SHE IS THE QUEEN OF AUSTRALIAN RACING

(Source: Horse Racing)

It’s just so rare in the world of racing to have one superstar champion follow hot on the heels of another – the baton being passed on in the most seamless fashion from Black Caviar to Atlantic Jewel, in the space of a millisecond, literally.

Does Australian racing and the good racing folk of Melbourne really understand their good fortune like the HKJC would?

The Racing Gods have certainly been kind, and racing has yet another opportunity to milk everything it can from Australian racing’s latest, greatest superstar.

(Source: Stusshed)

Atlantic Jewel can potentially set the spring carnival alight over the next few months. But, given her recent history with tendon injuries and pointedly her ownership, Atlantic Jewel’s Australian racing career may not enjoy the longevity of Black Caviar.

We were spoilt rotten by Black Caviar and her connections. Australian racing should be eternally grateful to Peter Moody and her owners. They shared this remarkable, once in a lifetime champion with all of Australia – racing and non-racing folk alike. She travelled three States from her Melbourne home base and let NSW, Queensland and South Australia experience her magic. Moody’s achievements in managing her racing career and extending it for so long, given her fragility is one of the most remarkable achievements ever by an Australian racehorse trainer. It has forever secured his place in Australian turf history.

(Source: Owner Breeder)

Atlantic Jewel, like Black Caviar, is an out and out champion. As a middle distance champion racehorse, it is difficult to recall a better one in recent times. Her return to racing after about 15 months on the sidelines recovering from injury was breathtakingly awesome.

Last Saturday’s Memsie was arguably the strongest in recent memory. It was chockfull of Group One gallopers and black type racehorses of the highest calibre. And yet, having made the special trip from Sydney to bet at Caulfield to witness the last race on a fabulous race program, it was a trip that was more than worthwhile.

Mark Kavanagh turned her out perfectly for her return to racing in a Group One, and our favorite Sunshine Jockey and great bloke and jock Michael Rodd turned in the ride of the day and Atlantic Jewel did her bit, when he let her down in the straight. And a VERY generous $2.30 for a win.

(Source: Punters Paradise – Facebook)

Yes, it was Black Caviar like – the devastating turn of foot carefully disguised as cruise control, the lengthening margin – all tell tale signs of something really special.

Post race, the bookmakers made a beeline to their stands and computers to dramatically shorten Atlantic Jewel’s odds and install her as the firm favourite for the Cox Plate, displacing Puissance De Lune.

Beyond the Cox Plate, and given her tendon problems, it is highly unlikely Australian racegoers will see much more of Atlantic Jewel.

She is majority owned by the Coolmore powerhouse breeding conglomerate and its long odds on that Atlantic Jewel will either go directly to the breeding barn in Ireland or have a final European campaign under Aidan O’Brien before a date with one of the Coolmore stallion roster.

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SUSTAINABILITY – THE BENCHMARK FOR AUSTRALIAN RACING

(Source: X Talks Academy)

It’s been a key word that has been part of the business world DNA for some time now. It is now front and centre of business cases and strategies in the commercial world and is what every understands it needs to do if it is to be successful. And survive.

And yet racing, as it is so prone to do, is yet to overtly embrace Sustainability. In Australia at least. Racing is again playing “catch up”. Yet, Hong Kong gets it. Chief Executive Winfried Englebrecht-Bresges, understands both the subtle difference and relationship between an industry being Viable and Sustainable.

(Source: HKJC)

We often wonder, reading and hearing the pathetically empty slogans and “spin” spouting out from Australian racing administrators, whether they have the basic intellect to understand these basic business concepts.

(Source: Some E-Cards)

It is why, Australian racing is in free fall – riddled with debt, polarized and marginalized by self-interest and State rivalries and petty jealousies.

(Source: News.com.au)

The challenge towards Sustainability is one that has even daunted some of the most successful business and commercial entrepreneurs who have not only dipped their collective toes in the water by investing hundreds of millions of dollars in racing; but also rolled the dice and secured seats on the Boards of some of the most prominent and influential Race Clubs and Governing Bodies in Australia.

Disillusioned and soured by their all too brief experiences, these men and women who have the capabilities, expertise and successful track records to make a REAL difference to racing have taken their bats and balls and left the arenas, never to return.

(Source: African Movies And Music Store)

To implement the much needed changes that Australian racing needs to make it Sustainable is almost an Everest like challenge.

Imagine trying to implement a more efficient use of resources, close many of the superfluous racecourses in the “ghost towns” that litter the Australian countryside?

(Source: RRR)

Imagine telling many of starry eyed dreamers, who hold racehorse trainers licences that they don’t have a hope in hell of putting food on their family tables from their racehorse training businesses?

The Australian racing business model is so fundamentally flawed , it must almost sink to lower and possibly irretrievable depths before the administrators, politicians, and participants succumb to the harsh prescriptions that racing needs to self administer to survive.

(Source: Wikia)

The Viability of Australian racing is not in question. A high school year 12 business studies project team could put together a business case for attaining viability. But the blueprint to make Australian racing Sustainable in the 21st century and beyond, involves making hard and tough decisions, which can only be made by brave and courageous men and women. And there’s few if any, left in Australian racing where incompetent nincompoops continue to be rewarded.

Call it The Peter Principle- The Peter V’landys Principle.

(Source: Blog Of Bad)

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SOUMILLON’S BACK AND FORGIVEN

(Source: Turf Fr)

Interesting news filtering through from France on Christophe Soumillon’s return to the fold as the Aga Khan’s main retained rider for the 2014 flat racing season.

Soumillon who had a celebrated out with the Aga Khan several years ago will replace fellow Frenchman Christophe Lemaire who will still continue to ride some of the Aga’s horses.

(Source: The Age)

The riding gig for the Aga Khan is regarded as one of the “plum” jobs in world racing, given the strength and size of the racing and breeding operation.

The Soumillon/Aga Khan partnership was one of the formidable and successful racing teams in Europe and if Soumillon can keep his infamous temper and mood swings under control, then there is little standing in the way of a return to the glory days.

(Source: De Haven Designs)

MORE RATIONALISATION IN CORPORATE BOOKMAKERS BUSINESSES

(Source: Deviant Art)

The Australian Corporate Bookmaking market is undergoing further radical rationalisation with the latest announcement by William Hill that the Centrebet and Sportingbet brands, which they own will be dumped in favour of the single William Hill on-line brand.

(Source: Poker Update)

Their most recent acquisition – the Tom Warehouse corporate bookmaking business- will retain its separate identity until 2015, under the terms of the acquisition after which it will more likely be merged into the William Hill brand.

(Source: SMH)

With Ladbrokes keen to increase their profile in Australia and Paddy Power now firmly entrenched since taking over the Sportsbet business, the wagering landscape has changed – forever.

The changing face of wagering is all about the massive growth in the on-line option as the preferred choice. It is where the corporate bookmakers have based their product offerings on, almost exclusively. It also gives them a competitive advantage over the totalisator operators, despite the latter playing catch up and making belated inroads into the brave new world of wagering choice.

The noises from the corporate bookmakers heavies which are getting louder leads to an almost overwhelming conclusion that Tabcorp and Tatts are getting increasingly vulnerable as the predators circle.

(Source: Calvin Ayre)

Since the demerger of Tabcorp, there is little doubt that a takeover of Tabcorp wagering is now a very real possibility. And the bottom line is that such an outcome would have far reaching and almost “life changing” implications for Australian racing.

(Source: Ebreggae)