It’s been hard to avoid the pessimism surrounding racing at the moment but allow me a little moment to go against the grain and say that there’s life in the old dog of the betting ring yet. The Christmas period was a welcome winter warmer for most of my on-course colleagues with attendances at the tracks over the period showing a steep incline from previous years. So here’s how mine went..
On Boxing day I attended Fontwell and despite the long drive and early start it was a day I thoroughly enjoyed. We recently acquired the number one pitch there. I’d have to admit it wasn’t ever high on the pitch list want list but the opportunity arose to buy a low number and I’m glad we did. So far, and possibly due to more luck than judgement we’ve run into a few decent punters and a few decent results. Boxing day saw the biggest crowd at the track for a decade and the whole experience reminded me that, for many, going to the races the day after Christmas with family and friends, is as much a part of the festive period as Brussel sprouts are to a Christmas dinner. We made the return trip home with a few more quid in the pocket than we started with and the team prepped and ready for the busy period ahead.
The day after was Welsh National day. It’s a meeting that always holds a special place in my heart and always feels like a home fixture, it’s also one I’ve suffered many bookmaking triumphs and defeats in (Potters Corner winning in 2019 being a particularly expensive result.) We went six places in the big race on the website and somehow dodged a bullet when the first six home were all short enough in the betting. On the course it lacked some of the usual bigger punters and the fog certainly took away from the spectacle. Iron Bridge was the biggest bogey at the off and I couldn’t tell you how it ran because I couldn’t see it. Val Dancer winning the race wasn’t unbacked but was a winner nonetheless. The number of bets across the meeting was up on previous years and even away from the betting it’s a day that’s hard not to enjoy just for the sense of occasion if nothing else. Another (not very big) tick in the right side of the profit and loss report.
Newbury on the 28th was round three in the Christmas bookmaking extravaganza and the first chance for us to use the newly acquired rails pitch. I’d been told this meeting was decent from a layers point of view and I wasn’t disappointed. With a take of nearly 200 bets a race and a turnover from one pitch only £5,000 less than the take from 2 pitches the previous day, I was left feeling the lofty enough price of the pitch purchase was justified. The biggest liability of the day came when we laid £1,000 each way @ 14/1 Hudson De Grugy. Fortunately we kept the win and the place money after the horse pulled up in a race that he never really got into. Who says you can’t be good looking and lucky!
Taunton was next and in an attempt to avoid divorce and get a chance spend some time with my kids a representative was sent to hold the fort. This meeting is traditionally the busiest of all the tracks meetings and again it met and exceeded expectations. Although it didn’t end up a profitable one. In terms of bet numbers it was the busiest of all our attendances anywhere this year. As the old saying goes you can’t beat results.
Cheltenham was the last foray on New Years day and despite the weather and an early inspection I was more than pleased with the business. We’ve two pitches, one is on the rails and the other is number three in tatts. The combination of both pitches seems to work well there, with the bigger bets struck from the rails position and the greater number of tickets taken from the ring. Springwell Bay was an expensive result after taking a grand at 3/1 but the bumper came and saved us with the help of a £1,000 each way losing bet on Danger Nap at 16/1.
Overall it’s been a fun little run. A reminder that people still love going racing and that the racetrack is a place where people can come together and be together, no matter what age you may be. It’s been heart-warming to see so many generations of different families out braving the weather, taking on the elements and also taking on us bookies.
You can’t avoid the negativity surrounding racing at the moment, the decline in on-line turnover and disgruntlement at the regulations. It’s true things aren’t great in that regard but what’s also true is that people love the product, they love being at the races and I don’t think that will ever change.
What does need to change is the sports’ focus, it needs to innovate and get those people who come racing at Christmas to come more often. Racing has an audience and it loves to bet, what it needs to do is harness that.
From a betting product point of view just look at how successful the bet builder has become in football or in-play betting on any sport. It’ll take brighter minds than mine to find the answers but we do have a few ideas we’ll be trying on-course over the coming months. In the mean time I’ll still be standing in the ring being thankful I never got a proper job and also thankful if you had a bet with me on track or on-line over the last few weeks, I hope you had as much fun as I did!
