YOU CAN’T PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG AND CALL IT A THOROUGHBRED.

It was around 3am in Hong Kong and while radio channel surfing in bed, I landed on one of those rather ancient sounding racing and radio stations, this one in Perth where one of those tipping people was offering his expertise on how to win at the races in Doomben.

The problem was that the races in Doomben were held the day before.

What’s more or less, if anyone had followed the tips given out, they would be broke.

Speaking of which, who, by the way, has written and given a business plan on how to use the dead air time on online racing radio by giving those 6-8 hours to people from a completely different industry to at least try to give something to those asleep at the wheel of horse racing called a lifeline?

This brings one to the recent Four Corners special on Australia and its grim warning about the coterie of online bookmakers, the problems of addiction to gambling, those who prey on these weaknesses with all types of incentives, how those with a low tolerance to “the punt” have chased and chased and gone broke or worse, and how power corrupts and those who remain “untouchables” despite being tarred by the same old brush seemingly walk on water like Chauncey Gardener.

Despite all these ARF ARF whirlpool and whirlybird racing conferences for some to strut their stuff, this same story that’s has been on Repeat for decades, and aided and abetted by a subservient racing media ready to bend on command and led by the usual cast of players is proof positive how one is always judged by the company we keep.

Especially in the sporting arena in Australia, nothing is ever a secret, because of the big, big and bigger money involved, the various games of thrones being played in places like Rosehill, and how this is 2025 and when technology can break through all codes, chains, security and secrets.

It’s where power corrupts and is allowed to decay until it stinks.

When it comes to horse racing, whether this one or that one or the same one purchases another one of these “specialised” racing and sports radio stations with barely an audience, this does nothing to give a sunset industry new legs and a positive image despite all the terrific people in it who truly love the horse.

Instead of showing who and what’s good about the pastime, what’s always shown up because of a mainstream audience and media who dislike the horse racing culture is all pomp and ceremony and no circumstance.

Trumpeted by most racing clubs is the usual corporate narrative comprising the same old same old that’s now an older can of sardines and worms going in reverse when there is a need to come to the realisation that one has run out of time to put lipstick on a pig and call it a thoroughbred.

If it’s to keep on keeping on even if on bended knee and moving like James Brown on crutches, horse racing most definitely needs to see if it can somehow eat humble pie.

It must be willing to be reduced to playing a cameo role and allowed to enter a much bigger picture business setting propped up by more likeable and trustworthy names

Horse racing needs a complete overhaul with a very different mind shift before it’s swept aside by AI breakthroughs like Sora who will create their own versions of horse racing with complete mobility and for a new and younger audience who have never set foot on a racetrack.

IT.WILL.HAPPEN.

The current horse racing model that’s been around for decades might be able to play for time by trying to fit square pegs into round holes, and call this “entertainment”, but it isn’t, and we know it, or don’t want to know about it.

It’s jive and those of us who have been in the advertising, media and music industries knows it despite all those horse racing conferences held around the world that are usually a merry go round into the closest mulberry bush with the usual players.

And?

Horse racing needs its own little business slot with a very clear USP and make this belong to something else that’s bigger and likeable and doesn’t come with a warning sign like “Gamble Responsibly”.

Having said this, how many popular businesses would consider having horse racing close to its own successful business models?

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