Let’s settle it out on the track!

Fully appreciate that your not attacking and welcome the questions. Clairwood is just not something I count myself as being well informed enough about to offer any credible alternatives.

Your points on Australia are very good, let's try and equate it on a different scale other than GDP ... say foals born per year into the horse population? On this scale we are 7 times smaller than Australia, the result still points to a much larger opportunity than the reality we are currently experiencing. Sure we have structural issues and regulatory contraints and and and... that we need to overcome but I for one am of the opinion that horse racing can have a very bright future despite all of theseand would welcome the challenge, more importantly invest in it.

Ring fencing the assets serves two purposes, one it protects them from an asset stripping exercise.... Sensitive case in the history of horse racing but more importantly focuses the owners of these assets to better utilise these in persuit of a more sustainable business model.

Thanks for your questions.

Its on record somewhere on this forum but my view on the sale of any race course is; if they are not paid an amount that would enable them to rebuild a new racetrack and faclities at a new location, then the price is wrong!

I hope that you succeed in competing with the status quo. The "punting stakeholder" can only be better off playing in a competitive space.

I recently reviewed such a new racetrack proposal, R2.6 billion development.... Sure it's not quite apples with apples but your point is a very fair one.

Thanks

Shew lucky for them they do not play in the Financial Services Industry. Regulation would require them to hold assets at a certain ratio to its liabilities. Perhaps this is the answer. They are holding on to large chunks of cash with diminishing assets to back this up. Who says that they will eventually not be able to payout all bets?

A bit far out there but worth the thought and perhaps regulators could enforce the ringfencing of assets in this way.

Chrle's don't know you however a couple comments..what exactly are you saying in your article..there's a lot of business book words however what actions are you proposing...also a comment...it is about the money mate..opinions are not bankable.

It looks like it is about the money Oscar - www.purplecapital.co.za

Oscar not sure exactly which aspects of the article are unclear? Happy to elaborate if you're a little more specific.

But at the heart of my article lie my opinions that:

Competition is an essential ingredient in enabling industry development and maintaining fair market practices/prices.
Membership structures cannot compete with commercial ones
The transfer of membership structures to commercial ones must be governed over to ensure fair value is retained by the members
An integrated (more products and services approach; not just horse racing) gaming strategy is better placed to compete for punters interest.
Money isn't a solution
Opinion needs a platform
Horse racings plans for the future must strive for inclusive broad based stakeholder participation and not exclusive market dominance
Hope. That helps?

As to the money, money will not turn the industry around, sure it's required but opinions that bring about new ideas that drive innovation and change are more important.

www.africanbettingclan.com/forum/phorum-...15/read.php?3,277172
hybrid AUS - JPN models for SAF solution? foster a culture of inclusivism.

Don, thanks for that post link, I had not seen it.

Valuable insights from a model that has clearly achieved what it set out to, but accepts that it has to constantly consider change in preparing for the future. If you contrast this thinking/approach to where we are today its night and day. Where do we rank against what Japan saw as their fundamental strategic pillars to drive change:

Trust ? out of 10 people that you ask how many will say they trust SA racing, give it a try?
Service? out of 10 people that you ask how many will say they the SA racing experience is above or below expectations
Identified target market strategy? Who is the industry targeting? Who are our customers? Prioritize them and then show me the plans and strategies, adverts or other that are currently speaking to those audiences.

I've done the exercise, none of my friends trust horse racing, all of them are under whelmed by the experience (except for the big days and even they note it could be a whole lot better) and finally I cant work out who we are trying to target, I know who I would be going after but I just don't see any evidence that the operators do in the marketing being adopted by the sport.

As to your point on inclusivism, I fundamentally believe its the piece that is missing in the current model and its what I would change tomorrow.

yep, a clear case of strategic drift wouldn't you agree? where the offer is somewhat or completely out of touch with the customer. Fifteen years ago we thought it couldn't get any worse. But is has, and like the Saffa's say whilst shaking head: 'EISH, man'. Accountability is a buzz word that comes to mind. Just exactly who (meaning which control body) is responsible for not taking the lead? Is it Phum?, TBA, NHRA or RA? or is it a collective lemming culture? Who are the leaders in each of those bodies that have brought it to the state it is in today? And why is there still no national strategy evident or is everyone that can possibly make that change happen still pointing fingers at each other and citing 'cannot afford'?

So many good suggestions have been proposed from outside individuals - what is so hard about having an industry round table discussion and pledging support for a collective strategy. Cannot afford NOT TO!!

Here's a conspiracy theorist view Don.... Perhaps it serves "their" interest to keep it so!!!

that or they're all suffering from the good ol' South African Crab Mentality.