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RIP Tracks
RIP Tracks
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Replies: 257
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How come Hereford Council knew nothing about the closure till midday. Arena are a filthy outfit!
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Racing for Change working wonders
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motley i often eat in the stable lads canteen at folkestone the food is very good.
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Well that settles that then...a well orchestrated move from Arena. Clearly new what they were doing. fairly ruthless but gets the job done for them.
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motley
nothing wrong with the food in the canteen at folkestone. adge you sound pleased that folkestone is closing. |
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motley
nothing wrong with the food in the canteen at folkestone. adge you sound pleased that folkestone is closing. |
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adge - warwick wont be next, JCR could easily subsidise from within the group.
Jimnast - if im honest in the long run the industry needs about another ten tracks to close, too much dilution, small fields etc etc. Midweek racing is nearly finished. |
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lets hope all the garbage tracks go then - arena & northern tracks own plenty
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that's probably true Davy, but only as a result of racing not attracting the crowds. If they had succeeded in doing that there wouldn't be any closures. Personally would much prefer the dross on the all-weather tracks to be disappearing.
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Jimnast,what do you mean by,sold down the river.By who?
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I suppose the writing has been on the wall, despite folk like the betfair fantasist no doubt insisting that all is well with racing etc etc.
 For my sins, I had shares in Arena Leisure. I always thought they were bstrds anfd only had the shares as an attempt to get cheaper admission at their many tracks. This ploy didn't work as it happens, and I opposed the takeover by the reuben brothers. Waste of time, of course. Cheque came in the post eventually, and that was that. End of story, except to say that I felt certain closures would happen. Pretty sure there will be more. I can't really see Wolver lasting long. Next housing boom ( if ever) and it's gone, imo. Sorry to be so gloomy, but 'tis horrible to watch helplessly as racing just dies on its feet. What it is to be old and have to witness everything that once was valued turn to sh ite, while most folk couldn't give a fk! |
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If racing is to survive it needs to cull the tracks to around 40 then reduce the fixture list by a third as well . These 2 closures are hopefully a start and lets hope Great Leighs does NOT open again , last thing the sport needs is more A/W shyte to attract new people to the sport
Outside of having a bet on the national , Cheltenham etc. how many under 30's are interested in racing on a daily basis 2% ? Racing has no future in it's current state time's have moved on so racing must adapt or die ....... |
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it just needs to readjust.
The trainers bemoan a lack of opportunities for novice chasers but i imagine the ave field size for a novice chase is about 5. Cull it back and concentrate on making it a good product. There are still loads of feeder tracks and this will arguably help them. |
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Personally would much prefer the dross on the all-weather tracks to be disappearing.
Never going to happen as that's the shíte the Hight Street fagins want.. And what they want, they get. In one way or another.. |
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I understand your argument, Grey Shark,
but I don't think the pissy-arsed, music later, tracks are going to save racing. The under thirties in general are not attracted to racing as a sport, imo. Yes, maybe they like the piss-ups and talking **** about betting to try impress the other gender. I just thought there was enough of the "Grey Pound" about to keep the friendly, homely venues going for a bit longer. Obviously, the bean-counters think not. Pity for us old farts, but then we never did expect much from the modern generation, I suppose. |
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Grey shark and davy Jones, isn't your understanding of what's happening incorrect? The fixtures will be transferred not dropped. The bookies will not allow a great reduction in fixtures as they want it in the shops. All that will happen is there will be more all weather racing and more racing at other low quality tracks.
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Surely many more will go. The likes of Leicester, Catterick, Brighton, Redcar, Ludlow, Fakenham and Sedgefield must be struggling.However, if fixtures are handed to other courses then there will be no bright side to this at all and we will still have an overcrowded fixture list with deplorable quality day in day out on most days. Still, Top of the Pops cigar man believed increased fixtures to satisfy the bookmaking industry was the way forward to make the sport nearly as popular as football and many at the time agreed.
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Race-goers and gambling go hand in hand. Trying to increase crowds through pop concerts is not going to attract new followers to the sport. For the modern generation to want to gamble and go horse racing it needs to sort its house out. Already this year we have had the whip fiasco, you have inconsistent stewards, different racing rules across countries, non-tries, jockey bans on a daily basis, all topped off with a "free" racing channel that delivers the product in the fashion that it does. Only the die-hards left
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asparagus 27 Jul 12 16:12
Grey shark and davy Jones, isn't your understanding of what's happening incorrect? The fixtures will be transferred not dropped. transferred for the forseeable maybe , but in 10 years time i very much doubt the fixture list will be the ridiculous size it is now , have some foresight , imo the amount of UKracing fixtures in a year has peaked .... |
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In the racecourses of great britain book, it reads
Stockton, as the meeting was then known, was scheduled for the chop by the levy board in april 1963, along with eleven other courses. Although two of the condemned tracks, Manchester and Woore, gave up the ghost, the others decided to fight the wanton and arbitrary decision to deny them financial support. Unfortunately, Rothbury , Lincoln, Lewes and Bogside failed, but Stockton, Sedgefield, Pontefract, Edinburgh, Folkstone and Fakenham are still with us. Also in the Folkstone bit mentions it being the only kent track to survive after Wye closed down. Put on a good scrap to last almost another 50 years. Bit about Hereford establishing a record, on may day 1975 when there were so many divisons of two events, they held a 14 race card! First known race held at the course(as far as I can see) 27th august 1771 |
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You're going to have a long old wait for a reduction in fixtures....
