I recently invited readers to respond on a Facebook forum to the following question
A question for greyhound owners/potential owners….
We have been introduced to more anti social racing hours, a heavy racing schedule and, seemingly, less emphasis on quality open racing.
Do you feel that owners have less incentive than ever to buy greyhounds and that bookmakers are now dictating the direction of the sport?
Please take part and I very much welcome your comments.
This very powerful reply was from Bob Oakes. I thought it would be of interest to Greyhound Star readers.
Mark Burridge
“I think the true crux of the matter is that apart from the dogs and the races this is now a much different sport in the way it is organised than it once was. The joy of watching six dogs racing has not changed, and the fact that these are magnificent athletes has not changed.
“However for those brought up on local tracks, racing at times to suit the majority of working people, and tracks making their money from footfall through the turnstiles and spend over the bar and on the tote then the sport has changed. Tastes in entertainment and variety of options for our spare time has whittled away the number of tracks as has increased land values.
Decades ago promoters became seduced by BAGS money as an easy way to earn profit and then the opening of betting shops at night, followed by internet betting changed things forever.
We must accept sufficient people no longer go racing to make this the main profit centre as nowadays apart from a Saturday night attendances are minimal. Daytime racing for internet and betting shop punters is the order of the day as this brings track owners (promoters apart from a couple of exceptions is a misnomer) greater income.
We have to face it with early morning, mid morning, afternoon and early evening meetings it is no longer a spectator sport at heart. This of course will have an effect on ownership. I never missed one of my dogs running for years, in fact making two meetings on one night on occasion, but have to say I missed two of my bitches last three runs. We are considering in what way we will replace the two dogs we have recently lost to injury.
What we have to do is accept the sport has changed and there is no going back. On the plus side welfare is much better than it has ever been, and that is a massive plus,even if we can’t get there we can watch racing live via streaming, and with the money coming to promoters prize money for graded racing at most tracks is now at reasonable levels allowing trainers to make a living.
We have to embrace the sport for what it now is and remember the dogs and the races have not changed.
However, with the sport now organised to suit the bookies requirements it is now time for them to take some responsibility. The racing schedule and improved welfare means that there are more dogs requiring rehoming especially with trainers now owning most of the dogs. The bookies do not make a sufficient contribution to this in light of the profits they are earning from the sport (remember the Deloitte Report).
I assume a lot of the recent publicity is aimed at getting a better levy, but if this is not forthcoming then is this now time for government to back the sport with a compulsory levy. That is what we should be agitating for, not dreaming of a return to olden days.
Finally mention must be made about open racing. I assume we all aspire to win the top prizes. These must remain as something to aim for, but recent drops in prize money for Cat 1’s is very disappointing.
