Key initiatives, issues drive sport into the future

Technology, marketing in focus as harness racing future outlined.

Picture: AAP Image/ David Clark

TROT TACTICS

Denis Smith

LAST Monday's Botra meeting was designed to give Racing Queensland (Harness) a chance to fully explain the rationale behind the trial of promotional colours, which have been supplied to six high profile drivers.

Apparently, this initiative has been in the development or decision stage since the 2018/19 racing season.

The perfectly acceptable reasons for the lengthy process were issues arising from the COVID pandemic crisis.

Already several other related commercial initiatives are in place, such as "driver cam", "mobile cam" and "race caller to driver" two-way voice communication.

These functions are claimed to have boosted turnover significantly since their adoption.

QHR believes that we are on the threshold of a new marriage Harness Racing and Technology will take us, hand-in-hand into a bountiful financial future.

We were told that nine out of 10 people who actually bet on the trots, make contact (visual or audible) with the race, via broadcast in one form or other.

These initiatives mentioned above have apparently pushed turnover up by 5% across the board, and resulted in an increase in returns to participants in the order of 27%, as the board of Racing Queensland hands back a fair whack of the cash to those who provided the racing product.

Apparently, in the opinion of the corporate bookmakers, who were described as "our wagering partners", drivers are the focal point of punter's interest (the public, or broadcast face of the sport/industry).

Leading drivers race up to 30 times a week and we are advised that their 80 seconds, give or take, of prime Sky Channel vision (60 seconds prior and 20 seconds after the actual event), in which a driver can be interviewed.

This last second exchange of opinions is designed to add to the "late money'' phenomenon, where pools or holds build dramatically as those who are watching betting trends, "follow the money".

Having been a regular at Harold Park in the early to mid 1960s, I can vouch for this.

Literally thousands of punters would surge across the betting ring, chasing one quarter of a point better odds on the other side, as the horses were called in behind the barrier strands.

Usually the chase was in vain, as the price would be wound off before you got there.

There were 18.000 people in attendance, 130 bookmakers, two betting rings, sometimes three - I kid you not.

So there you have it. Queensland Harness has sought the advice of a sports marketing company.

They are listening to "our wagering partners".

They accept unequivocally, that drivers are the main factor in the racetrack equation. They take the view, even in the face of hard fact that the horse, which actually does the running, the trainer, who educates and conditions the horse, and the owner, who makes a very large investment in purchasing, and paying for the maintenance of said horse, are of no importance whatsoever.

Marketing and branding are critical as the sport needs to find a way to channel more money into the sport via "new customers".

Queensland Harness is looking at all the above, searching for the panacea for all its ills. They will listen to any suggestion, as long as it makes no reference to the current racing format and handicapping system which, without a doubt, is the least punter-friendly product ever thrust upon harness racing.

It contains no identifiable form line for recreational punters.

Harness is no different to a pie shop. Bake a superior pie and you will be busy all day.

If your pie is inferior, you will bake once and keep a few spare bins for the throw outs. But, we can take heart, no matter how bad a racing product is, there will be three groups of people who will make it work.

(1) Professional punters: They are very skilful people who put countless hours into assessing chances at a race meeting and they put heaps on, aiming at a small percentage profit over a meeting.

(2) Trainers with large teams of horses, who generally can find slots for a majority of their team no matter how bizarre the programming becomes.

(3) Happily, all this can be fuelled at this time by the compulsive gamblers, those people who must have a bet.

Team Teal

THE Queensland harness racing industry is taking up the reins again for "Team Teal" in 2021 to raise funds for ovarian cancer research, with $200 donated every time a Queensland reinswoman drives a winner in the Sunshine State.

The fundraising feature runs for six weeks from the first of February to mid-March and has been a hit since its inception.

This year the Queensland "Team Teal Ambassadors" are rising stars Taleah McMullen, who is based at Glamorganvale, and Chloe Butler, who hails from Redcliffe.

The Marburg Club will program a specific race for female drivers at its meeting set down for Sunday, February 28.

The club would like to see all the ladies wear something "teal" on the day, and the three best turned out will get a nice gift or a voucher for giving ovarian cancer research a helping hand.

Honour board

A TIE on the drivers totem pole this week as we could not separate Matt Elkins and Pete McMullen, finishing the week on four wins each.

Chantal Turpin was top trainer with three winners, all at Albion Park Saturday. She was also the only local to lead in a winner at the major meeting.

There are four in the most pleasing category this week - Cool And Calculating trained by Craig McKinnis with Pete McMullen in the bike, Feel The Thrill (Taleah McMullen for John McMullen), but most important, owned and bred by Donald Cox.

There was also Popeye Russell, for David Rodger Jnr, with Nathan Dawson driving, and Feelingforarainbow, Jordan Topping steering Dave Russell's star to victory.

Ipswich factor: 20/42.

Albion Park, January 29: Cool And Calculating (Pete McMullen for Craig McKinnis); Maggie (Adam Sanderson for Darrell Graham).

Albion Park, January 30: Blacks A Dance (Pete McMullen for Chantal Turpin); Saucy Dreams (Pete McMullen for Chantal Turpin); Better Than Diamonds (Pete McMullen for Chantal Turpin).

Albion Park, February 2: Kensington Bill (Matt Elkins for Narissa McMullen); Stinger Lindenny (Danielle Veivers for Ryan Veivers); Scotch En Ice (Matt Elkins for Vic Frost); Hello Its Me (Paul Diebert for Melissa Gillies); Paravani (Matt Elkins); At West Point (Danielle Veivers for Ryan Veivers).

Redcliffe, February 3: Feel The Thrill (Taleah McMullen for John McMullen); Love Your Work (Trent Dawson); Popeye Russell (Nathan Dawson for David Rodger Jnr).

Redcliffe, February 4: Our Dolly (Shane Graham for Warren Hinze); Brilliant Art (David Mckenzie for Ben Battle); Forbidden Feelings (Angus Garrard for Doug Manger); Apache Whitesox (Matt Elkins for Vic Frost); Country Run (Justin Elkins for Greg Elkins); Feelingforarainbow (Jordan Topping for Dave Russell).

Handy tips

SELECTIONS for Albion Park on Saturday night.

R1: Box trifecta 7-8-10 : Colt Thirty One (G Dixon)-Straddie (B Barnes)-Turn It Up (S Graham).

R2: Quinella 5-8: Big Bang Leonard (D Graham) and Stompem (G Dixon).

R3: Box trifecta 1-5-6: Slingshot (N McMullen)-One Off (G Dixon)-Who Stole My Pigeon (B Battle).

R4: Quinella 1-2: Goal Kicker (T McMullen) and Kotare Elect (J Stariha).

R5: Quinella 2-5: Will The Wizard (P McMullen) and Always A Secret (Shane Graham).

R6: Box trifecta 1-2-8: Power Surge (G Dixon)-Mister Donald (R Thurlow)-Run Boy Run (P McMullen).

R7: Quinella 1-6: Notorious (D Veivers) and Ice Pick Angie (R Thurlow).

R8: Quinella 2-7: Boomchuckalucka (P McMullen) and Rockslide (G Dixon).

R9: Box trifecta 1-3-6: Jeddy R Ya Reddy (K Rasmussen)-Skyline (G Dixon)-Garland Greene (N McMullen).

Originally published as