what's happening to racing?

Here is an extract from the Atr site that confirms what many of my friends and fellow punters have been saying over the last few months 
 The Racecourse Association have appealed to the Horsemen's Group to reconsider their tariff system after analysis of the first five months of the Flat season revealed a significant downgrading of races in comparison with last year.

Although there has been an overall increase of 3% in programmed races, over 100 have been subject to downgrading in class.

The RCA believe a major contributor to this decline is the prize-money tariffs published by the Horsemen's Group at the start of the year, with racecourses downgrading races in order to meet expected prize money levels.

Stephen Atkin, CEO of the RCA, said: "Although racecourses have significantly increased their own contribution to prize-money, the overall level will be lower than last year because of the £18 million (35%) cut in the Levy Board's support of prize money.

"One of the problems arising from the publication of the tariffs by the Horsemen's Group was that they have, inadvertently, led to a downgrading of the race programme as racecourses sought to meet as many of the tariffs as they could.

"At the outset we expressed our fears that the balance of the race programme would be damaged and these fears appear to have been borne out for races below Class One.

The fears have been that form is no longer the factor it has been and that racing is more of a lottery than it ever was. Trainers are using the new fixtures in an entirely different way to the past  - allowing horses to run more for the experience than the pitiful prize money - gambles are the thing as many animals can enter races now without the actual prize money being the factor. This is a horrible state of affairs - it does appeal to "Machine" age gambler in the betting shop but if that's what the sport is all about then Gawd help us--- look at the stats and you will see the lack of consistency that is creeping in. The punter who studies form/trainers is now at a bigger and bigger disadvantage as a whole new element (and am not including the ridiculous changing of the stall numbering for right handed tracks - regardless of the distance or heaven help us  races that dont have a bend to negotiate.)  

this is a grouse for sure and you can put it down to old men complaining of change but to my mind we are in the age little better than Dog racing - and you know how that is grinding to a halt

Bob