RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
john legend

TAB costs

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Some apologists for our supposed leaders of this industry need to look at facts.... many trainers /drivers and indeed owners and punters may wish to stop      READING NOW as following  could prove  INJURIOUS to their health....The TAB employs 630 full time staff costing over $60 million....136 staff earn over $100000 and it gets worse, 10 people are paid between $250000 and $700000. AND RIDA THINKS CLOSING THE MODERN PURPOSE BUILT MANAWATU RACEWAY IS GOING TO SAVE THE INDUSTRY . As an owner punter  I find the Industry destroying itself by looking in the wrong place for survival is  very very disappointing. (thanks to Barry Lichter for some facts)

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8 minutes ago, john legend said:

Some apologists for our supposed leaders of this industry need to look at facts.... many trainers /drivers and indeed owners and punters may wish to stop      READING NOW as following  could prove  INJURIOUS to their health....The TAB employs 630 full time staff costing over $60 million....136 staff earn over $100000 and it gets worse, 10 people are paid between $250000 and $700000. AND RIDA THINKS CLOSING THE MODERN PURPOSE BUILT MANAWATU RACEWAY IS GOING TO SAVE THE INDUSTRY . As an owner punter  I find the Industry destroying itself by looking in the wrong place for survival is  very very disappointing. (thanks to Barry Lichter for some facts)

Not sure those numbers are correct, if you look at RITA budget in November they had 685 full or part time employees and contractors. Cuts of 30% were announced recently and most contractors have been let go. On the wage front the 700K man left at Christmas and CFO departed not long after. All management took a pay cut when Covid arrived and a review is currently underway of management positions. My pick is the top team will be half the size it was very soon. People all said it was too expensive to operate and now the knifes been taken to employee costs but i suspect other costs will be under scrutiny as well where possible.The end result will be a far leaner operation but with that can come a drop in service levels for those not willing to embrace change.

 

Greg

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Website = Fail

Fixed odds Platform = Fail

Betting restrictions and losing elite punters = Fail

Free to air racing gone = Fail

----------------------------------------------------------------------

AND RECENTLY

Losing financially stable tracks = Fail

Losing form guides and Radio = Fail

 

Have this lot ever done anything right?

Not sacking managers responsible for the above failures = Biggest Fail of all

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right on Mr Ed ,the promo efforts have been counter productive. and JJ Flash they are taking action ..should have said were but even shedding staff is costly.The damage has been done and is locked in. I am still unhappy that many trainers are to face more than just a pay cut 

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9 minutes ago, eljay said:

So you think owners can afford these rises?    And then told by Taxcinda they cannot watch their horses race.      And then Winston thinks he has fixed the problem.      There is more sense in a volume of Mother Goose

A lot probably can’t, need to somehow restructure the industry to concentrate on older horses that can race year after year. They may not cover all their costs but they’ll get a bit back. Way too many owners are being burnt playing the yearling game

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Certainly feels a depressing time to be an owner/breeder. Even if choose to breed have to have deep pockets to take horses through to stage sell to Aussie if good enough (most sensible financial option)  or through to be an old battler going round week after week. We are all in a tough spot whether owner or trainer. I wonder if we will see an exodus of trainers losing local tracks to Aussie with offers to race their current owners horses over there  - if you can't manage the long trips to see your horses racing live then the racing coverage on tv would be much the same.

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19 hours ago, JJ Flash said:

.The end result will be a far leaner operation but with that can come a drop in service levels for those not willing to embrace change.

 

Greg

Won't it be a drop in service levels for those who are willing to embrace change as well? We just have to hope that the drops are in areas where they will be effective and not reduce net revenue.

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Leggy,you say what is happening and has been over the last 10 years.Even old Bs like me have to accept change is nearly always necessary. However when you make changes in Business most often to cut costs you must not cut where it has a bigger effect on the bottom line. . This crucial business axiom has been ignored by the TAB and Mr ed named but a few. They often forget that punting is not a crucial part of life (cf food/shelter) .It needs promotion,availability,  The competition for the punting dollar is intense. from lotto etc. even aus betting agencies often offer better odds . 

