At The Races not at core of the problems facing on-course layers
Hyland was at it again last week, reacting to figures released by Horse Racing Ireland which showed that there was a 4.6% decrease in bookmakers’ turnover on-course last year.
“The live (ATR) pictures have played havoc with our turnover’, whined Hyland. The message seemed clear, get the pictures off the screens and let us have more business please. Pathetic.
No mention it might be in the bookmakers’ best interests to do something about the situation themselves.
Many, many years ago a well-known layer told me that all you required to make money on Irish racecourses was a board and a piece of chalk.
He was talking from experience and reaped a fortune from the game. But times have changed, dramatically, and the betting-ring jungle is now a completely different world.
The layer who comes into the game and thinks the board and chalk are all he needs will be out as fast as he arrived.
On-course bookmakers have never faced such competition. The exchanges are a relatively new dimension and, clearly, attract a fair volume of betting.
But they are not for everyone, whereas betting offices are. And the offices, to my way of thinking, are the real problem for on-course bookmakers.
Quite frankly, they offer terrific value, often far better than the racecourses. Firstly, many of them bet every race from early in the morning. Immediately, you can almost be spoilt for choice.
Then there’s the double-result concession, which is a huge plus. You only have to benefit from that once a year to realise what a bonus it is.
Benefit from it twice in the one week and you really won’t ever want to have a wager in any other way in the future.
An excellent letter from a Mr Brady from Cahir in Tipperary in last Saturday’s Irish Field emphasised the point.
Taking Francis Hyland to task, he pointed out that he recently had €80 on a winner at Limerick at 6-1. Following a stewards’ inquiry the horse was relegated to second place.
Mr Brady said that if he had the bet in an office in the morning he would have been paid on the double-result and pocketed €560.00.
Of course he would and that is the type of battle Hyland and his merry bunch of men face. Personally, if I fancy a horse strongly I usually back it morning prices before going racing.
The reason is always the same, value. You flick through the text in the morning, looking at the prices of the horse you fancy.
There are buckets of options. You finally decide that the 5-2 on offer from a particular firm is the business and act accordingly.
As sure as night follows day, there will be no 5-2 available when you get to the course. Do you give a toss? I’ve heard it said that morning prices are the worst thing to hit racing, that they only mark the bookmakers' card.
Rubbish. The only problem with morning prices is when someone beats you to the price. As far as this game is concerned, more than any other aspect of life, it really is a case of every man for himself.
Mr Brady’s letter highlighted the difficulty, at least on occasions, of having an each-way bet on track.
He said that at Tramore on New Year’s eve, he asked four different bookmakers for an each-way bet on an eight-runner race and was refused by them all.
I can certainly identify with that. That same day I asked my friendly bookmaker for an each-way in the maiden hurdle won by Jakers.
I wanted to back Ingres, who eventually finished third. The layer, a sound fellow, smiled as he shook his head. Mind you, I was accommodated by another sound man further up the line.
During the summer, at one of the Kerry meetings, I requested an each-way and was told: “I don’t bet each-way, but will for you.’ A ridiculous response.
On-course bookmakers make a massive contribution to racing. They are an integral part of the game, adding colour and excitement and, without them, Irish racing would die a thousand deaths.
Go racing in France some day just to realise what a bore it is without the traditional ‘enemy.’
But Francis Hyland has to realise they have to help themselves and that the competition is now quite simply fierce.
Punters, at least a lot of them, are far more sophisticated and far better informed than they used to be.
Don’t take them for fools, price your boards much earlier and offer a proper service. The so-called code of practice, much heralded at Listowel, has made little or no difference.
And forget about attempting to stifle the pictures on ATR. For those of us who love it, a decrease in bookmakers’ turnover, even if there is a direct connection between the two, and who really knows whether there is or not, is a small price to pay.
