To launch….
Into a “bugbear” moment….
About the ridiculous overspend on Racing Digital. Which was heralded as an upgrade on the present racing administration system, but that has seen costs spiral wildly out of control. “Out of control” and overspend are, apparently, a feature of these digital projects across all industries, but £5.9 million (so far) feels like a punch in the guts of the finances of our sport…
The BHA and Weatherbys have strongly refuted the comments of departing Chair Chris Batterham who has lost faith, rolled his eyes, and walked away…
My fervent hope that Racing Digital would ensure that the new ownership experience is seamless and simple appears dead in the water…
Attracting new owners to our sport is incredibly hard. And despite a succession of expensive promotional projects, the bottom line is that it is us, the trainers, who are the gateway to ownership, and who try so hard to make the experience pleasurable. And as seamless as possible on the required admin front…
The support systems in place are antiquated. Occasionally, young and enthusiastic folk at Weatherbys get charged with improving the “new owner” experience. They turn up on the yard, bringing hope that the “antiquated” is on the cusp of modernisation. And then they realise that the support from up the chain is minimal at best, and that there is almost nil desire to park this anywhere else but the “too tricky” file. And once the “young and enthusiastic” work this out, they head to greener pastures – sensibly…
There should be a simple online template for new owners to follow. The current system is far from simple, and can tax much wiser minds than me…
We are trying to bring people into this wonderful sport – and we do our best to keep the dull admin to a minimum, but it is not easy. And with those higher up the food chain shrugging their shoulders and leaving it to us, you can understand why there is deep resentment on the shop floor at the flawed and expensive Racing Digital gig….
Here’s hoping that somebody grasps this – but literally nil collective holding of breath on that…
Meanwhile, Lord “one day a week” Allen remains scarily quiet. The BHA mired in a suffocating stalemate. But high salaries will still be paid to those in High Towers…
All a bit of a muddle. We are used to that, down here on the shop floor…
I genuinely do not believe that there is any further down the hill for the flawed and fractured and vested to fall…
Meaning, I suppose, that the only way is up. He writes in a moment of unrealistic optimism…
There we go. I did not intend for this to be a “bugbear” blog – because they are dull, and on grey mornings like this, we need cheering up…
But the occasional reality check is no bad thing…
A wonderful sport that has taken me to places that I could never have imagined…
But a present leadership void that is in danger of muddying several waters. Maybe, Lord Allen is on the cusp of revelatory progress on many fronts…
Holding of much breath……????
Enough of that. Let’s squeeze a laugh in…
