When did racing lose its soul?

Cassy14 · April 2014

PuntingTragic said:
Ps Lou looked pretty chuffed when sass n glam got up today he's porked up to Lou too much mamas cooking ?

Well done Sass N Glam. Great article Lou and FYI "PuntingTragic" Lou has actually lost weight! ;)

Cassy14 · April 2014

Love this comment & very true!

There was something quite romantic about the aura on race day. Women would be dressed to impress however they weren’t asked to sit down in the trainers stand on race day with seats which were so old they would leave smudge marks on their outfit when they stood up. Nor were they asked to sit on seats that pigeons had just left a deposit on overnight or some yobbo had just spilt their beer on. Back in those days which appear so long ago, the gate attendant at the trainers stand knew who was and who wasn’t a trainer. Back then, the race club actually cared enough about owners and trainers to put on a gate attendant!

Piston_Broke · April 2014

PuntingTragic said:
Ps Lou looked pretty chuffed when sass n glam got up today he's porked up to Lou too much mamas cooking ?

He bred it and owns it with is daughter

PuntingTragic · April 2014

Piston_Broke said:

PuntingTragic said:
Ps Lou looked pretty chuffed when sass n glam got up today he's porked up to Lou too much mamas cooking ?
He bred it and owns it with is daughter

Looked a nice horse PB won well more in store a def sat horse

therealkramer · April 2014

PuntingTragic said:
There was did they not withhold padnacks winnings to pay outstanding bills ?

I thought one of the race clubs withheld prize money because Patinack had sponsored races and not paid?

JayJay · April 2014

Yes, I loved the sentiments expressed in Lou's article. I am from that bygone era, feel priveliged to have witnessed it and played a bit part in it (mainly at the trots but its the same story, just across the river). But realistically, it was a trip down nostalgia avenue and it will never be like that again. Andrew, the Welters were often the highlight of the day, even when there wasn't a feature race as such. ANd bringing them back would have all the benefits you mentioned plus be a betting bonus. Often, it was the last leg of the "Daily Double" and properly promoted, it could be a turnover boost and be a boost for the "just under" feature quality horse that has nowhere to go these days. They were cracking good races.
Another thing, this time for the trots, what's happened to the 3 heats and a final type racing? The Easter Handicap, October Gift, Christmas Gift, Christmas Handicap have all disappeared in favour of preludes and handicappers choice. Run heats, build a field based on performance that people will bet on. Same with the Derby, the Oaks, the Pacing Cup - series racing with first 4 to qualify or points racing. Do something rather than staying with what isn't working.Why they changed is beyond me. I am sure there will be a multitude of reasons and compliance, human or animal rights, logistics, political correctness or what ever but its just been a failure.
There, there, that feels better.

Piston_Broke · April 2014

The Easter Handicap was the 3rd best sprint in WA when I was growing up, a shame that tradition is no longer a priority in WA Racing.

notapunta · April 2014

Andrew Carter said:
Great article and Lou is spot on the fields that are going around now are crap, yesterday with Wednesday meeting highlighting that fact.

I couldn't even be bothered to have a bet as you wouldn't feed most of them and could buy most them for a couple of hundred so why bet. I thought sandpiper would win but I was busy doing other things and didn't bother.

We need desperately need welters again they used to provide the regular highlight of midweek meetings and were a great betting medium midweek and on Saturday meetings and they gave open class horses who aren't up the better ones a chance to earn.

Welters or something similar are desperately needed as those higher rated horses who aren't quite up to it currently have nowhere to go.

Then again if we had Welters with reasonable prizemoney on a regular basis PR and RWWA couldn't hide the reality of how poorly the industry is going and its systemic problems by stacking the program with crap restricted class races for far less prize money.

Going to give away my age here, but what is a welter type race?

thefalcon · April 2014

have a listen to brian lucas's post race chat with wes. thats how it used to be with the old timers with two or three horses.

TheFunkster · April 2014

He's only got the one now

loose_goose · April 2014

PuntingTragic said:

Piston_Broke said:

PuntingTragic said:
Ps Lou looked pretty chuffed when sass n glam got up today he's porked up to Lou too much mamas cooking ?
He bred it and owns it with is daughter
Looked a nice horse PB won well more in store a def sat horse

Nothing about Lou's horse, but it does not take much to be a Sat horse these days with the low rated races

loose_goose · April 2014

notapunta said:

Andrew Carter said:
Great article and Lou is spot on the fields that are going around now are crap, yesterday with Wednesday meeting highlighting that fact.