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22 hours ago, Cyril Rioli said:

 Way too many owners are being burnt playing the yearling game

Of course CR, yearlings carry the promise of big 2 and 3 year old spoils but realistically, the cavaet emptor must also come in to play there.

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On 5/20/2020 at 2:03 PM, Cyril Rioli said:

A lot probably can’t, need to somehow restructure the industry to concentrate on older horses that can race year after year. They may not cover all their costs but they’ll get a bit back. Way too many owners are being burnt playing the yearling game

The comments by Cyril Rioli struck a chord. About ‘concentrating on older horses that can race year after year’.

I’m a kiwi based in Australia, semi-retired. Previously had a long small-time involvement in NZ racing, both thoroughbred and standardbreds. Now have time to follow the comments on Race Café periodically. And Australian race results and news.

The main harness track in NSW, Menangle, race at least twice a week, once for better class horses and once for the lesser lights.

Last Tuesday’s meeting for the lower grade horses included a Claimer. The 9-horse field raced for a $A7,000 odd stake. The interesting thing about the race, for me, was that the average number of lifetime starts for the 9 runners was around 140 starts.  The most was 215, the least 91. The winner was having his 191 start. Every horse was averaging over $1,000 in earnings per start. So seemingly, pretty much all paying their way. Three of them have earned over $40,000 each this season. 5 of the field were NZ bred. There was one 10yr old, one 9yr old, three 8, three 7, and a lone six year-old.

On the humorous side, ironically, one of the NZ’ers was called Underworked, he was only on start 141! Another horse, the favorite, led but faded in the straight to last. His excuse might have been that he was the novice of the field having only his 91st start.

So, on reflection, what can be learned? First of course it illustrates the durability of the standardbred. Second it shows that with flexible programming there is a place for all. These warriors had a competitive race. Seems like there is a suitable race at Menangle for these horses every week.

In summary Cyril has a good point. Not necessarily concentrating on such horses but making sure there is a better balance of programming and adequate opportunities for all.

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On 5/20/2020 at 8:09 AM, MisterEd said:

Website = Fail

Fixed odds Platform = Fail

Betting restrictions and losing elite punters = Fail

Free to air racing gone = Fail

----------------------------------------------------------------------

AND RECENTLY

Losing financially stable tracks = Fail

Losing form guides and Radio = Fail

 

Have this lot ever done anything right?

Not sacking managers responsible for the above failures = Biggest Fail of all

Even their bonus bets fail. If I want to take a multi and collect something worthwhile I can not split it or take any 4 (of 8 selections) for instance. Tonight my selections added up to approx $616/$1 (mainly places) However picking 8 is a tall ask ..  , so why can we not take the multi the way we want it.  I would have got a reasonable return @ 14% and increased the turnover , .. .. instead I had to back 1 runner, not spreading the risk . Lucky I chose the right one for my first bet but after the collect and the bonus bet deduction I was left with just over the amount of the bonus bet,  ... with having to again consider my next selection carefully.  

Remember the bonus bets are  designed apparently to increase turnover?  Don't think  they really are ... are they? 

Ps . Have tried getting 8 selections in since lockdown but twice got 7 and an 8th selection has run 4th .

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10 minutes ago, 2Piper said:

Even their bonus bets fail. If I want to take a multi and collect something worthwhile I can not split it or take any 4 (of 8 selections) for instance. Tonight my selections added up to approx $616/$1 (mainly places) However picking 8 is a tall ask ..  , so why can we not take the multi the way we want it.  I would have got a reasonable return @ 14% and increased the turnover , .. .. instead I had to back 1 runner, not spreading the risk . Lucky I chose the right one for my first bet but after the collect and the bonus bet deduction I was left with just over the amount of the bonus bet,  ... with having to again consider my next selection carefully.  

Remember the bonus bets are  designed apparently to increase turnover?  Don't think  they really are ... are they? 

Ps . Have tried getting 8 selections in since lockdown but twice got 7 and an 8th selection has run 4th .

Collect would have been $36 - 5 (BB) =$31 . Gives a lot more options for future betting than the 11 - 5 .

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