THE END OF THE RACING DAILY

Dwindling, heartfelt interest in horse racing allied to the across the board decline in hardcopy newspaper sales followed by LBO closures from the FOBT ruling, was always going to prove to be an insurmountable force for the printed version of the Racing Post to withstand. 

Covid -19  has only gone and speeded up what was inevitable. It must be now be in grave doubt whether the publcation will go to press ever again - particularly when you take into consideration that it had even been acknowledged from within that at some measurable time in the future a switch to a fully digital format was on the cards.

You cannot sugarcoat the fact the publication has been going downhill for some time. Admittedly, the database is excellent and the layout of the online form book is far more comfortable and easy on the eye than the ATR version. It is also a dream for those who like to lose themselves delving deep into pedigrees.

However, it is a sign of the times that the recently replaced editor Bruce Millington is first and foremost a football fan who had worked in the greyhound industry, and who confesses to not being truly gripped by horse racing until little over a decade back.

One must suppose that this mirrors the recognition that horse racing has had to concede a portion of its share of the betting pie to sports betting, with the emerging generations more inclined to bet on football.

The acceptance of this trend could be seen in the short life of the Post's last rival, The Sportsman that sadly lasted for a period of only six months during 2006.

Millington's long tenure was subject to heavy criticism on free speech forums for failing to address bookmaker related concerns, including refusals to stand decent bets at advertised prices, closing down of accounts, and not least a refusal  by the paper to criticise those cancerous FOBT machines.

The latter issue was never more apparent when there was a feature following Alastair Down into a high street betting office where the widely recognised journalist appeared to be giving these trashy machines the seal of approval.

There was also that fall out between Millington and Paul Haigh, after the Stockport based writer, arguably the most talented the paper had in its thirty four year spell in print, refused to abide by in house rules in which free reign writing was shackled by the bookmaking industries influence, linked to the lifeblood revenue the paper was receiving from advertising.

Haigh's departure was followed by an airing the dirty washing slanging match between the pair on social media, the tone of which indicated that the end of their association was terminal.

In recent times the editorship has been taken over by the young Scotsman Tom Kerr, a racing fan, but one who represents the modernist agenda as is evident in his views on welfare issues and a belief that the sport must continue to modernise.

The database and bloodstock desk apart, the paper has been turning a bit weird. They even have a Scottish comedian writing a weekly piece. Not to mention some 'kids' writing who may just be old enough to remember Cue Card. One was writing for the paper when on a 'work experience' placement, something indicating how tight the available budget must have been.

Thing is, those who were still purchasing the newspaper would be over a certain age and many would be of a kind who would want to be able to nerdily discuss how far The Dealer would have gone if he'd not suffered a setback after his Embassy Premier Chase Final success; would Golden Cygnet really have been the second coming, would J O Tobin have won the Guineas if his owner hadn't moved him to the States on Noel Murless's retirement, and whether Noddy's Ryde would have gained revenge on Bobsline in their planned Cheltenham re-match.

Fact is, social media along with its racing forums renders most modern racing journalism dead save one or two bold, out of the clique free minds from the indies. And while the Betfair Forum has been blighted lately by a couple of private spats involving characters who may genuinely have mental health issues, there are some gems of threads that appear every now and then. One of the long standing contributors was Brigadier Gerard's stable lad. There is still a glimmer of hope this forum may return to its former glory days.

Then there is the slower moving but less vulnerable to idiot sabotage, The Racing Forum, containing some excellent posters. It is baffling why there have not been more full tme defectors from the other forum.

In addition to the Racing Post, one must be concerned whether the future of the once esteemed Timeform organisation is under threat. Warning bells were sounded when the Halifax operation was purchased by Betfair, who are now owned by Paddy Power - or Flutter Entertainment plc to be precise.

The crush in the level of incomings through the plague follows on from the FOBT decision, so during the inevitable inward examination of the areas in which costs may be saved, the future of this once independent and treasured part of the sport must surely come under the microscope.

And on the heels of the loss of the sport's remaining daily UK publication, that would be a potential bombshell. It really would.

image from Seattle Municipal Archives  CCA