Commencing on Saturday, Racing Victoria will be trialling a new race schedule which will see the first race at Caulfield jump at 2.25pm.
The change is being trialled to enhance betting turnover which – while it has not been explicitly mentioned by RV – squarely targets the lucrative Asian market.
The first race of the Saturday metropolitan meeting has traditionally started around 12.30pm with the final race jumping around 5.00pm. With this new change, the final race will be run around 6.30pm.
Valuable East Asian markets including Hong Kong and Singapore sit three hours behind AEST. This means the final race of the Australian metropolitan meeting will fall ideally to be broadcast to East Asia around 3.30pm (Asian time) to maximise wagering turnover through a wider audience.
This was trialled earlier during the spring carnival when feature races at Caulfield and Moonee Valley were pushed back to be the final event of the card.
Although the official reason for the move was to have the feature race run into Channel Seven’s 6pm news bulletin, the synchronising with Asian time zones is no mere coincidence.
Hong Kong’s betting turnover per capita is the highest in the world and their industry is also the most efficient and arguably the least corrupted due to the most stringent wagering laws.
Exporting a simulcast to Asia therefore becomes highly valuable to both Australian, Asian broadcasters and punters in what is just about an ‘everybody wins’ scenario – except for the losing punters of course.
Although wagering on horse racing in China is still outlawed, the China Horse Club’s emergence over the past 12 months suggests these laws will be overturned any day.
Illegal betting still remains a lucrative underground industry in China and gambling turnover in Macau is more than ten times that of Las Vegas.
Australian sports have had a long-standing pattern of running events into the broadcaster’s 6pm news bulletin, which is most fiercely contested time slot among the major networks.
Sporting events have had delayed broadcasts to ensure such timing while the AFL has happily scheduled games so that they can be broadcast live and still taper into the 6pm bulletin.
For Racing Victoria to take broadcasting delays one step further and take on the 6pm time slot is unique and goes against the spring carnival broadcasting strategy.
This suggests that the commercial pull from Asian markets is much stronger than the pull from Australian broadcasters.
While this will only be a trial period and free-to-air broadcasting of Saturday racing does not commence until the February 8 for the C.F Orr Stakes, the move signals further intent to advance Asian audiences into the Australian industry.
Whether or not this could cause issues in the future is still yet to be determined.
titch
Guest
If this goes ahead lets hope the dailies print a decent NZ formguide.
Alfred Chan
Expert
Via TVN today: Racing Victoria CEO Bernard Saundry has officially reported RV has been “collaborating” with Racing Integrity Commissioner Sal Perna regarding Asian links to racing. Following media reports this week suggesting racing in Victoria had been infiltrated by Asian Crime Gangs, Saundry said RV had been aware of such allegations since last year. “At this point in time there is absolutely no implication of any wrong-doing in racing,” Saundry said. “Our role has been to pass on the intelligence we have gained to the appropriate federal authority and allow them to do their job in investigating such matters. "It is simply too early to draw any conclusions about organised crime at this stage,” he added. “Our National Intelligence Agency will obviously undertake their own investigation and we will continue to work with the Integrity Commissioner and the ACC in any way we can,” Saundry said. “The community expects racing to be run on a level playing field and Racing Victoria has already implemented a number of strategies to enhance drug detection, strengthen the rules and monitor betting transactions,” he said. “Maintaining the integrity of Victorian racing is our highest priority and we will continue to make every effort to ensure racing is conducted without the involvement of any person or organisation that fails to live up to community expectations.”
Mike from tari
Guest
One thing for sure, this will impact on Qld racing turnover, in particular Toowoomba, all that money spent on the new track to encourage turnover, that money will now go to Victoria.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Jorji - Nice puritan rant - Yes Horse Racing has always been about gambling but Australians have already done what you wish for and have largely abandoned Horse Racing for the labotomising world of gaming machines... is that social progress?
Alfred Chan
Expert
I think the Australian Open has always been scheduled to start blockbuster matches at 7pm. There's a possibility the game goes for five hours and we've had plenty of matches go till 2am in the past few years but most of the time that is during the earlier rounds when they have two singles matches in the night session. When this happens, the women generally play first and are done by 9pm and then the men will finish sometime between 11pm and 2am. It's certainly not ideal by any means however it still draws a much better audience than if the games are played when everyone is at work. But yes, it's great news for the Asian audiences.
