KEEPING CHECK ON SANITY IN A MAD WORLD

Racing fans over a certain age will remember it being revealed in the racing media during the build up to the 1987 General Election that Steve Cauthen is alleged to have declared that he would leave the country if the Neil Kinnock led Labour Party claimed power. 

Notwithstanding the rights or wrongs of whether the Kentuckian, who was riding at the peak of his powers at the time, should be taking stances on politics of a country in which he was a working guest, the vow was testimanent to the there being two clearly defined political parties separated by a gulf.

Fast forward to over three decades later, when we now have a couple of decades of middle ground rule, with  both parties often indistinguishable during their spells in power, the Blair Government advocates of  widely applied deregulation with the present Government handling the Covid 19 crisis in a manner that would be agreeable to many ageing Trots.

Ironically it could realistically only be the far left that would be bold enough to bring in anti competition  legislation and to introduce an off course state owned Tote monopoly system for UK horse racing - the other side to this is that a Trotskyte government could just as easily discontinue with the sport, citizens having the free will to gamble not really supposed to be part of their mantra. 

In light of this one wonders precisely what John Gosden was trying to get at when expressing concern that unless the process of addressing the Levy reform is speeded up, we could be falling back to the economic crisis of the 1970's which saw many wealthy individuals bail out on one way journeys to foreign nations.

Then, we had a world economic crisis stemming in the main from the OPEC oil crisis which cascaded down to everyone, causing a recession from which unshackled, powerful unions held the country to ransom. Gosden also alluded to the prospect of other industries folding.

Whichever way you look at it, Levy reform, which would involve a deal requiring the blessing of the powerful, shrewd, and not exactly charitable bookmaking industry, would only produce a measured improvement in finances for the sport which in light of the current crisis would not a mount to a short or long term solution.

This past weekend's edition of Luck on Sunday, saw arguably the most examining set of questions that Nick Rust has ever faced on air. The overall feeling from the broadcast was that the sport's present problems, if anything, have been understated. It was also touched upon the bleak reality that at present 0.6 % of betting turnover is returned to horse racing in the UK, compared with 7% in France.

This is a ratio not going to change by any notable degree anytime soon. Realistically we know this is an avenue now blocked by permanent bollards. Mind you, judging by the Monty Pythonesque rules we have been living under, most being imposed by announcements using a phraseology that could of been taken straight out of that show, nothing should surprise us.

But with a cloud hanging over the sport it is hard to focus on the coming weekend with the usual enthusiasm - it's like not being able to look forward to Christmas if you know you are being admitted to hospital in January to undergo a complicated procedure that will keep you bed ridden past Cheltenham and Aintree.

On the subject of those supportive of Trotskyte indoctrination, one must wonder whether some of the bizarre, mandatory courses that the whole public sector workforce are obliged to partake in will eventually be introduced within the horse racing industry as it would seem there is a wish by the Government for them to extend to the private sector.

Those of us who know people employed within the public sector will be aware that these courses, or seminars, whatever they are called, have been swiftly introduced owing to certain events that hugged the news throughout the summer. They are to make people aware of what is termed as ' micro aggression', and that one may be guilty of this behavior without realising it.

I was given an example from an acquaintance who works in the public sector. He explained that you may have a male work colleague who chooses to dress in female attire. You arrive on the work floor one morning where a system of ' hot desking' exists, which roughly means you take whichever seats and desks are available. On this particular day there are plenty of empty seats. You walk past a desk where the colleague dressed in ladies clothes is sat alone, surrounded by empty spaces, and take a seat on a bank of desks where four other colleagues are sat. 

This apparently would make you guilty of a ' micro aggression' towards the colleague wearing ladies clothes even though you may not have said anything vocally, cast a bad glance, or indeed never have ever had a cross word with them or made a disparaging comment about them.

I am told there is now a culture taking hold where workers are encouraged to be on the lookout for ' micro aggressional ' behavior, to 'challenge' it when they spot it, and to report it. Not surprisingly some will see this as a niche area for them to concentrate on as a basis for obtaining promotion. If such a culture is embraced by the horse racing industry, then one or two characters would no doubt be happy to go to town on it, finding a niche which will provide them with handsomely paid employment for the foreseeable future.

There can be no way now to prevent a radical downsizing of the of the sport in the UK, with Ireland no doubt going the same way. A reduction of the numbers of horses in training, closure of venues, an increase in horse wastage as owners pull out and horses go through sales rings unsold, job losses in abundance, all the specialist racing publications going under for good.