I couldn't even be bothered to have a bet as you wouldn't feed most of them and could buy most them for a couple of hundred so why bet. I thought sandpiper would win but I was busy doing other things and didn't bother.

We need desperately need welters again they used to provide the regular highlight of midweek meetings and were a great betting medium midweek and on Saturday meetings and they gave open class horses who aren't up the better ones a chance to earn.

Welters or something similar are desperately needed as those higher rated horses who aren't quite up to it currently have nowhere to go.

Then again if we had Welters with reasonable prizemoney on a regular basis PR and RWWA couldn't hide the reality of how poorly the industry is going and its systemic problems by stacking the program with crap restricted class races for far less prize money.
Going to give away my age here, but what is a welter type race?

I'll take a stab, it was a highweight race for Open class horses, usually for older horses who were passing there best to compete in Sprints or Handicaps or horses on there way up just graduated to Open class. From my memory in Welters it was if in doubt always back the toppie

Piston_Broke · April 2014

Good sprinters would get nearly 10 stone in a welter, and win

JayJay · April 2014

loose_goose said:

I'll take a stab, it was a highweight race for Open class horses, usually for older horses who were passing there best to compete in Sprints or Handicaps or horses on there way up just graduated to Open class. From my memory in Welters it was if in doubt always back the toppie

Yep, go the toppie - in Melbourne, it was usually Geoff Lane on board or at Ascot, Tiger Moore, The heavier riders or sometimes, they would throw a 7 lb(pound) claiming apprentice who could ride a bit to get weight off. Len Pike loved the welters when Tommy was his apprentice. Action Station, Drynock, All Legal, Firelight, Star Glitter .... I reckon they all won welters. I think I can recall Nanna Tale winning welters. Always the last race and always the 2nd leg of the double.

PuntingTragic · April 2014

My recollection of how racing was

People used to dress up big crowds great atmosphere you never saw a fight or a women chunder in bins with her arse hanging out of her g string

You had bookies who had manners bookies who had character bookies who dressed sharp bookies who took on the fav an shouted about it

I used to like the doubles bookie especially leading into the cups in the east

Lou saying about blokes wearing women's clothes is true what the hell is with that gooses in stupid outfits saw a bloke wearing a tiger onesy last week why

The races has lost it's glamour it's atmosphere

Ok most of us have foxtel most have giant screens most have online accounts its hard to beat kicking back with mates watching the races few beers no yobbos cheap drinks an eats

The turf club has a massive problem competing with off track influences

I truly love going to the races but for me I'm over seeing some of the mug lairs they let into the members mainly guests who don't know what a dress code is or how to behave in public I'm sick of if

I'm suck of seeing our trainers look like bags of shit in the mounting yard ffs how hard is it to dress nicely for the races our image in the east an for stable clients

Really unless we have a horse in where is the attraction to go to the races now days it used to be so much fun

Free entry for a start entertainment an something fit the punter

Kudos to PR for giving the first 500 members into Belmont next sat a 25 dollar betting voucher well dine an the welcome new members cocktail party

It's never going to be the same

notapunta · April 2014

Piston_Broke said:
Good sprinters would get nearly 10 stone in a welter, and win

Ok so most horse's carried 60kgs + then? Over all distances?

JayJay · April 2014

6 to 7 furlongs, sometimes a mile from memory. There was a good deal of planning went on - sneaking one in with a light weight. And throwing an unknown kid on to take the weight off from 9 stone 12 to 9 stone 5..used to spend hours working out the form. I think the stake was also a bit higher than the going rate. And full fields..was a great way to round out the days racing.

Piston_Broke · April 2014

notapunta said:

Piston_Broke said:
Good sprinters would get nearly 10 stone in a welter, and win
Ok so most horse's carried 60kgs + then? Over all distances?

No not most horses, good sprinters/milers that were top handicappers, trainers would drop them back into a welter, get 64kgs claim 3 and have a punt. 1200, 1400 and 1500 would be the general distances. Also a good race to give them a quiety

Radman · April 2014

Couldn't a similar thing be done now? An 80+ with a maximum top weight of 63kg (anything rated 98 or over get's 63kg) running for say $65,000?

Legless · April 2014

Radman said:
Couldn't a similar thing be done now? An 80+ with a maximum top weight of 63kg (anything rated 98 or over get's 63kg) running for say $65,000?

or even a 90+ and anything over 105 gets 65kg - would end up with great weight spread.

