Well, don't say I didn't warn you...Jumps racing in Victoria is on its last legs. The drummed-up 'test' period, devised to ensure its survival (ho hum), is unravelling by the day. And now the news has broken that Racing Victoria is already talking of its extinction. The Age reports: Jumps racing is just 38 races and 10 weeks away from extinction in Victoria if the trend of falls and fatalities continues. Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Hines confirmed yesterday that the set key-performance
Well, don't say I didn't warn you...Jumps racing in Victoria is on its last legs. The drummed-up 'test' period, devised to ensure its survival (ho hum), is unravelling by the day. And now the news has broken that Racing Victoria is already talking of its extinction. The Age reports: Jumps racing is just 38 races and 10 weeks away from extinction in Victoria if the trend of falls and fatalities continues. Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Hines confirmed yesterday that the set key-performance indicators concerning falls and fatalities were not being met and as these KPIs were not flexible, jumps racing's future was in serious doubt. ''We're about one-third of the way through the season and fatalities and falls are running at about the same rate as last year, so we're certainly looking for better figures as the season progresses,'' he said. ''It's got to improve, there's no doubt about that, but everyone involved is doing their best and with the bulk of the season remaining, we're still hopeful.'' With 24 races run of the 62 jumps races programmed for the season, jumps racing is well behind in the strict standard that RVL set to determine the sport's future beyond 2010.
My advice if you're in the jumps racing business in any way, shape or form? Get out now.