GALLOPERS NEWS

3.11.11 Will Tabcorp Move to Improve Cup Turnover?
 

Dunaden noses out red Cadeaux in the 2011 Cup


.....  Heavily reported in the media since the running of the Melbourne Cup was the fact that Tabcorp reported a significant downturn in turnover in 2011 in comparison to 2010. The reason given by Tabcorp for the 14% fall in the Cup alone was "reduced activity by high turnover premium account holders". Now, for those who don't know, Tabcorp provide special facilities to these "premium account holders" such as a direct line to their personal customer service operator, special rooms at race courses for them to bet in private & comfort, & the Tabcorp also offer large rebates on high turnover to these high profile customers, rebates of up to 5%.

Now we can all be quite astounded that some TAB customers are given preferential treatment like some of these premium account holders are given, nevertheless, they certainly voted with their wallets on Tuesday, if that is the real reason for the fall in turnover on the day.

Gallopers think it goes even deeper than that. We believe the main reason for downfall in turnover was because of the plethora of overseas horses running in the Cup, with only very few local horses that punters actually knew. What difference does that make you might ask?

The once a year punter will always have their $5 or $10 on something, anything, just to be a part of the day. The mug punters will always have their $50 or $100 on the horse they are convinced is going to win. However the serious punter, like these premium account holders who bet in thousands of dollars, stayed out of the race because there were far too many unknowns about most of the overseas horses.

In 2010 plenty of serious punters money went on So You Think, dual Cox Plate champion & up & comer Maluckyday. Punters knew them well because both horses had raced consistently in Australia over the previous few months & years. And the serious punters were quite happy to gamble on the fact they had the class & credentials to win the Cup. Alas, Americain spoiled that party in 2010.

Look at 2011 Cup with 6 overseas horses that had never raced in Australia before. The best performed overseas horse in this years Cup was undoubtedly Jukebox Jury. he had beaten, and beaten easily, almost every competitor on the day including Americain, Dunaden, Modun & Drunken Sailor. If he was right, he should have won & won comfortably.. He apparently injured himself in the run & finished well back. Red Cadeaux, who Jukebox Jury had beaten out of sight in the UK this year, came from nowhere to run a mighty second in the Melbourne Cup.

Then there was Dunaden who took a similar path to Americain the year before, still a slight uncertainty there.

Punters want certainty when they place a bet, especially in a race like the Melbourne Cup. They want to know at the vey worst they will get a good run for their money. With the overseas horses, and it happens year after year, especially with those that have not raced in Australia previously, they can fail dismally, or improve markedly. Serious punters see no certainty or reliability in that, so they stay away from the race in droves.

Gallopers did not have a straight or each way bet in the Cup this year. We took a quaddie, including 5 horses in The Cup & fortunately snagged the quaddie when Dunaden won the Cup by a nose. Our other 4 horses we took in that leg of the quaddie finished 8th or worse.

Tabcorp will not take this fall in turnover lying down, we can assure everyone of that. And let's make no mistake, Tabcorp virtually run racing in Australia. They even allocate time slots of every race at every meeting around the country to ensure minimal clashes & to ensure there is a race somewhere every 2-3 minutes. Tabcorp pay massive rebates to racing NSW & Racing Victoria to maintain this type of relationship so we expect Tabcorp to act swiftly to stop any further turnover falls for next year.

What will they do? They will put pressure on Racing Victoria to alter the entry qualificatons so horses like Bauer & Tanby & other horses that should have been in the field this year, horses that Australian punters knew well, will not be left out in future years. Tabcorp need Australian horses that race here week in & week out that rank & file punters know well & will feel comfortable betting on in The Cup.

Do not underestimate the pull Tabcorp have in the racing industry.

And for once, we hope they do become involved & put some pressure on RV to implement much needed changes to the Melbourne Cup qualification rules.

Gallopers 3.11.11