Australian racing is being asked if its ‘ever more’ ambitions are socially sustainable.
The industry response is courageous. It says it can sell industry assets to pay-up on promises already made — to owners, breeders, bookmakers et al. Other states are well along this selling-assets track. In NSW the Rosehill and Canterbury racecourses may again be for sale.
From a national perspective, is is not sensible to contemplate an even more bloated racing industry, already akin to a Ponzi-scheme, continuing to operate across the country with scant regard to commercial viability.
The favourite in this race will be – ‘that-wont-be-happening’ – have a win-bet.
As Gemini says: the Australian racing industry is massively and disproportionately large.’
