“You can have all the bells and whistles and whoopee cushions, but what is known as “horse racing” will never change. It’s always going to be about which horse and rider get past the winning post first and who guesses this result correctly through whatever means they have and win money for their efforts.
“If this isn’t understood as yet by a new audience, it never will.
“If horse racing really IS to change, it cannot be called “horse racing.
“Isn’t this obvious?
“As you have been saying for the past few years, change is going to happen because of new technology coming on stream and perhaps virtual racing or something that’s completely new and much more lifestyle oriented.
“This might happen by working with companies like Netflix, Apple+, perhaps Nvidia, streaming services and business partnerships with even the IPL or LIV or someone new, but none of this, or very little, will have to do with horse racing.
“Like the huge popularity of gaming in the past couple of decades, the world in 2024 is looking for something completely new.
“This something new isn’t more horse racing with the same old names who are now much older, more tipping services and some DJ twiddling knobs and which is fobbed off as on course ‘entertainment’.
“Horse racing is horse racing and will always be horse racing and if this is showing a financial downturn in its business model, it shouldn’t come as any great shock.
“Just look at how the global economy has nosedived along with the interest level in far more popular leisure activities.
“Control has always been in the hands of the customer, because they know what they want, and how they want it, but nearly every business seems to have forgotten this.
“Hand the control back to them and they will lead you to a brand new ideas pool and make you see which businesses are too steeped in their ways to change and whose time is up”.
A.Non
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The rather ominously and interestingly named Don’t Trust Judas, the 4 year old gelding by Pla.ying God is trained by Grant and Alana Williams and is owned by a syndicate of owners of almost biblical proportions. He’s won one winner to date when ridden by William Pike in August 23, 2023 at a maiden in Pinjarra
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The most “immersive” new nitery in Hong Kong: LIPS at the Grand Hyatt that brings together comedians, magicians and ‘live’ music.
We don’t get it, but we’re told that these are still early days and the LIPS jigsaw puzzle will soon become clear.
Hopefully, LIPS won’t suck.
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It’s always been the centre of horse racing conspiracy theories since the days of eight race meetings every Saturday afternoon at Happy Valley and the regular television show hosted by outspoken racing personality Bill Tung-Biu.
Gossip and innuendos about everything to do with racing is almost a national pastime with the favourite saying being how this and that losing jockey wasn’t “trying”.
The latest from the city’s racing “influencers” and “KOLs”…
*Hong Kong will take in more horses and jockeys from Singapore.
*Michael Chang has already retained his trainer’s license and a new trainer to the city will be Gerald Mosse.
*Andrea Atzeni will be the next champion jockey of Hong Kong.
*Apprentice Britney Wong will ride in Hong Kong next season.
*Mark Newnham will be the next John Size and be Champion Hong Kong Trainer.
*Pierre Ng will be the next John Size and become the Champion Hong Kong Trainer.
*There will be official horse racing in Conghua with legalised betting.
*Because Joao Moreira and the HKJC CEO shook hands recently in Tokyo, this means that the Brazilian magic man will ride in Hong Kong next season.
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BEN THOMPSON: HONG KONG RACING’S INCREDIBLE ODDS MAN OUT.
It would be fair to say that not many who follow horse racing in Hong Kong would have heard of jockey Ben Thompson.
Though he might still be known as “Brent Thompson”, what’s quite remarkable is that his five winners in Hong Kong and around ten place getters have come in at Godzilla priced odds.
On Wednesday night at Happy Valley he brought home the bacon again aboard the galloper Ernest Feeling at odds of over 30-1.
If one has backed every one of Ben Thompson’s rides each way- and he hasn’t been offered many rides- they would very probably be waaaaaaaaay out in front and for a very small outlay.
This opportunity might, of course, have run its course because success breeds opportunities and BenThompson is becoming more and more in demand and soon, his rides will be going off well under the odds.
Everything has a Use By date.
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