Ben Dorries’ Christmas wish list: The gifts that will ensure racing keeps on giving
As the jolly fat man delivers his Christmas goodies, senior racing writer Ben Dorries is popping his very own festive season gift down the chimney.
Opinion
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As the jolly fat man in red delivers his Christmas goodies, senior racing writer Ben Dorries is popping his very own festive season gift down the chimney.
It’s a Yuletide wish list of what we would love to see racing deliver in 2025.
Some of it might have as much chance of happening as Santa ditching his reindeer or divorcing Mrs Claus, but Christmas is a time to be hopeful.
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NATIONAL TOTE POOL
Tote pools in Australia have been collapsing at an alarming rate for years and some of the pools have become embarrassingly small.
There have been ongoing discussions over a national tote pool but this needs to take on even more urgency, otherwise parimutuel betting will go the way of the dodo bird.
Supercharged tote pools would see liquidity skyrocket and encourage more investment, particularly from professional punters which would have a flow-on impact to increase betting volume among casual punters.
If betting pools were strong, it would end the argument of punters being banned for winning. No-one gets barred from betting into the tote.
Wouldn’t it also be great to see exotic betting products, such as quadrellas, roar back to life.
Racing must also work better with online betting companies to create more in-race betting options on a wider range of races.
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RUB OUT THE FUN POLICE
The racing rule which sees jockeys hauled before stewards and sanctioned when they celebrate a win before crossing the line is one of sport’s most stupid.
If it is reckless or dangerous, then sure, stewards should take action.
But the vast majority of jockeys who go up in the irons or pump their fists when they win a big race aren’t doing anything close to being dangerous.
Some of racing’s most iconic moments have been jockey celebrations – such as when Glen Boss rose high in the stirrups before Sir Dragonet crossed the line in the Covid Cox Plate of 2020.
Other sports generally encourage athletes to show their personalities and their delight when winning a big moment.
Racing goes the other way and aims to be the fun police.
We need to pump up the code’s blockbuster moments, and encourage jockeys to celebrate their hero moments. We surely don’t want them to be robots.
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END THE ECHO CHAMBER
Racing has a mind-numbing way of talking to itself in an echo chamber.
While racing trainspotters are debating each other, other sports are laughing all the way to the bank.
Racing must realise that its strongest threats and its biggest competitors do not come from within.
They are other sports who are stealing a march and, not only other sports, but other forms of leisure and entertainment.
Race clubs sometimes wonder why they don’t get more people through the gates.
Why would they when punters often are down $50 or more after forking out for admission, a race book and a cold pie and warm beer? And that’s just on a run of the mill day.
The same punters can mostly get far more bang for bucks at their local RSL, sports club or bar.
Surely there are way too many racing clubs in the land, often leading to a duplication of work and bloated expenditure in an industry which must tighten its belt.
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ATTRACT THE NEW CROWD
Racing does a wonderful job of wowing a younger crowd on The Everest day, but what about the other 364 days a year?
Every day, there’s a new crew turning 18 but they are increasingly being attracted to betting on sport, which is surging – rather than racing, which is plummeting.
Race clubs and principal racing authorities must work hand in glove to ensure an entire generation isn’t lost to racing.
There is no silver bullet to lure a new crowd but The Everest seems to be a great template with its mix of entertainment and colourful racing product which old timers might sneeze at, but the new kids on the block love.
Racing must also do far better with broadcasting its premium products.
At some of racing’s biggest moments, competing commercial broadcasters are often showcasing only one state’s product.
The number of racing specific channels is also bloated.
What a disincentive to new customers, having to twiddle through multiple different channels before they find what they want.
I’m yet to find a punter who only bets on racing in one state while thumbing their nose at the other states.
New broadcasting initiatives – such as jockeys being mic’d up or wearing AirPods just before a race – are one of the bright ways forward.
Is it really too much to ask for jockeys to put AirPods in their ears, provide a bit of unique insight just before the jump before taking their AirPods out and giving them back to an audio assistant?
A smart man also suggested to me that racing needs to develop a comprehensive digital platform which would allow fans to engage with racing in real-time, even creating interactive apps that include fantasy leagues and race predictions and having better social media interaction.
Enhanced racing education platforms and content are also needed.
High costs associated with owning a racehorse can deter new owners from entering the industry, so racing must look at doing more to support syndication models which allow new fans to become involved at a lower cost.
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BIN THE FARCICAL GROUP 1s
Only a fool would argue The Everest isn’t a worthy Group 1 race.
But there are so many Group 1s that simply aren’t worthy of elite status.
Group 1s should be the creme de la creme – not afterthought races, warm-up races or some mares restricted races that are basically just fill-ups for wealthy breeders.
Cricket’s Big Bash was an outstanding product in the early years as it had many of the sport’s biggest names and there weren’t too many games.
Then it tried to overcook the omelette and its product was half-butchered when the season was extended and the big names were diluted with club standard players.
There are too many Oaks and Derbies all over Australia and there are Group 1 races at the start of major carnivals that are simply stepping stones to other races and nowhere near grand final calibre.
Then there’s fillies and mares restricted events such as the Tatt’s Tiara, Coolmore Classic, Queen Of The Turf and the like.
Punters aren’t silly and they realise some of the Group 1s they are watching are Group 1s in name only.
Agree or disagree, thanks for reading and best wishes to you and your family for Christmas and for a happy and prosperous (on the punt) 2025. One last Christmas idea. Australian Firefighters have their own annual calendar – what about racing gets to work on one? We are happy to take nominations for calendar models. In our backyard in the Sunshine State, Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott has kindly volunteered to be Mr August. We reckon Melbourne Racing Club supremo John Kanga would be a shoo-in for one of the months.
Originally published as Ben Dorries’ Christmas wish list: The gifts that will ensure racing keeps on giving
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