What's next? I would assume a fight about what to charge. We'll see at that time what the powers in Jersey hope to accomplish. If the rake is changed it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know it will fail , but if they get a good deal from Betfair for a share of the gross profits instead (and a nice hunk of remarketing thrown in), it has a chance to help change the Jersey landscape, in a state that badly needs an influx of new customers, or eyeballs on their product.
The yearly Prix D'Amerique in France is always an absolute joy to watch. The stands are packed and the racing - which looks more like a stacked-turn NASCAR race than a horse race - is top-notch.
Deep fields with 15 or more runners has been tried at times here, but only as a novelty. Clearly the way we do things, and our fan base which does not take to change very well, is not conducive to this type of racing. However, there is no denying that it is interesting, and does offer up some amazing betting opportunities to punters. Could you imagine a quadrafecta at 20 cents in this field? You might be able (if we had pool size of course) to make a life changing score.
I watched a little bit of the betting on Betfair, and despite not being offered in France there was a little bit of action. This race, and races like this can be a huge promotional vehicle for exchange wagering, especially in-running. Once again, critical mass is needed, but Rome was not built in a day.
Over here 9 horse fields at a mile are catch-me-if-you-can affairs most times as this is a speed game. There is no denying that for sure, but there is a compelling argument about changing things up from time to time. I can't watch a race like today's below and think otherwise. Very, very cool.
