Monday 10 November 2014

ARE YOU DOING YOUR BIT FOR RACING?

For 10 long years a small team has sacrificed much to keep Formgrids going for the benefit of the South African racing sport/ industry, its driven by myself the founder and funder of Formgrids, we have kept it going without charging the user and without much help from within the industry.
Formgrids is extensively used by many different sectors of role players, Professionals which include Jockeys, Trainers, Owners, Breeders, and Punters for various reasons, this cannot be disputed, why then is there no back up, support or development aid coming from within the industry.

The industry role players are more than well paid and have an obligation to the rest of the industry and to racing itself, which is to build and develop the industry, there is instruction and provision allocated in certain structures for the development of racing, That Formgrids qualifies for assistance cannot be disputed, although unbelievably this is disputed by role players who have failed to help in anyway a work in progress that so well promotes and showcases South African horseracing.

Formgrids does more promoting of racing around the globe than thousands of overpaid executives could ever do, it is and has for many years been achieving objectives important to the South African horseracing industry so why don’t we get support. A quick glance at the Formgrids stats from Google can show even the most stubborn antagonist just how important this tool has become to the sport/industry since its conception in South Africa about 10 years ago. If the stats do not convince you of Formgrids importance to the game then a quick glance at the names and comments on the testimonial page will slam the point home.

Why do racings trustees refuse to help Formgrids, the funds don’t come out of their own pockets, its funds belonging to the racing industry generated from some of the very people that use Formgrids daily, this money should be used to assist projects like Formgrids which has proved itself beyond question, is it because I formed the South African Racegoers Association many years ago and publicly criticised the Jockey Club regarding slack control of the industry, or is it because of the conjecture and speculation and misunderstanding of how I managed to pull off so many betting coups which upset certain people, or is it because I was the spokesperson on track at Gosforth Park when punters invaded the track and stopped racing after the Flaming Gun incident that embarrassed the industry, I ask this because clearly this lack of assisting a real racing tool is aimed at me personally and not at Formgrids, because you cannot dispute the good Formgrids does for the industry.

The industry has many theme race-days and a fortune is spent on the marketing and promotion of such events, "if we get ONE new racegoer/owner it is all worth it" is what is said almost desperately by the organizers of these events, and they are applauded, bravo, someone is doing something to help rebuild the flagging industry. the term "The game needs young blood" is on every ones lips, much money and effort is rightfully spent on finding and keeping new owners/racegoers, both are important and play a part in keeping the game alive, the two go hand in hand, so why overlook a proper racing tool which caters for your direct market. It makes no sense.

A while ago the Racing Association offered to buy Formgrids outright for a tidy sum of money, the offer was refused, the offer alone is an admittance of the recognition of Formgrids worth to the industry, yet still we get no assistance or even pointed in the right direction where help can be gained, is this attitude good for racing, surely if you recognize its worth to the game but you cant own it you should still assist it for the good of the game, this does not make much sense especially when the mission statement of the RA is:

"To protect and support the interests of the sport of horseracing in general and, in particular, the interests of the owners by working through the racing association board of directors and management to ensure that every aspect of the racing industry realizes its greatest potential".
 
The welfare and well being of racing falls on EVERYBODY, all participants, yes, that means YOU, even if all the cream goes to shareholders pockets via the corporate Phumelela, we all know how they have benefited by selling off racing's irreplaceable assets, we accept there will always be takeout merchants in any industry, but racing has to be kept alive and healthy for the sake of future generations and for the hundreds of thousands of everyday South Africans that earn a living out of the sport. It doesn't suit racing to be fed just enough to be keep it alive in order for it to be bled for shareholders profits, racing MUST be nursed back to health, it is the responsibility of every one that has a love for the game to pitch in and help the sport until one day when maybe a new structure can be put in place where Phumelela will become just a gaming company and a new company is formed to market and develop racing.

Formgrids was always meant to be a free service for all users, the thought process being if you give the player the best possible racing information to asses a race he will spent his gambling rand on horseracing rather than on other forms of gaming, more turnover means more takeout which funds the industry and the stakes pot, we have turned down many good offers from bookmakers who have wanted and still want to advertise on our site, we have supported the tote and therefore the stakes pot, we do this to our own detriment, we will continue to keep some aspects of Formgrids free but may have to charge if no help is forthcoming from the industry.

We thank Gold Circle for its contribution to helping towards covering some of the running costs also TBA, CTSand all our other advertisers who have supported Formgrids.

No one is saying that Formgrids can cure all the ills of racing but neither can one can deny its positive role in uplifting the sport/industry.

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