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There was no joy for supporters of jumps racing after Racing Victoria handed down its decision to ban the sport as of the end of next year. It will be bitter pill to swallow for those that depend so heavily on the sport for much of their livelihood. Many would have been caught off guard not expecting the deal that has been handed out to them. The entire jumping issue has been badly handled from the outset. Nobody was prepared to accept the advice of experienced people that were the major players in the industry - those that train the horses and ride them. They are the people who should have been listened to instead of being ignored. Right from the outset the jumps were completely wrong and there has never been a concerted effort to rectify all the problems that have occurred since they were built. The decision to ban jumping will have catastrophic effect on racing and business throughout the whole of the western district. Warrnambool will be hit the hardest. The legendary three day carnival will most likely will be reduced to one day the same as Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat. They cannot sustain two day carnivals and Warrnambool will be no different. The only thing that has held the Warrnambool carnival together is the anticipation of the final day of the Grand Annual plus the other exciting jumping races. There will a huge reduction in prizemoney which is the life blood of racing, a fact that has possibly never been considered. Racing Victoria is throwing the club a lifeline to the tune of $1 million to assist Warrnambool. That is a bit like sending out a tin canoe to rescue the Titanic. Lets hope that Racing Victoria has no input into the marketing except for the promised cash. Their expertise falls well short of attracting patrons to the races particularly after the Caulfield Cup Carnival fiasco when a goon was paid to go about kissing people.
© 2010 Published 29/11/09
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