I’m in despair with racing’s new ‘premier’ plan – no one has asked you, the punter, what you want

I’VE been vocal about my concerns over a pathetically thought out and rushed through Premier Racing process.

But those concerns turned to despair this week when one quote signalled everything that is wrong with those that run the sport I love.

PACheltenham on New Year’s Day ushered in this new era of ‘premier’ racing[/caption]

Julian Richmond-Watson is a man I have a lot of time for, indeed he has just been handed an OBE.

He’s a Classic-winning owner-breeder via Oaks heroine Look Here and long-serving administrator.

In his time he’s been a racecourse steward, chaired the Epsom Race Committee and become a director of the then BHB.

Richmond-Watson is now chair of the Thoroughbred Group, which represents owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys and stable staff.

Boom or bust

Mr Grey Sky (1.30 Wincanton)

With cheekpieces on for the first time, he goes on deep ground and was in great shape before pulling up at Newbury last time. It was reported then he wanted deeper ground than soft – well he gets it here!

Yet when questioned on Premier Racing his response was merely: “It’s there now, we have got to support it and take it forward.”

What leadership is that?

One thing any successful business person knows is that if a concept is dire and ill thought out then you abandon it as quickly as possible and come up with an alternative.

But oh no. This is British racing. You plough on and to hell with the consequences.

That’s been the way of thinking with the Fixture List since the Office of Fair Trading took the rights away from the now BHA, and the way in which the sport is funded.

Which, incidentally, is why British horse racing is in a right mess.

But it’s as if the powers that be, led by a BHA which doesn’t have the guts to be interviewed other than by their choses ones.

The worry for a lot of us out here who have worked all our lives in the sport is that those in charge either don’t seem to think there is a problem, or believe there’s no solution and are just getting the most out of it until it implodes.

Sadly, most of you won’t even know the aim of Premier Racing.

Essentially, though, according to a unanimously agreed Board of the BHA it’s a concept to promote “more competitive and top quality racing”.

Extraordinarily the BHA board found 170 meetings they could do that with in a year.

Yes, 170 top quality fixtures featuring competitive racing.

Now you don’t have to be a member of the BHA to know that’s simply impossible.

Every regular follower of racing knows that there aren’t enough “top quality” horses in training to fill 70 fixtures let alone 170.

Yet the BHA voted for it. And someone as highly decorated as Richmond-Watson thinks we blindly support it! I’m lost for words.

Racing fans and racegoers are the first place you go to ask what they want from a raceday.

What would they consider a ‘Premier Raceday’ experience.

But who has asked them?

Maybe there has been a secret survey that has been put to racegoers that I know nothing about?

But as far as I am aware the customer hasn’t been consulted at all.

I put a quick poll up on Twitter asking: “Whatever your interpretation of Premier Racing, have you been asked by the BHA what you would want?”

Of the 2,296 people who responded, 2% said they had. A whopping 98% said they hadn’t.

That’s just disgraceful — customer service of the worst kind. Premier Racing has been essentially created by people who go racing for free. What about the customer who pays?

Over 90% of the Premier racedays are on ITV with most on Saturday afternoons during a two-hour window.

But if it’s the ITV viewer we see the main influx of betting turnover come in from on a Saturday then what difference will it make?

ITV already focuses on the best racing has to offer, and its coverage won’t change at all for Premier Racing because it’s already doing it.

So who exactly is the BHA Board aiming at? Again, we don’t know because those in charge refuse to be interviewed by the likes of me.

If I was in charge of the BHA I’d abandon Premier Racing today.

I’d put all my energy into sorting the financing of the sport and create a modern day fixture list that might one day allow Premier Racing to shine.

But that won’t happen. Because Premier Racing is “there now, and we just have to support it and take it forward”. Oh my.

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