NSW must see the light as revenue answer lies after dark
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday November 23, 2009
We had bumper betting over the 50 days of the spring carnival, but what happens now racing goes off-peak?Having a lash on feature race days when the stars, human and horse, are out to play is certainly inviting.Punters ploughed $1.57 billion into the NSW and Victorian TAB pools over the the spring carnival. In NSW, $839.59m was invested on the three codes of racing, up 6 per cent on a year earlier.For the first time in a decade NSW beat the Mexicans. Those in this state upped the ante on the Melbourne Cup when $55.3m was wagered, leading to a 9.2 per cent increase.Now for the downtime? When racing isn't making the back page and is not among television news bulletins. When the churn returns: round-the-clock racing of the mundane kind seven days a week.Where is the growth? Where does a race club's future lie? Do clubs just continue to roll along, putting on the same type of show, when its race dates arrives?What about night racing? What about tapping into the Asian markets and millions of punters?It would seem the Victorians have once again broken from the barriers lengths in front. Down south they have Friday night racing at Moonee Valley. The meetings fall in line with Singapore meetings. It's money for jam. Those in Singapore are investing upwards of $1.5 million on races out of the Valley. The Moonee Valley Race Club gets to carve up 3 per cent of those investments. Costs are taken out by Sky Racing apparently, but still it is an earn - and it's money that was not there before.New money, not the old. Surely that is a plus for night racing. And the Victorians are keen to host night meetings all year round. The mail is Geelong is keen to get lights.Singapore might well be the start. You've got Korea emerging as a big race player. How many millions of punters bet or will take up betting there? It is all about time zones and making them work for you.It would seem NSW racing is lagging behind. The Sydney Turf Club is just about to kick off its night racing schedule of six meetings. When are they held? Thursday nights.Not very enticing. No wonder the STC doesn't make a cracker from night racing. Why not move to Friday, join Moonee Valley and Singapore?Why not? Because of the harness racing mob. They don't want anyone treading on their Friday night meetings at Harold Park.But hasn't Harold Park been sold or in the midst of being offloaded? Of course it is. The pacers have banked on Menangle Park and its new world-class track being the saviour for the red-hots.So much so the famed Miracle Mile will not be run at Harold Park this Friday night. No, it will be contested at Menangle on Sunday.So why not hand over Friday nights to Canterbury?Surely it is only a matter of time. The Harold Park mob might be holding out for more money. Racing can pay to get a Friday night. The deal at present amounts to no metropolitan racing going up against Harold Park trots on a Friday night.Well, what about a club such as Gosford taking the Friday night slot? Joining with the Victorians and those in Singapore. It is not a metropolitan race club. Gosford one Friday, Canterbury the next ...Anyway, the TAB wagering cake is sliced up with all three codes earning off one another. The more money invested the more the codes earn. You'd have to think Friday night racing and hooking into the Asian billions is worth an all-out assault.Should the commingling of pools eventuate there will be more money to be made.Inflated pools attract the sharks from the professional ranks and their millions to weigh in.After all, the carnival is over.Where to now?
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
