Liam’s whipping up a storm – he’s trying to persuade you to read this

✅Less Fixtures & ✅Increase Prize Money

These should surely go hand in hand, by reducing the number of fixtures, the prize money can be split between the remaining fixtures instead. It’s also almost impossible to keep up with the racing on any given day as there is no break between the races across all the courses. We are also subject to multiple splits screens throughout the day because of the overlapping of races. This is not helpful or useful.

✅Drop ‘Whip’ , ‘Shalaylee’ , ‘Stick’ – Use ‘Persuader’

The whip has been in the headlines this week due to the change of some of the rules however surely we also need to rename it. There is no positive connotation to the word ‘whip’ and you often hear commentators and pundits using the words ‘stick’ and ‘shalaylee’ . Drop it and call it the persuader.

✅Ban & DQ after 1 OVERUSE of whip

So jockeys get a ban and the horse gets disqualified if they go 4 over the limit. So the limit is not 7/8 then, it’s 11/12. This rule is just ridiculous.

✅Jockeys to ride out for prize money

One of the new rules was the jockeys must not use the persuader (yes I’m already using the term) if they are not in contention for a top 4 position. This doesn’t make sense as you can often win prize money down to 5^th, 6^th, 7^th or even 8^th place sometimes. That should be the position that jockeys can continue to use the persuader to try and get to.

✅Bookmaker E/W places can’t exceed Prize money positions

In the same rule, bookmakers should be restricted to offering e/w places down to a maximum of the places that prize money can be won. Otherwise you’ll get situations where you have placed a bet with 6 places, the jockey is limited to using the persuader down to 4^th place thus meaning they are not trying as hard as they can to get a position that could result in a winning bet.

✅Remove Betting concessions (money back if beaten a head etc)

If your bet loses, it loses. Simple as that. The money and time saved on refunding these bets would mean the bookmakers can offer a better service in general and be able to take more bets and stop restricting people.

✅Trainers to inform public as soon as possible injury

We far too often see horses start drifting on the exchanges BEFORE a horse is declared a non-runner for a future feature race. This needs to be clamped down on. Desert Crown this week drifted for the WHOLE day BEFORE it was announced he was a doubt. He was then declared an official NR the day after that.

✅Jockeys to give post-race interviews including beaten horses

We need to hear more from jockeys after the race about how it went and how the race panned out for them. This should not just involve the winner but should at least include the placed horses AND the favourite (if not already included). It’s often clear that some jockeys have kicked on too soon/too late or just had a nightmare passage through a race, it would be nice to hear what the jockey thinks. Did he/she think they were unlucky or even admit to getting it wrong? It would be so nice to hear a jockey hold his/her hands up and admit they got their tactics wrong.

✅A/B Test ticket prices

We know that many fans are complaining about the ticket prices being too expensive, surely this therefore needs A/B testing. So one fixture could be £10 a ticket, another is the normal price. The course can then work out their returns from the attendance to determine where their price point is. If this is done, then it would demonstrate to fans that they have done research into their ticket prices.

✅Remove fractions from betting. 18/5? 85/40? 4.6 & 3.21 much easier

4.6 as a betting odd is much easier to understand than 18/5. For the average punter, what’s bigger 18/5 or 7/2. Without thinking about/calculating it, it’s not obvious. What’s bigger out of 4.5 or 4.6……exactly. We have to move on with the times!

✅Remove jockey/trainer blogs from betting companies

Surely this a conflict of interest. Trainers are already overstating their chances in races to satisfy their owners and make it sound like they have a chance so to not disappoint owners or suggest to the owners that they the trainer are doing a bad job. These blogs are exactly the same, they can influence punters into placing bets on horses that the bookmakers would like some more bets on to reduce their liability. These blogs for jockeys also offer the chance for manipulation. How many have said they have a great chance of winning and then happen to find trouble in running after being well supported?