Seconds Out: Oli's Latest Monthly Blog

It's been a great week once again for RaceShare with Ann Terry, the first RaceShare100 horse, breaking her maiden in fine style. It was a small field but Fleetwater is a consistent individual who gives substance to the form. Like many owners of 2yo’s up and down the country we can now spend the winter getting excited about next season.

The RaceShare Team have been busy at the sales with the latest RaceShare100 horse bought at Tattersalls October Book 2 sale to go into training with Andrew Balding and hopefully a couple of National Hunt horses will be bought at the Horses In Training Sale. Keep your eyes peeled for details of them and make sure you check out the RaceShare website for full details on all our horses.

In this week's Blog I am going to offer my views on an interview I did on The Opening Show with Dominic Matcham during Newmarket’s Future Champions Weekend. Dominic is the boss of Invades, a ticketing company for students wanting to go to live sporting events.

Invades motto on their website is to “redefine how young people experience live sport” and thankfully a lot of their business focuses on racing. Dominic suggested in the interview that first and foremost it is key that students have a good time, with DJ’s, areas to socialise and by bringing them to the event they will develop an interest in the sport.

These comments garnered a very divisive reaction across social media (which didn’t surprise me) with some welcoming the initiative and others aghast at the thought of a DJ and a load of students drinking. Having spent a few years broadcasting racing in Australia in my early twenties the sight of youngsters enjoying a day at the races is nothing new to me, the racing and betting industry down under is incredibly vibrant and therefore has a larger national appeal, nevertheless the various different bodies (Racing NSW and Racing Victoria etc) really welcome and buy into the connection with younger fans. You only need to look at Everest day where the stands were packed of youngsters, singing Sweet Caroline and drinking their schooners between races to see how much appeal the sport has with people in their teens and early twenties. The thought of this might give people nightmares, and I'm not suggesting we need to be loading Sweet Caroline into the PA system ahead of Royal Ascot, but it is vital we find ways to appeal to the next generation. It is probably racing's biggest head scratcher, how do we get the next generation coming through the gates?

For what it’s worth I was impressed by Dominic and I think his theory that by getting people racing, however you do that, will then allow them to develop an interest and a passion in the sport. A lot of what is seen about racing these days in the news and media outlets can be quite negative, (protests at Aintree etc) and it doesn’t take much for people who don’t have a strong view either way about the sport to make their minds up based on sensationalist headlines or falsehoods that may be seen or heard. By welcoming people who are new to the sport it will hopefully mean that a positive word is spread about the enjoyment a day at the races can bring whether that be to Universities or communities that perhaps might not be regulars to the racecourse.

Ultimately I think it’s key racing spreads strong and positive messages, we can, and at times understandably so, be quite defensive as a sport but the sooner we start shouting from the rafters about how great an industry we are, how fun a day out at the races can be, and how incredible the horses and participants are within the sport, the better. If we are sheepish about it, then why would someone who doesn’t really have a view be drawn into the sport?

That’s why I welcome all ideas, no matter how silly or left field they may be. A lot of people in racing are reticent to come forward with suggestions that may be laughed out of a room. We have to think outside the box at times and yes there may be many ideas that don’t land but, if the go to reaction is negative, then this will restrict the type of thinking that is needed to engage and grab our future audiences.

The world is ever changing, and a lot of times racing replicates ideas that have worked in other sports, but a few years after the bird has flown. I would love to see our industry lead the way on ideas, for them to be given the chance to blossom and to embrace ideas, people and styles that perhaps go against the traditional. It may not be instant success but if we can puff our chest out and open our arms that will stand us as a sport in good stead for years to come.