anyone else think the class of flat racing going down every year

its all for the betting shops i thought they had finished bannded racing this lot today aint much better

a working man only  has so much money to bet with

Better off with Golf. No 3rd parties with ulterior motives.

Bishop -I don't hold the view you express in your first post.
But assuming it was true -what reasons would you advance for the perceived decline ?

aye, it were much better in my day, no characters anymore

vubiant look at the last two derbys  but in truth  to much dross

I think it has something to do with the set up.

In the 60s and 70s the flat season started at the end of March and finished in November. No summer jumping and fewer meetings. So trainers had a set pattern of races to target and horses were prepared for that set season. There was no Meydan, Breeder's Cup, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia or Japan.
Add to that owners/breeders like Coolmore, Hamdan, Khalid Abdullah and Godolphin corner the market with Derby type horses leaving what's left to the others. They then end up running multiple entries in races where a smaller trainer may lay these horse out more carefully, place them more carefully  etc.

I think this is detrimental to the breed plus there are too many black type races where horses not good enough to breed from normally are getting into the mix. Weakening the whole breed.

There will only ever be a few top class horses to go round and the vast majority are moderate. Since the all weather started, horses are asked to race more frequently and for more years than in the past so many of them are only going through the motions-like Donkeys on the beach.

AS John Berry pointed out about an hour ago,a large proportion of flat horses are foreign owned.
  Racing has many problems that don't appear to be being addressed.
The fixture list to start with.Too many meetings,too many clashes.
  It can only get worse.No,I am not a doom and gloom merchant,just a realist.

Sorry bishop - I had an optical illusion and misread your thread title.
I actually do agree that flat racing has been in decline for some time.