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Another Easter rolls by and another debate is had about what should or should not be held on Good Friday.
The day is sacrosanct for many. They believe it should not be tampered with. No sport, no drinking, no meat and no gambling.
Others bemoan that Good Friday is the most boring day of the year, largely because of the no sport, no drinking, no meat and no gambling.
The Good Friday Appeal, which raises money for the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, has become synonymous with the day.
Everyone digs deep and gives what they can for the kids. Children give their pocket money, sports clubs sell sausages and lamingtons, and armies of folk rattle tins across the state.
AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said last week that he believed it was only a matter of time before professional Aussie rules football was held on Good Friday.
While he remained personally opposed to Good Friday football, he admitted it was almost inevitable that the decision-makers would look at the day after he stepped away from his chair at the end of this season.
For the horse racing enthusiast, Good Friday is a day off.
But does it have to be?
Lingfield Park in England opened its doors in 1890 and didn’t race on Good Friday for the next 123 years.
But this year there was a change of attitude from authorities and Good Friday racing was born.
The racegoers turned out in droves. They packed the course, with almost 9000 people on hand to see the races.
According to an article in The Guardian, some people in the UK were concerned the race meeting would detract from open days at Lambourn and Middleham, which both raised significant money for charity.
However, there was no need to worry as both events were still well supported on Good Friday.
“I had my doubts about racing on Good Friday, but if you’re going to race on Good Friday, you need to do what Lingfield has done and put up a good day’s racing with good prize money. It’s breaking with tradition but we’re in the entertainment business and you can see the huge crowd that is here today,” trainer Jeremy Noseda was quoted as saying.
“That’s what our sport depends on. All the sceptics can have no answer, this is a success and well done to them for putting it on.”
He’s right.
Racing is about entertainment. It needs to do what is best for the sport, and a showcase Good Friday meeting would be fantastic for the industry.
So here’s my idea.
Step one: Have a race meeting at Caulfield. To be honest, the venue is not super important. Have it at Cranbourne if it suits better, or Flemington – or how about a tri-code day Cranbourne? Trots, gallops, dogs all at the same venue on the one day.
Step two: Come up with a feature race worth good prize money to attract a good field. Along the lines of the Easter Cup, maybe call it The Good Friday Cup.
Step three: Have hoards of tin-rattlers on course raising money for the Good Friday Appeal.
Step four: Agree that a certain per cent of gate-takings will be donated to The Appeal.
Step five: Advertise the day as a family race day, with heaps of entertainment for the kids.
Step six: An hour after the last race have a cheque handover to the Channel Seven Appeal.
The thing about Good Friday is it means something different for everyone.
Just because there is a game of football on doesn’t mean everyone has to attend. Just because there’s a race meeting on doesn’t mean everyone has to go along or have a bet. It’s about choice.
If people want to go to the races on that day, have a bet, be entertained and do their bit for charity, good on them.
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