The first time I had to endure the card only policy was Becher day at Aintree back in December. At the time it was reasonable to assume that this was only a temporary restriction, introduced for Covid reasons which meant it could be just about be tolerated.
But when returning to the venue last Thursday it became clear that this is a permanent measure, brought in quietly through the back door. No doubt all the racecourses under the Jockey Club banner will likewise have brought in what to many over a certain age will be viewed as an unnecessary restriction.
A great many are comfortable with cash - card payments open the door to a wide range of unscrupulous ploys. I doubt there is hardly anyone in existence who has not had to have a card replaced after noting transactions made in stores hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of miles away.
Those running the courses would perhaps point to their own security concerns regarding large amounts of cash accumulating on course and having to be transported away. Though I have no stats to support this, the methods of securing the passage of cash to a bank along with the devices set up so as to render anything stolen unusable, have surely made these type of robberies extremely rare - certainly compared to the days when they seemed to occur numerous times each month- the culprits being tracked down by real life Thaw and Waterman and Sewell and Mower type characters.
Truth no doubt is that the card only system allows them to undertake a detailed analysis of the attendees habits, forming trends that will enable them to pinpoint where profits can be maximised.
Last Thursday was to me a glimpse into the future of how the courses that survive will operate. In a gambling prohibitive society the only way the game would survive will be racecourses turning their business model entirely to one based on enticing as many visitors as possible through the gates to spend as much money as possible on food and drink.
One must remember that picture rights and levy from gambling go hand in hand - affordability checks will massively reduce the desire and need to view live feeds of the sport meaning that the value of live broadcasts will drop accordingly.
The racing itself will become more detached than ever before- forming a backdrop to the real business of the day. Didn’t the paddock side look very spacey on Friday and Saturday ? A true sign of this transformation, the horses themselves of zilch interest to the masses.
I was with two non racing fan drinking buds on Thursday, outnumbered, I experienced the day as the category of racegoer who most racing fans cannot make heads or tails of. Well behaved yes, but showing no passion towards the quality equine fare on show. Enjoyable too, and I did successfully manage to drag my two companions out of the bars and down to the last for the juvenile hurdle, and to the paddock for the Bowl, ( "these horses are household names to racing fans") and they’ll be back next year but again just for a day out and they are unlikely to watch a televised race in between, not even the Grand National In Name Only Handicap Chase.
No doubt very soon all of the racecourses will have fully embraced the get all and sundry in to spend practice, which they consider now offers them the best way of keeping in profit. But they must also have taken heed of the negative feedback from these modern ‘racegoers’ who attended Cheltenham, many vowing never to return due to what they considered were exorbitant prices charged for food and drink.
Aintree were charging in between £7 - £8 per pint of all the normal stuff they have on tap. Even allowing for the fact that the price of alcoholic drinks have increased across the board, and that racecourse prices have always been up to 30% to 50% higher than your average high street pub, it was still beyond justifiable.
Make no mistake, the movers in the business world who have the wherewithal combined with the nous to make things happen will spot opportunities to structure rival attractions to lure these 'racegoers' away. All the fun of a big racing day, more competitively priced, with gimmicky events replacing the racing that won't be missed at all by the modern attendees. Very quickly, a day at the races for those indifferent to the sport will not be the chic thing anymore.
The sport is not in a good place at the moment. The mirage that is the Grand National In Name Only Handicap Chase will not paper over these cracks. Influential figures in the sport are now coming out and voicing their concerns.The game is in for a harsh reality check coming very soon.
image taken by author
A terrific track from a terrific album when this band were at the height of their powers talent wise, and when horse racing, both European and Stateside, was in its element and a couple of tiers higher in popularity than now.
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