I am writing this watching the sun come up over the most beautiful city in the world and thinking how lucky I am to be here and not stuck in my house in the UK because the council can’t afford to clear the snow on the roads. The UK comes to a grinding halt at the first flutter of white stuff and as ever are totally unprepared for the winter.
Being in a recession has made it a whole lot worse as the local councils haven’t got the cash to pay to get the snow and ice moved off the roads so nobody goes anywhere. Businesses lose a fortune and those that are just about surviving the recession might find its the last straw. Not good times in the UK.The good times are here in Cape Town.
I returned just in time to go to the L’Ormarins Queens plate day where I had the best days racing and most fun I have ever had on a racecourse. This is now truly on the social calendar as a must attend event. It is classy, sophisticated, glamorous and fun. A great mix and works brilliantly in racing.
We had guests from the UK who had never been before and they were so impressed. The Somerset room put on really good food and my guests were amazed how reasonably priced the food and wine was. Just a small whinge, would someone please authorize some cash to be spent on the chairs, either chuck them out or re- cover them. Otherwise nothing but praise from everyone I came across.
Variety Club of course was the star of the racing and I was thrilled for Pippa Mickleburgh from Avontuur, who I saw later bopping in the style lounge. Var I predict will be the stallion of the sales as buyers look for the next Variety Club. I am sure the sales will be a success as you breed a great racehorse here.
The South African horses have been a huge success story in Dubai , thanks in the main to Mike de Kock, and there is great value here. We all live in hope that the export protocols will be permanently lifted in the future and then the prices will soar.
In the meantime the home market is strong for good horses and there is money and fun to be had here on home soil. We all buy and live in hope in the racing world and year after year I tell myself I am not buying any yearlings but like New Years resolutions my resolve goes out of the window when I am led astray.
This year I am investing in handcuffs, not because I have read Fifty shades of Grey like every other woman on the planet but because I need to shackle my bidding arm to the chair!
Of course I go to the races for the racing but as I am always saying in these articles that is not the only reason.if it was I would watch it on the box at home. I go for the atmosphere, to meet up with friends and to be entertained. L’Ormarins, Jonno Snaith and the rest of the team understand this and provide a great product. It’s well marketed, has a strong theme and even people who never go racing want to be there.
The Style lounge was a huge success. It worked so much better than the individual corporate party tents as it kept everyone in one area in the evening. When there are a number of party areas people flit about not quite knowing where they would rather be. It was great to see everyone together, jockeys, trainers, owners, social butterflies, Sprinboks, were all there.
The music had everyone dancing and even though it was busy it wasn’t a crush and if it got too much for the dancing feet at times there were thoughtful tables and chairs outside to flop onto. The music was great and even though I suspect the international DJ’s costs a fortune They were worth it as the music appealed to everyone.
My only blip on an otherwise perfect day was the destruction of my beautiful blue hat that got squashed by a very rude, aggressive, springbok rugby player with no manners!
If there is anyone out there who reads my ramblings on an annual basis and if there is anyone who can remember what I have written I apologise to them now because I know I am repeating myself but why are the powers that be not getting people to the track?
It is not good enough to keep dishing out the same excuses, TV, Internet betting, etc.etc. I tell you what shocked me to the core was a young thirty year old in the public relations industry telling me that her friends and work colleagues had no idea that there was racing on in their home city other than Queens plate and Met day! That is absolutely shocking and should get the marketing department alarm bells ringing.
I have had many hairdressers, beauticians, shop assistants etc. ask me my plans for the weekend and when told I am going racing they have always asked me, where? Something has got to be seriously done.
I have tried to be positive in the past because I love the racing scene here and always do my promotion bit for it, like we all should be doing, but even I am getting a little despondent. I had a colt running in a maiden last Saturday and as an owner if you have a runner in the UK you are treated at most tracks to a drink and a sandwich and a little extra attention.
Not so at Kenilworth, it’s the trainers who have to make the effort to entertain their clients. The racecourse does absolutely nothing. What is even more disappointing is the total lack of any atmosphere because the only people at the track are either in boxes or in the various rooms.
I have managed to encourage a few more English owners this last year and a few joined me on Saturday and thanks to Vaughan Marshall and Mike Bass who invited us to their boxes we had a lovely day but I suspect if it hadn’t been for that then my new converts to South African racing might have gone off the whole idea a little. They commented on the lack of people and wondered why there was not more going on.
Even on a grey, rainy day in England we manage to get spectators to fork out at least twenty quid to come to the course. They come to be entertained and for the extra buzz that they don’t get by sitting at home and watching in the comfort of their own lounges.
You have got to start selling this product you people that matter and make these decisions. I have absolutely no idea who are these people any more as not really sure what is going on in the Western Cape racing world, I should start paying more attention, but frankly I’m not that interested in the politics but as an owner and a stakeholder I am interested in not only keeping the racing alive but in seeing it grow and so I will keep on about it and hopefully people will start looking out of their boxes and do something.
On a much more positive note we have a great two weeks of social functions in the racing world. Now the marketing departments for the Cape Premier sales and for various individual studs are doing a great job. There are banners everywhere for the sales and I personally have received masses of social marketing from the sales companies. Its the way to go and after attending an amazing informative day of talks on just social media marketing at the innovative Summerhill I am absolutely convinced that anyone who doesn’t use the likes of Facebook and twitter to promote their products are going to get left in the starting stalls.
I have learnt being in a small way in the tourism industry that nearly 90% of my clients have checked out my product on the Internet before booking. I notice Maine Chance/ Highlands and John Freeman are making good use of it but not many others. Crazy really as its free advertising. Summerhill are without a doubt the best at marketing in this country and their blog is a must read. I can never understand why people don’t sit up and copy the ideas from successful people, none of its patented!
A few studs seem to have cut back on their marketing and entertainment this year. Personally I think that’s a mistake in a world recession and I have learnt in the business world that this is the time you can be noticed and get your product ahead of the rest. My clever marketing daughters at Microsoft tell me they are spending more than ever.
I do not know the reasons behind the loss of a few events but I will really miss the wonderful Klawervlei lunch. This is always a wonderful event and incredibly lavish occasion when Klawervlei absolutely spoil all their owners, patrons and potential owners. I understand from John Koster that sadly this event is not being held this year due to the moving of the Met itself.
John told me he has some real stand out yearlings amongst his draft , everyone is talking about the Seventh Rocks and John reckons he has two special Tripping fillies , not telling you all which ones as I might just be interested. The one I would love but know I won’t be able to afford is a Jet Master colt out of Nania. Last chance for Jet Masters!
I am looking forward though to attending the Maine Chance function at Steenberg and the Klawervlei dinner in Seapoint. We also have the lovely John Freeman’s post Met evening to look forward to and my shindig as always organized brilliantly by Lita who I have to thank in print as she must get fed up of trying to organize my party as she desperately tries to get me organized so its not the usual last minute rush.
I am entertaining the worlds racing press again and love the reaction of them all when they see the beautiful blue sea of Bantry Bay and the sun setting over the Twelve Apostles. I can think of nowhere else in the world I would rather be than in Capetown at this time of year. Lots of fun to be had racing, at the Sales and at parties. This is the place to be!
