Hold All Tickets

Yes, it’s true. I’ve been out for a spell. In a decent paddock, being fattened up for the Spring carnival.

You’ll be happy to know that little has changed since my last scribbling. Pockets remain empty. Quaddies are elusive as ever. The Sportingbet boys are enjoying overseas holidays thanks to my inability to find the most basic of winners.

Anyway, enough of the hard luck tales. Too much exciting stuff happening in racing for bottom lips to be dropping.

They’re ripping up my beloved Eagle Farm any time soon. A world-class track is on the way. What a difference it will make. Short term pain for long-term yeehaa.

We’re finally going to get some decent prize money in Queensland. That sigh of relief you hear is from the hundreds of owners who pay the bills.

For an industry that talks in billions, it’s hard to believe that owners have been picking up what amounts to loose change for so long.

Change is in the air. So here’s something else for the power brokers to consider. Let’s call it a light bulb moment.

Regular (and long suffering) readers will know of my love of the Gold Coast Turf club. Fun central, every Saturday. But it could be so much better.

Pretend you’re at the bar. Ok, some of you probably are. Anyway, look out across the straight, past the winning post, and what do you see? The amazing skyline of Surfers Paradise.

Few other tracks have such a backdrop. A little piece of magic, each and every time a winner salutes.

Now, hold that thought, and imagine the same scene at night. A dazzling array of lights. Equal to any night racing venue around the world.

What a coup it would be, if the Gold Coast could race under lights. Punters joined by party-goers, on their way out to hit the tiles on the Glitter Strip.

The concept could be sold through Asia. Tourism bosses would be drooling. Reckon the Chinese wouldn’t love it? We could write the campaign in ten seconds on the back of a coaster and it would still be a winner.

Yep, there would be an initial outlay. Make the spend now, and then sit on the pile of gold that night racing on the Coast would attract.

Racing needs new ideas. Something for everyone. Tracks have to be proper entertainment precincts, not just a few tote windows and a keg of XXXX Gold.

The industry here in Queensland finally has the right people making decisions. They now need money to play with.

A new super track at Eagle Farm, and night racing on the Gold Coast. There’s a winning quinella. I can feel my luck changing already.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 23rd, 2014 at 9:03 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.