RACING SAFER UNDER ITS TRADITIONAL WRAPPER

Rebranding is not something racing is in need of. A cynical exercise applied throughout business and industry that invaribly ends with money wasted that produces inferior, hammy labels whether it be Consigna, Aviva, Snicker, Starburst, or design changes in once long established logos, sweet wrappers, food tins and boxes, the end result always a step backwards.

Too many people in influential positions believe that 'freshening up' is regularly needed to keep customers engaged. The problem that arises is that while it would be a straightforward process to revert the pattern on a crisp packet back to an original, more popular design, 'freshening up' a product which is part of a large industry such as horse racing, involves changes in the workings of the machinery that can inflict damage with a wide fall out which cannot be reversed at whim.

We've just had the latest renewal of the Breeders Cup which is now stretched out over two days with new races added in recent years. Needless to say the extra options has unavoidably had a detrimental effect on the quality of the traditional events but on this occasion, it got away with it due to a Classic that attracted a mouth watering line up, an up to standard Breeders Cup Turf even without Enable and Sootsass, and a par for the course Breeders Cup Turf Mile. 

Another of the originals, the Breeders Cup Distaff, pulled in two heavies for a fascinating contest - in fact if you wanted to be picky you could single out the Turf Sprint, as the success of Sheikh Albadou and moral success of Dayjur shows that the traditional dirt version it is not an impossible goal for European turf animals.

But overall it is beyond doubt that, whatever you want to call it, ' putting life' into an event even, is just needless rebranding often carrying the dabs of boneheads who cannot fathom the possibility that established calendars that you can set your clock by are a strength and that when things appear to fall out of fashion it can be safer to sit tight than redo the jigsaw.

Racing still just about has its calendar in the traditional format though it will not indefinitely be able to withstand the continuous tinkering which in the UK has messed about with the venues and timings of some of the traditional autumn flat races - the Hoover Fillies Mile and Royal Lodge should still be at Ascot, the Champion Stakes at Newmarket two weeks after the Arc, with the only switch that has paid off is one carried out a few decades back when the old Vernon's Sprint, often staged in unsuitable testing ground, was brought forward in the calendar.

Change use to be applied with great care and consideration. The introduction of the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at York, approaching half a century ago, was done with much forethought and history shows that it was one of the great additions to the calendar.

In the United States the rate of change went out of control. From the Washington DC International at Laurel Park, a forerunner to true international competion and a race won by Sir Ivor and Youth amongst others ( not too mention Admetus who ended up being tried over hurdles with Fred Winter!), we had the Arlington Million that started with a fanfare but soon to be reduced in stature with the innovation is of the Breeders Cup in 1984. And recent years we've had that gassed-up event at Gulfstream Park, then the Saudi Cup which has trod on the toes of both the Florida race and the Dubai World Cup.

It may be petty to view it as so, but the financial impact of the Covid 19 crisis might have a plus side of nipping this circus of squeezed in fancifully titled events in the bud. Put it this way, the UK are now being prepared for lockdowns right through until the spring. By then it it still be doubtful when full audiences will be permitted back into sporting events, unless that is you believe that against all odds they really have discovered a safe, effective vaccine so quickly. 

Chester have announced that they would consider mothballing their full 2021 programme if they were unable to reopen their gates to the crowds. Well, come next March, with the countdown to their May fixture ticking away, it is very unlikely that a decision would have been made by Government. Other venues will be in a similar predicament.

Fancy idea innovations and expansions will not be able to implemented, hopefully the plain stupid team competion postponed from last year will be a non starter in 2021 too. Other sports will be affected too with even the showcase football clubs unable to spend as the level of incoming revenues will not be able to be reasonably estimated. Many long standing, genuine match going football fans may actually take delight at this as it seems the ever expanding bubble will finally burst.

Now, that is a sport that has been taken by the ' freshening up' advocates. The Champions League had long gone stale, with teams that may have previously faced one another once in every ten or twenty five years, sometimes meeting half a dozen times in five years. This new planned super league which they say will have a safety lock on for seventeen years which is not really worth the mention as we can be sure that the whole concept will lose any initial dazzle in less than half that time, then be scrapped and replaced by some new, rebranded eyecatching super league with different demarcations.

The worst case scenario outcome for large audience sports would be, if like London buses, a new unrelated plague spreads around the globe. Not being a major league sport anymore, horse racing would be in pieces if this occurred. It would certainly put pay to any ideas brewing in the minds of the rebranding merchants who may finally come to see sense and realise that racing, while needing to downsize as things already stand, is better off sticking by its trusted rigid calendar and prizing it's traditions.

From a time when racing had so much more to offer. This strong opening track from a classic album released the day before April Seventh won the Hennessey, and Night Nurse beat Comedy Of Errors and Sea Pigeon in the best Fighting Fifth ever. The album would have found itself into many households by the time Captain Christy blitzed a below par Bula the King George.