News

Australian Racing's Future: A Long Term Vision Required

8th Jul 2009

Australian Racing Board - Media Release - Wednesday, 8 July 2009

The Australian Racing Board Chairman has today said that two essential elements of public discussion on the industry’s future were the need for fact-based analysis and a realisation that some change was necessary.

“The racing industry is unquestionably at the cross roads on a wide range of issues, with the quality of our decisions likely to have a lasting impact on the livelihoods of more than 50,000 Australians.” - Bob Bentley, Chairman, Australian Racing Board

“By way of demonstration, the comments that have been attributed to Gai Waterhouse were less than helpful. Bluntly put, Gai’s future is not at risk here. Even in the wasteland that is the UK Racing industry, where bookmakers and betting exchanges paying a pittance to racing dominate, there are a handful of big name trainers like Luca Cumani who continue to do well, but for the rank and file of the industry things are extremely grim. I don’t want to see that happen here.

The ARB is not concerned whatsoever about who punters choose to have a bet with. Our sole concern is the erosion of revenue from wagering operators not paying adequate returns to fund prizemoney, infrastructure, and country racing.

Prizemoney is not by any means the only thing that is important to the success of racing, but it would be denying reality to ignore its profound impact on all aspects of the industry, from returns to owners, incomes for trainers and jockeys and other industry participants, field sizes, and wagering turnover, to name but a few. Prizemoney levels can only be maintained at necessary standards with all wagering operators paying adequate returns, not a “pay what we like” system. Sponsoring races with nickels and dimes is no substitute for the current system of funding that has built the Australian racing industry to its present world prominence. Sponsorship is the model of the UK industry; it is selective and cannot possibly sustain a structured racing program.” – Bob Bentley, Chairman, Australian Racing Board

Mr Bentley said that he had no comment to offer on the merits of specific proposals to merge race clubs, but industry structures were one of the things that people should be prepared to discuss rationally and constructively.

“I have no comment to make about the merits of specific proposals to merge race clubs. It made sense to do this in Brisbane but other mergers need to be examined on a case-by-case basis. However, what I will say is that our future industry structures must be on the agenda for review. We need to be on the front foot and making positive and mature decisions as an industry to place ourselves in the best position to survive and prosper. In doing this there are no “holy cows” that cannot be discussed.”

“The Australian Racing Board has recently taken the opportunity of the Productivity Commission inquiry into gambling in Australia to call for much-needed action on some fundamental wagering issues, including totalisator odds bookmaking. The ARB is not going to throw in the towel and allow corporate bookmakers to line their pockets at the expense of industry participants, which is what would the ultimate result of doing what Gai Waterhouse has suggested.

We need to be able to demonstrate that the industry itself is doing everything it can to operate in an efficient and business-like manner. Governments can be persuaded to take action but only where the industry itself is dynamic and doing everything it can to help itself. Modern society is in a constant state of change, and racing cannot be cocooned away from this.” - Bob Bentley, Chairman, Australian Racing Board

Mr Bentley also encouraged greater effort towards achieving a united position within the industry.

“If you look back over the past 12months real headway has been made in achieving a national vision. The changes to whip controls and the new national personal accident insurance program for jockeys are two examples. Our competitors are all around us, not each other, and we should work even harder to combine our efforts.” – Bob Bentley, Chairman, Australian Racing Board