The Turnover Trend
Published: 29 Sep 2014
A quiet arrival - The unbeaten colt Sweynesse arrived to a quiet mounting yard early in the day
You might have just been finishing off your bacon and eggs, or in the queue for a coffee. Either way, many keen racegoers missed the dynamic win of the unbeaten Sweynesse as he passed the winning post at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The reason? One of Racing’s favourite terms at the moment – ‘turnover’.
A larger field generates more betting returns, so the decision was made to move a Benchmark 85 (ten runners) to the prime spot of Race Four, and have a Benchmark 84 (14 runners) in the position of Race Eight. The Group Three Gloaming Stakes (six runners) was given the lowly title of Race One, as race-goers were still arriving.
Interested? Maybe not. Yawning? Maybe yes. Racing fans are an analytical bunch. We love to analyse the horses, the races and the betting markets, but that interest usually ends with the financial returns of the industry. That’s their business. A good day at the track, or on the punt, is all that matters.
There is lots of great work focussed on improving Racing right now, including new events (e.g. The Championships and Caulfield’s charity race day), new web developments (e.g. Racing.com) and on-line replay services, and many media outlets provide fantastic coverage of the sport. Getting it right for the customer is the focus, but the misguided view that turnover is the measure of our happiness is way off the mark.
Relegating a key Spring event to maximise profits on the day is simply not good enough, no matter which way you look at it.
Impressive - Sweynesse posted his fourth straight win
Another example of the 'turnover trend' is the addition of a midweek class race to weekend racing in Melbourne, which arguably takes the shine of our weekly pinnacle of racing. Outside of the carnival, a cheeky lower grade event is snuck onto the card in the hope we all keep betting regardless.
Shane Anderson (a well-respected radio commentator) summed up the common industry view this morning on RSN radio in Melbourne when a listener challenged the additional Saturday race.
“Nine race programmes work.. the turnover figures have been strong since they have been implemented”
Shane Anderson this morning on RSN radio.
While you can only guess, the odds are this listener was concerned about the quality of his favourite sport, and not the short-term revenues it was generating.
The Racing industry, like every business, has two choices in everything they do. Focus on the short-term financial returns, or consider long-term brand. The question is whether there is enough of a focus on the latter, or if the ‘turnover trend’ has seeped too far into the culture.
The good news is that the doors are more open than ever to share your feedback on the sport. Whether it’s Shane Anderson’s great radio coverage, social media or direct emails, the industry is changing and they’re keen to hear your views.