Have some faith in our sport

Sir- I read with interest the editorial of Leo Powell in the September 24th edition of The Irish Field. In particular, I was pleased to read Mr Powell’s reference to the future audience of racing rather than future attendance at racetracks. Without the former we cannot have the latter, yet the focus always seems to be on the latter.

The Irish Champions Weekend Committee deserve great credit for the early success of what is a fantastic concept – the victory of French raider Almanzor in the Champion Stakes being the perfect result to launch the weekend onto the international stage.

However, on reading the opening line of the press release, which reads “Attendees including Rachel Wyse, Jessica O’Gara and Louise Kennedy enjoyed day one of Longines Irish Champions Weekend” – I found myself in a state of bewilderment, convinced I had accidentally clicked onto the Kildare Village weekly style bulletin. Alas, not the case.

That opening line is a lesson in how not to get a future audience in racing, that is, if by ‘future’ Mr Powell is referring to a sustained, long term interest in the sport.

Racing’s promoters’ lack of faith in the sport’s appeal is astounding, literally to the degree where the best race run in Europe this year couldn’t get a first-line mention in a press release. It’s time we refocus our efforts into generating interest in the sport itself and not on quick fix race-day novelties to get numbers in the gate. Quick fixes have been failing us, repeatedly.

So, what do we need to generate genuine interest? I mentioned in a letter I wrote to The Irish Field last February that television was our biggest shop window, but remains under-utilised. This is still the case.

A weekly broadcast on terrestrial television previewing upcoming races is the bare minimum of what we need. But there are many other possibilities across media.

We live in the social media age; we are more connected to the participants of the tight-knit racing community than ever before. We have young, ambitious and tech-savvy trainers like Michael O’Callaghan, Gordon Elliott and others offering us constant updates and insights on their plans.

We have breeding operations like Ballyhane Stud, Tally-Ho Stud and many others constantly updating us on their bloodstock. Even Coolmore are currently running a Behind the Gates series on their Facebook and Twitter pages which makes for great viewing. And while this information is being put on a platter for us, the focus of our promotion remains on the VIPs, the live band, the best dressed lady, the champagne tent and any other raceday entertainment bar the sport itself.

We have never been better placed to present the inner workings of what is a largely convoluted and fundamentally unrelatable sport and it’s time we created the platform to do it.

With the right panel a weekly or fortnightly broadcast, akin to the Morning Line in the UK, would create this platform. We have many talented Irish presenters and with the right blend of insight, tipping and humour we can start to sell the actual story of horseracing.

Raceday entertainments serve their purpose and I would not suggest getting rid of them, but they cannot be the focus of the promotion. No one will go to today’s All-Ireland replay for the half time entertainment, nor will the press release open with what celebrities were in attendance. It’s time we have some faith in racing itself, and it’s time we give people a reason to have faith in it. – Yours, etc.,

PADDY ROCHE,

Leighinbridge,

Co Carlow.

Letters to the Editor should be addressed to The Editor, The Irish Field, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12. Name, address and telephone number must be included for verification. Letters are published at the Editor’s discretion and the Editor reserves the right to edit letters within reason.