Very little of this whole wasted project had much in common with the long established ingrediants which attract people to the sport, then consolidate that interest and lock it in for life. Many must of chuckled at how much more alluring the sports are which the competition clashed with, supporting the suspicion that the whole hullabaloo was the creation of halfwits with no true feel for the sport, as well as bringing home the realisation of how only the top quality events in racing could share dates with the true major sports without having their viewer engagement steamrolled.
In contrast, cricket’s latest creation, 'The Hundred', proved to be a splendid success. Even those who were initially sceptical as to how it would be greeted, could not have failed to be mesmerised by the skill, excitement, and the many matches that swung back and forth. And unlike its doomed racing equivalent the crowds turned up to live and breath the action on the field infront of them.
Furthermore, why did no one identify beforehand the negative impact that the Racing League would have on the established cards for a period of five weeks. It was no coincidence that many weekend handicaps just below showcase level pulled in fields with a shallow look to them. The congested fixture list has been having a negative impact on cards for many year - it's something that does not need intensifying. Truth is, only those with a vested interest in this daft concept would be in favour of a repeat next year.
The marketing was corny too.The image at the top of the main promotion page featured what were presumably a racegoing couple, with the gentleman looking the spitting image of George Michael - no doubt a flat cap or trilby with binoculars would not fit the profile of who they were attempting to draw in and cash in on. Serious people not wanted, racing is fun haha.
And then, as the competition progressed, the pictures published included some of the jockeys adopting poses not too dissimilar to those we suffer as the line ups for a Sky footy match are shown just prior to kick off. It doesn't suit racing. Even if unintentional, it amounted to the ridiculing of the riders.
The best photos of jockeys are those capturing them in deep thought, often in private moments, whether alone in the weighing room, in discussion with colleagues, or awaiting a leg up on the home gallop. And those portrayals that show the drawn, ravaged look of those who have had to waste hard over the years - these are often best in black and white, adding an extra feel of nostalgia to them. Whatever, comparing them to images of riders posing with unnatural looking gaits is like chalk and cheese.
Those in positions of influence with regards to how the sport should be promoted give weight to these gimmicky events in the belief that change, no matter how ill thought out, is always preferable to doing nothing and allowing the sport to stand still.
Truth is, horse racing has naturally stood still while most other sports have evolved and thrived. There is not a lot that could have been done about this. Racing has no hand in the fortunes of other sports and one of the contributory reasons why the sport has slowly waned is that the horse itself, is an animal that has been of less importance to each succeeding generation.
An even bigger factor in the decline stems from the missed opportunities to install a Tote Monopoly, with the failure to do so mainly brought about by the smart brains of those characters in the bookmaking industry having the foresight and nous to be able to influence politicians and to easily outwit what was then an inward, almost inbred Jockey Club, who had control of the sport.
What is ironic about this is that the BHA have gone down the route of welcoming people into positions of influence from the outside business world but who have no true 'feel' for the sport meaning no appreciation or understanding of how to attract and keep hold of potential lifelong enthusiasts which is why we have concepts such as the Racing League, and why there will be a further attempt to get 'City Racing' off the ground - another idea which is the work of idiots.
Irrespective of all this, there is a strong indication that all those groups and individuals in positions of power are collectively sweeping under the carpet the recent, potentially harmful, Panorama programme, along with the Gordon Elliott and Stephen Mahon scandals.
It's almost as if they feel they have had a phew moment, a near miss, but that the public have forgotten about if all. But if you speak to enough people with no interest in the sport, if will be a surprise how many are aware of or even watched the Panorama episode and previously had no idea of the high wastage rate within the sport.
The cat is now out of the bag and these grave concerns need to be addressed thoroughly. It's nothing short of disgusting that the racing media have chosen to not reflect upon the Mahon case. Anyone bothering to take the time to read the full report of the findings cannot have failed to be aghast at the gory details yet there is a suspicion that there is a silent consensus to leave things alone in the hope it will all pass over. Time will show that this will prove to have been an unwise course of action to take.
A track from an album released the month that Star Appeal won the Arc and Rose Bowl the Champion Stakes, in an era when the end to the flat season was less cluttered, when the order of events came at the right time with less options for skipping, avoiding and diluting quality. And this is more a snipe at the last two months of the rehashed UK fixture list rather than belittling the Breeders Cup in any way.. It's a sport that has been rolling and tumbling downhill for a while now.
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