Paul Bittar says British Horseracing Authority will control fixtures • Number of meetings are set to stay at same level. Paul Bittar, the chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, has revealed there will be no major cuts in the fixture list. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Paul Bittar, the chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said on Tuesday that the authority will maintain racing's fixture list at or near its current record level, and use its control over the fixture list to play a leading role in shaping the sport's commercial future. Speaking to the annual general meeting of the Racehorse Owners' Association, Bittar made it clear that the BHA will not restrict itself to the regulation of racing, and that where there is disagreement on fixtures, "the BHA is the final arbiter". Bittar, who is six months into his new role at racing's ruling body, has already resolved a damaging controversy over strict whip rules introduced shortly before his arrival, and helped to broker a significant five-year funding deal with the Betfair betting exchange, which was announced last week. This sure-footed start to his time at the BHA should allow Bittar some room for manoeuvre as he tries to steer racing towards similar, commercially-led deals with traditional bookmakers, in an attempt to break free of the statutory Levy system for collecting a share of gambling revenue. Bittar told Tuesday's meeting that "the information we have clearly indicates that a reduction in fixtures would result in a reduction in industry revenue, so the contention that less fixtures would result in higher prize money is simply not supported by the data we have. And following consultation, it is clear that demand for fixtures from both the betting industry and racecourses remains at least on a par with that of 2012." In response to fears that it will be difficult to maintain field sizes if the horse population declines while the fixture list remains the same, Bittar suggested that it should be possible for the existing horses to race more frequently. "We need to be more innovative about our handicapping and racing policies to encourage more starts per horse per season," Bittar said. "As an example, in New Zealand horses start on average 5.8 times per season. This statistic is similar to Victoria where I most recently worked but is one full start per season more than horses start on average in Britain. "If we could achieve one extra start per horse per season, which can only be a good thing for owner, we would deliver an additional 20,000 runners per season, which would cure all of our concerns about the size of the fixture list." Until recently, the BHA's role in the commercial development of racing had seemed to be increasingly marginalised, with an emphasis on direct discussion between racecourses – which own such assets as picture rights and raceday data - on one side and "horsemen" – including owners and trainers – on the other. Under Bittar's leadership, though, the authority's influence over the fixture list will also be used to guarantee it a role in the debate. "The reality is that one of the most commercial elements of the sport is the fixture list," Bittar said, "and while we would always advocate developing the fixture list in consultation, and ideally in agreement, with the racecourses and the horsemen … the BHA is the final arbiter. |
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^^
Paul Bittar the BHA mouthpiece , the Australian who's only lived in the UK for 18 months , yeah this a guy who really does know where UK racing is going .... |
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How many years have they had to cull it ? It aint going to happen...
You can call Bittar what you want, but the fact is whoever is in charge will do what the Hight Street wants, and just in case you haven't noticed... They don't want a cull... |
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let's hope Epsom goes next.
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Followed by it's long lost cousin Catterick..
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They the high street will change their minds , less than 50% of their profits are now from horse racing , 20 years ago i would guess it was around 75% with no fresh blood coming into the sport it will decline further.
As for your hero Bittar his previous employment was Chief Executive of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing . NZ racing in decline over there as well ........ http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5273047/Racing-future-hangs-on-prize-subsidy |
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Are you a phuckin eejit ? Bittar my hero ???
You clueless twot.. Do you know who he worked for before his NZ gig ? I tell you what, come back on here when the high street changes it's mind and stops dictating to the BHA, I'll be 183 but may be still around.. |
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the national hunt fans of hereford and wales wont think its a good idea to close the track,as for those who want more to close,then perhaps its time you started watching portman park,that said you probably already do.
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Swearing will get you no where guiness2dear , just shows you up for the eejit you are , people like Bittar are always looking for new botty lickers , i think your'd make an ideal candidate for the role ........
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Do you know what grey shark, the only thing worse than an eejit, is an eejit who thinks he's smart..
Now tell me what job Bittar had before his NZ gig.. (after you've googled it that is) And then i will refer you to your stupid and so very wrong first post.. |
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You've obviously googled it , so why not tell us .....
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jimnast
the national hunt fans of hereford and wales wont think its a good idea to close the track,as for those who want more to close,then perhaps its time you started watching portman park,that said you probably already do. If there so many NH fans in Hereford and Wales why are'nt there 10,000 plus at each meeting , racings a business with a history of morons in all the top jobs that can't see the obvious coming until it hits them square in the face , adapt or die it's the only way out now |
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I had no need to, i never made the stupid post that you did.. and here it is......
grey shark Joined: 30 Nov 03 Replies: 1313 27 Jul 12 17:28 Paul Bittar the BHA mouthpiece , the Australian who's only lived in the UK for 18 months , yeah this a guy who really does know where UK racing is going .... And i'd rather you did anyway, to just show everyone what a clueless twot you are.. |
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grey shark
have you ever been to a racecourse ? |
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yes 53 of them and Folkstone was my first .......
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Why did neither of these tracks get Saturday fixtures? Why can't a racecourse operate on it's own without needing to be part of a group?
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How about we arrange get togethers at these tracks before they close? Both are miles away from me.
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guiness2dear ,
your post at 16.49 was a long pasted reply to mine and others suggestion that fixtures will be cut and courses culled the pasted piece implied that fixtures will not be cut because Bittar says so ... |
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I'll defintely be going to Hereford before it closes, I haven't been for more than two years
 Goodwood next week will be the first meeting I've been to for nearly a year so I'm not in a great position here to tell people to support courses by attending! |
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I'll ask you again, who did Bittar work for before his NZ gig ?..
And they won't be cut, or Racecourses culled because you say so.. |