Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Exported heros should be advertised

Richard McMillan

THE impact on the local racing scene of South Africa’s top horses being exported to race overseas was the subject of the recent “You Be The Judge” programme on Teletrack and it left me rather frustrated at the lack of constructive discussion on what is a very serious situation.
There is no doubt that local racing has been seriously affected by the drain and Andrew Harrison was right in highlighting the enormity of the problem which has robbed the country of the “stars” that attract attention and increase the general interest in the sport.
What was disappointing was what I believe were short-sighted and unjustified suggestions that the country’s breeding industry, the main beneficiaries of the increased interest in the locally-bred thoroughbred, should be made to pay a levy on their sales towards a marketing campaign to boost general interest in racing.
South African racing has broken out of the “poor relation” category of international racing as a direct result and the fact that the local racing has suffered must be seen as an unavoidable consequence with which the industry as a whole has to deal.
Top horses in this country have been sold to overseas interests for as long as I can remember and the increased interest in our stock was inevitable as the locally-bred animal improved in quality as a direct result of huge investment by the country’s breeders.
Charles Faul highlighted the need for a new strategy in marketing racing and suggested the levy on breeders while Robin Bruss made the point that the industry should market the horse instead of the bet. He also pointed out that there had been a dramatic reduction in the number of breeders in the country.
During the difficult times it was the breeders who suffered the most. With enormous investments and the constant need to upgrade breeding stock, they are the ones that struggled.
The fact that they are now reaping the benefits of their hard work and huge investment can only mean they will be in a position to raise the quality bar even further to the benefit of racing in general. Let us not forget that the racing industry is wholly dependent on the breeders to provide the racing stock – it would collapse without them.
The current situation is serious but the blame cannot be laid at the door of any particular sector of the industry. It is a symptom of progress and the industry as a whole must pay urgent attention to it.
The success of our horses overseas has been wonderful and if one can point any finger it is that the industry has failed to capitalise on it. Their outstanding performances are known only to the faithful who watch Teletrack and read the racing pages of the Media while the general public has virtually been left in the dark.
It is a vicious circle with racing depending on public support through betting to operate. From betting turnover the operators, Gold Circle and Phumelela, run racing and put up the stakes which in turn feed the owners who support the breeders. To maintain the industry the operators need to increase the tote turnovers and, to a degree, it is understandable that they will promote the betting side of the business to a greater extent than the horse itself.
But there has to be a balance. If the industry cannot create a national interest in the sport it will never attract greater, and more importantly, new public support and turnovers will become stagnant or decrease to the detriment of the industry as a whole.
The only solution, as I see it, is in an aggressive marketing campaign creating and highlighting our heroes and stimulating a general interest in the thoroughbred and the excitement of being part of the racing experience.
Gold Circle has done a lot in this direction for its major events in the July season but, on a national basis, it is something that must be carried on throughout the year together with other associated programmes that improve the image of racing and take it to the general public in an interesting and stimulating way.

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