Happy Sunrise Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Part of the master plan to save racing. I told you RITA were screwed. Just when you though it couldn’t get worse - fields in newspapers and last form guide to go By Barry Lichter • 14 May 2020 Racing’s shop window is set to close even further with no racing fields in newspapers and the likelihood of no racing form guide. The TAB is planning to stop investing in newspaper form and the weekly publication of RaceForm as part of its drastic cost-cutting. That will almost certainly mean punters will no longer be able to see what’s running at the track because newspaper editors won’t allocate space for fields without being paid. And, in a double whammy, punters used to studying the form could also be left high and dry as RaceForm was the sole racing publication left and incorporated the iconic Best Bets. Despite form being available online, many thousands of punters still prefer to access race fields in their newspapers. Friday newspaper coverage once peaked at 20 pages, which incorporated previews and fields for every domestic meeting and the major Australian ones. While coverage has been squeezed in recent years, it has still remained the No.1 source for many punters, especially older ones who have enjoyed it for decades. Before the COVID-19 lockdown when racing stopped, many TABs still posted newspaper fields and selections on their walls to entice punters to bet. The trusty Best Bets was once a betting staple.RaceForm had wide industry support RaceForm, a reincarnation of the defunct magazine The Informant, received widespread industry praise when it was launched last December. Racing Industry Transition Agency executive chair Dean McKenzie said at the time that after several months of working to support its development, he was excited to see it come to fruition. “Incorporating Best Bets in RaceForm aligns with RITA’s focus on driving revenue for racing and provides an opportunity to improve customer service by supplying more information for punters and ultimately delivering on our objective to promote racing.” In racing’s heyday no self-respecting punter would be seen without a Best Bets hanging out of their back pockets, and it was distributed to more than 3500 outlets including numerous dairies, service stations and book stores. Distribution problems led to a revamp and in latter years it grew to a glossy covered publication averaging 128 pages. RaceForm editor, respected journalist Dennis Ryan, said he was unable to comment as RaceForm Publications had received no communication from RITA on the magazine’s future. The magazine has not been published during lockdown but without support from RITA, and the impending redundancy of related staff, a betting man would quote long odds on it coming back when gallops and harness racing resumes at the end of the month. The proposals are due to be confirmed on May 25 with the TAB calling for feedback by Saturday, May 16. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Happy, and everyone else on here for that matter... where do you see this cost cutting ending? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 2 minutes ago, Rusty said: Happy, and everyone else on here for that matter... where do you see this cost cutting ending? When it gets to the salaries of the big wigs lol RITA need to stand up and tell everyone what their master plan is so people can understand it. This leaking of information is appalling. It is disturbing RITA said they didn't know what the leftover 20 odd million from the bailout would be used for. Surely they must have priorities. So if raceform and newspaper form guides are gone what do they have as a replacement? A printable guide from their $60m website or a link on the TAB website to HRNZ options for printing fields? These things just can't disappear without alternatives or can they? It all seems to be removing everything so people have to use the TAB site. It will create the figures they can use to justify its cost. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 22 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: RITA need to stand up and tell everyone what their master plan is so people can understand it. This leaking of information is appalling. Exactly this. Many, many people within the industry have been saying exactly this. And the hard working people at the grassroots of the game deserve it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 The cost cutting will stop for racing in the next couple of years without doubt. The last cost cut will be the big wigs pay, as there won’t be any racing but there will be sports betting. There is no way in hell that harness racing will continue indefinitely as it is on the road to Self destruction with all these cost cutting decisions. I would say that Addington would be able to keep their stakes up a wee bit due to the rent they must be receiving from their commercial ventures they have? Dont believe that owners will want to be racing for $6k stakes next season but that is where I see the likely level is likely to be for many of the races. Auckland, are knackered and won’t recover and next few years I am sure the track will be sold off and put into housing. Depressing but reality! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiplash smile Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 16 hours ago, Brodie said: Depressing but reality! well said! bang on the money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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