You would think the toppies would claim so the spread would be 54 (or 51) - 62kg

Could see fields like Kerrific at 61kgs - down to something like Lukes Luck on 54kgs every 2nd week

Thumper · April 2014

These articles about yesteryear are great but we're never going to get back to those days. The sooner we forget about them the better starting with crowd figures on course. Who cares how many people are on course these days given the club no longer contributes to prizemoney. All the focus should be on enticing punters to punt on our product. People may not be interested in going on course anymore but they will forever be wanting to have a punt.

The sooner we the WA Tab is sold the better as the current dead wood administrators of RWWA and PR are stuck in the past thinking that the tab will fund the industry forever. The tab will become just another source of income that we have no control over and perhaps WA may finally start trying to milk the corporates like the rest of Australia does rather than just take our 1.5% turnover. Administrators can moan and groan about the corporates as much as they like but they are going nowhere. Best they stay in Aus actually otherwise the industry will get nothing from them at all.

DamienWyer · April 2014

A private owner of the WA TAB will be under no directive to financially prop up a struggling Club. Especially a Club that has through poor business acumen, dug their own hole for the next 50 years.

Capitol works grants would not be the domain of a private company operating the TAB, they would be paying a revenue fee to the WA Govt and stakes to Clubs to administer races. Anything else would have to come from the buisiness operation of each individual Club through their race days, corporate events, hiring of the venue on non race days, and from commercial sponsorship.

In other words if any Club couldn't maintain their own venue, the private operator of the TAB would simply shift to a venue that could and the former would wither and die.

RIO · April 2014

Damien Wyer said:
A private owner of the WA TAB will be under no directive to financially prop up a struggling Club. Especially a Club that has through poor business acumen, dug their own hole for the next 50 years.

Capitol works grants would not be the domain of a private company operating the TAB, they would be paying a revenue fee to the WA Govt and stakes to Clubs to administer races. Anything else would have to come from the buisiness operation of each individual Club through their race days, corporate events, hiring of the venue on non race days, and from commercial sponsorship.

In other words if any Club couldn't maintain their own venue, the private operator of the TAB would simply shift to a venue that could and the former would wither and die.

And in my opinion none of that should be feared..Its accountability..Run a good operation and be rewarded..Run a crap operation and get nothing..Sort of how most business platforms work isn't it???

DamienWyer · April 2014

Well that will mean a lot of driving to Bunbury, Pinjarra and Northam in years to come

SLIPPERGOLDEN · April 2014

Why don't people attend the races on a regular basis anymore?

Because races can now be experienced with Live TV, Computer Punting and Home Comfort.

They are the three reasons I rarely go to the races and I suspect the same applies to most of you.

Ngawyni · April 2014

The footy's on telly as well but people still go each week.

The lack of promotion of this year's autumn carnival didn't help. The Club did nothing to promote St Patrick's Day, Oaks (Ladies) Day or Derby Day - all days on which with a bit of effort they could have drawn good crowds.

SLIPPERGOLDEN · April 2014

Ngawyni said:
The footy's on telly as well but people still go each week.

More attendees are committed to memberships and at least there is an atmosphere at the footy. It is a crying shame horses can race past the winning post at the races to barely a whimper of sound.

Brubaker · April 2014

Rio, I am disappointed in your attitude. (You're real name isn't David is it). While racing is a business, it is not like any other business in the world. It's based on hopes and dreams, vagabonds and heroes, rags to riches and vice versa. If you see the racing industry from an accountants point of view then that is not going to sustain the industry. I already see and hear the life blood of the industry dying, (that is the battlers, hobby trainers, small time business people) but then again I live outside the hallowed halls of city racing. If you want a few elite trainers backed by multi millionaires feeding our industry then forget about having a devoted punting public. What better draw card to the races but to see a champion race horse or a battling trainer having a crack at million dollar race. Oh and thanks Lou. I had forgotten that I had a couple of my early trial rides at Helena Vale just before they closed it. Sorry, a bit of nostaglia.... can't have that in todays modern world of racing.

SLIPPERGOLDEN · April 2014

Laurie Connell, Greg Harper, George Way and many others... Oh yeah fond memories when racing was better. Luciani you are being very kind to some of your former foes.

Brubaker · April 2014

As I said Slipper... vagabonds and heroes.....

G'day Punter!

In this Discussion

Who's Online

When did racing lose its soul?

Comments