Don
Roar Rookie
We've already had a Group 1 at 10pm last year. The Manikato Stakes won by Buffering was at 10pm on a Friday night at Mooney Valley. Felt really odd watching a G1 late on a Friday night. We took our girls out for dinner and us boys snuck into the bar next door to put a bet on Buffering (support QLD of course) and watch the race. Then we bought a couple of nice bottles of Abbot's Prayer back in the restaurant bar shortly after the win.
sheek
Roar Guru
Justin, One of my thoughts is to have just a 10 month season, at least in the metropolitan cities. For example, shut down racing in the capital cities over four weekends in each of January & July. Then put on quality racing the rest of the time. The enforced lay-off would allow green-keepers & course attendants to re-turf & refresh the tracks, stable staff, jockeys & trainers can take a well earned rest if they so desire, or travel overseas to other meets, & fans can cool their heels in anticipation for when racing resumes. Most people in the industry thus get a decent break, one each in the heat of summer & cold of winter. As for punters, there is so much for them to bet on these days, they would hardly miss the four weeks absence of racing in either January & July. Furthermore, finishing the season in June & returning in August just after the horse's birthday, is a good fit.
sheek
Roar Guru
Justin, You're now talking my language - quality over quantity, substance over show - which is liable to get you nowhere fast! ;-)
sheek
Roar Guru
Well Alfred, Perhaps you're not praying hard enough. ;-) We have evening prime time rugby union, rugby league, Australian football, soccer, T20 cricket, tennis, the list goes on. Group Ones at 10pm must be just around the corner. I wonder if anyone has bothered to get the horses' opinions.....
Quinn
Guest
The illegal betting industry in China is worth billions. By legalising it, the government just sink their teeth into massive taxes rather than taking kickbacks for looking the other way.
Jorji Costava
Guest
What's the latest with the Australian horse racing industry's attempt to get it's own free to air channel? I had heard they wanted to go on the Freeview but it has all gone quiet lately. I'd be for it providing John McCrickick is hired as the anchorman. He would be the reason I would tune in rather than the nags.
Bondy
Guest
Just a comment in general, On moving sports events for the purpose of and not entirely asian markets did anybody see the entirety of the Federer vs Murray match last night ? I watched the first set and two games " the Fed Express was on fire" then went to sleep I can't stay awake for hours on end, what damage would that be doing to Ch7 having tennis on so late, though its so compliant for an asian market ?.
Jorji Costava
Guest
Reading a recent article in the New York Times on horse racing in China, where gambling is strictly illegal, this turns out to be actually a good thing for horse racing in the USA and Australia due to their gamblers going on-line and losing their money brings in valuable incomes to save the sport on both the North American and Australian continents. Apparently income for both countries are declining due to other forms of gambling available and maybe even a more educated population avoiding this form of 'entertainment' altogether. China is seen as the saviour of horse racing. So, there will of course be a lot of corruption. But the governments rationale behind this is to keep the money rolling in, thus taxation revenues to support their pet projects such as tax cuts to the upper 1 per centers and more money to spend on weapon purchases for law enforcement and militaries. Maybe even refugee detainment facilties also. End of the day, we voted for it and we have the ability to vote against it(sort of).
Alfred Chan
Expert
Very interesting indeed Justin! Something is definitely going on ;) Perhaps we should start getting used to these late starts or even a 5.30pm Melbourne Cup...
Justin Cinque
Expert
Very interesting... http://m.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/1411258/hong-kong-jockey-club-targets-april-commingling-bets-us
Justin Cinque
Expert
A reduction in meetings won't happen but it needs to. I don't know if the betting on autumn G1s will be anything special in Asia. If the spring failed to impress, why would the autumn be any better? It's a bit like the limited Jap coverage we get in Aus. Great racing, decent interest, woeful betting numbers.
Alfred Chan
Expert
Every night I pray they do not persist with running Group 1's at 10pm...
Alfred Chan
Expert
I don't think Hong Kong or Singapore will be betting on Saturday's Caulfield card but this is an eight week trial which means the Melbourne autumn carnival Group 1s fall into the trial period. I suspect there would be plenty of Asian interest in races like the Blue Diamond, Futurity and the Newmarket which are towards the end of this eight week trial. I agree with you that there is too much racing in Australia but I don't see them reducing the amount of meet anytime soon. Especially not in towns which are heavily reliant on it for their local economies.
Justin Cinque
Expert
30min breaks for every race at any meeting. And to make it happen there would need to be a reduction in the number of meetings. But that's okay, there's too many anyway. Asian turnover on Aussie Group 1s last spring was pitiful if my memory is correct. . I'm sure they intend to increase turnover here more than anywhere. I'm not even certain Hong Kong and Singapore will be betting on Saturday's Caulfield meeting. I'm sure Hong Kong, for example, only take special events from Australia.
Quinn
Guest
By designing the program for Asians, this opens a huge can of corruption worms.