Enough trainers and owners had previously considered the funding issue to be serious enough that they took strike action long before the plague emerged thus by comparison, the state of play at this present time  will involve many licence holders losing their footing and slipping down to the cliffs edge, some even hanging off with their legs dangling and no safety net to break their impending fall.

image CC Wikimedia 

HEADING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS

It's not by virtue of the fact that the US Open was the showcase sporting event of the past weekend that encourages one to declare with confidence that the future of golf is a brighter one, in better hands and far more assured than that of horse racing.

No, things have been this way for many years now. Racing fans may not want it to be like this but it is something that has to be accepted and yet again a reason for the equine sport to concentrate on cutting its cloth accordingly by setting about creating a path for itself away from the top tier of the sporting league.

An unbiased appraisal of both sports could only produce one clear cut winner. There is a unique state of being with golf in that a fan of the sport can play the game at a Saturday morning communal level but still have the opportunity of playing at some of the venues that hold professional tournaments.

It is a sport that has no reliance on the public placing bets on it -without which racing would not exist - and it does not carry the worry of having to watch it's back for assaults from animal welfare groups, who though possibly smaller in number than forty years back, are better organised with the assistance of the social media platform.

In fact golf has become a very environment friendly sport with the development of new courses more often than not complementing and sustaining rather than damaging the environment. Indeed many are often allowed to run too close to nature for comfort. In 2016 a lady was walking her dog by the course at Hilton Head in South Carolina, a regular PGA tour venue, when an alligator dragged her to her death into a nearby lagoon.

When it comes to TV presentation;well of all of the sports bar none, golf is at the top of the tree in delivering in depth, professional coverage with the right balance of sophistication and repartee, while quite rightly addressing an audience as though they have a similar level of knowledge - those of us who lack this would still not have it any different.

Formula One remains the true glamour sport and is also presented with a splendid blend of professionalism and style, while cricket too is excellently served though the dropping of both David Gower and Ian Botham from the Sky coverage was understandably not a welcome development with viewers.

But the coverage of professional golf both in Europe, and in particular over on the men's US PGA Tour, is the closest to perfection that you will ever come across. 

Even those of us who cannot imagine our uncoordinated gaits swinging a golf club never mind trying to understand the slow motion swing analysis by professional coaches, find ourselves enchanted by the precise mechanics of it all. Many of us have been watching these demonstrations of heads, arms, hips and knee motions since we turned to the specialist sports channels a quarter of a century back, continue to watch and study, but in truth are none the wiser though will continue to look in, a little envious of the lifelong fans of the game who play and understand.

For many years David Livingstone was the front for the SKY coverage, as suitable as one could be for the post, serious when it was appropriate to be but ably assisted by being witty. He built up a great tune with Butch Harmon whose humor was on the same wave.

It came as a surprise when Livingstone retired, though many of us not in the loop probably considered him to be younger than he really was with what appeared to be a full head of real hair.

The SKY team were the poorer for the departing of both Livingstone and Harmon but the coverage remains very, very good, still the best of all. They also seem to have successfully tackled the annoyance of US television's interlude every few minutes schedule which once led Livingstone to apologising to viewers for their enjoyment of the adverts being spoilt by the golf. 

This has been achieved by having the SKY team on site at an increased number of US PGA Tour tournaments, while at other times gaining access to the American cameras during their breaks.

All in all, the presentation is something that racing should be striving to equal, particularly when broadcast on terrestrial television where the opportunities exist to pull in new viewers.

If the trashy 'social stable' can be likened to the outdoor centres on the range that SKY erect at the major tournaments, then the first no doubt has the effect of turning away any would be potential genuine new fans to racing, while the second may even tempt one to browse through golf equipment on the web.

With golf coverage the interviews with the players run far smoother with direct answers more forthcoming despite an outward impression that there is some pussyfooting going on, particularly with the mega stars.

Horse racing is hampered here in the sense that interviews commonly involve jockeys and trainers being asked to assess the chance of animals that the listening audience may be gambling on. A sitting on the fence approach is therefore understandable in the present climate.

Golf is also one of the most relevant sports for statistics in the sense that those provided are as accurate as any sport out there. We know that 'strokes gained tee to green ' or 'strokes gained putting ', or the even more zoned in categories, which exist aplenty, such as ' approaches from 175- 200 yards ', are clear and indisputable while statistics in certain areas of racing, particularly those involving times, have a wide scope for error with even distances covered being open to interpretation.

Then there is the aspect of racing that makes the sport more difficult to broadcast than the  'flowing sports', in the sense that it comprises of a catalogue of separate events, short in timespan as opposed to one golf tournament, cricket or football match.

With golf, and to an extent cricket, live pictures alone are sometimes the best narrator provided that the commentary team are able to recognise when silence is appropriate and allow the audience to take in the visuals.

