RACING FORUM

Posted: **Thu Sep 22, 2022 9:32 am**

As a supplementary to the racing reform thread I would like to give my experiences on attendances this year. I go racing a lot not just as an owner but as a regular punter. Since the start of the year I have been racing 60 or 70 times. The tracks attended have been Newmarket, Chelmsford, Doncaster, Nottingham, Southwell, Wolves, Redcar, Newcastle, Carlisle, Thirsk, Beverley, Hamilton, Musselburgh and Ayr. I haven't noticed any differences in attendances at the smaller tracks. In fact Hamilton and Musselburgh seemed to have been busier this year. I was at Wolves back in April and we couldn't get a seat in the upstairs lounge. Where I did notice a huge difference was at Haydock on the Friday of the sprint cup meeting and Newmarket for the first two days of the July meeting. At Haydock on the Friday me and the Mrs went to the bar between the 2nd and third race for a drink and we were the only people at the upstairs bar. If you have been to Haydock you will know how big that bar is. Two drinks that we didn't want (as they didn't have the ones we wanted) cost £13.50!! I don't think attendances has anything to do with racing (or at least very little). I think that cost of living and disgraceful pricing is the problem here. People racing at the lower end pretty much right off what they spend on racing and have a real enthusiasm for the sport and not just the money they can make from it. They have continues to support their trainers and attend the small meetings to see their horses run in the low grade races. At Haydock when Minzaal won the sprint cup Shadwell had a 'representative' to collect the trophy!