The problem with racing is that while it needs race commentaries, which to be fair are of a competent standard across the board, there is too much filler between contests. Often, you feel the sport would be better served by pictures of proceedings in the paddock with updated betting shows popping up on the screen but without any input from the presentation team.

With the future of the on course betting ring in jeopardy, you are already looking at one facet of the TV coverage first introduced when John McCririck joined ITV come C4, disappearing. They can just show updated national odds in silence, no doubt compiled by similar method as they have been during the 2020 crisis.

There is certainly no need for things to be rammed down the audiences throat. When the BBC produced a second to none racing production in the 1970s and 1980's with a small in numbers team, Jimmy Lindley alone could take you through the pre race build up in a detailed but non intrusive manner.

Sadly, racing is unlikely to return to being presented in this relaxed manner ever again. One of the reasons would be the widely held perception that modern viewers prefer noisey, continuous prattle, no matter how inane. But this is a perception open to question as golf has not chosen this route and is clearly doing very well thank you.

image in public domain.

A TOPIC NOT UP FOR DISCUSSION

If you were compiling an English language module and needed examples to define the meaning of the expression, ' knowing what side your bread is buttered on ', then you would be spoilt for choice by concentrating on the British horse racing industry.

For every single debate aired on the subject of the financial crisis hitting the sport this year has contained a critical missing link. It's obvious to racing fans, maybe not so to casual viewers - it is of course the fact that UK racing, along with Irish racing, do not have the safety net of an off course pari mutuel monopoly.

No one employed in the media wing of the industry will touch on the subject, they know the buttered side is much preferable and would risk being metaphorically launched out of the window of racing's house if they raised subject that is very relevant to the crisis.

Bookmakers sponsor racing professionals, employ them in certain capacities, are the lifeblood of some racing publications through the advertising revenue, and have influence over racing television broadcasts. Some say racing needs Barry Hearn - well he too would not dare raise this taboo subject for his entrepreneurship in other sports has been helped by him initiating sponsorship deals with major bookmakers which is fine for sports that are neither intertwined with gambling and don't need mass numbers to place bets on it for survival, but not for racing.

Racing is unique in that it is a sport that could not continue without gambling. The major venues and cult courses could last for an indefinite amount of time on summer crowds who drink and spend without too much interest in the fare on show, but what happens when other forms of festival entertainment in parks nearby prove the new flavor of the day, with a day at the races being seen as something to move on along from and on to something more in vogue. Some day this will happen  - though by the time a more measured and proportional approach to the plague is put into motion, the choice of racing venues may have shrunk.

A rather stressed looking Martin Cruddace of Arena Racing was interviewed at Doncaster about the dilemma. He expressed gratitude to the bookmarking industry, without which he reminded us, there would be no contributions through the levy to the prize money coffers. Well, though he will realise more than most how well better off the sport would have been with an off course pari mutuel monopoly he too would not choose butterless bread or Stork, as his corporation's showcase days have major bookmaker sponsorship.

What gets one tickled about all this is that trainers, owners and jockeys undertook strike action over what they saw as appallingly low levels of prize money at the Arena venues long before Covid 19 had been heard of. And it is worth considering that as the world is still officially suffering from this plague, horse racing in Australia, North America and France have healthier prize money levels right now than UK did in the pre- Covid 19 era.

Many in racing could be upping sticks and scarpering. The most powerful and influential people in the sport could carry on business as usual in the States and Australasia, so strong are their established and continual developing interests are in those parts of the globe. While in Europe, France would be the focal point for the sport.

In fact France is the safest long term location to represent the sport in Europe. It's demonstrating how it can continue to sustain prize money at respectable levels which should of course be expected as apart from just a handful of days each year, their racecourses are empty. The UK would be in the same position if off course bookmakers had not been legalised here over fifty years back - but no one with a voice in the sport is allowed to say this.

It would be fitting for France to be the main representative of the sport in Europe. It is the country that draws in the highest number of tourists on the whole globe, being the citadel for cultural class and quality from Monaco to the Alps. It blows Spain out of the water who only makes it to number two on the world tourist list because it pulls in every dimwit who thinks it's classy to lie on a crowded beach in baking sun all day long.

So imagining a world where Australia and America are the leaders in horse racing, with France being the only country in Europe where the sport is run on a large scale professional basis, racing fans here might even choose to concentrate on the sport's rich, in depth history, rather than continuing to follow it in real time.

Seeing there are people who concentrate the main part of their lives in becoming authorities on subjects such as The Great Exhibition, The Six Day War, or Pre- Raphaelite art, then there is enough subject matter in horse racing to spend many, many lifetimes to become immersed in.

Downsizing will happen first - then it will be a case of whether it can survive. That is the most realistic outlook and we have to face up to it.

image from Guide du Pari