Michael Varney - In no rush it seems

I think give the guy some time first before we call the program useless..there are many guys in Phum and GC that love the game..as regards Vee Moodley one of the best however Larry, Nico and Clyde also have racing first..the youngsters I have said like Ali and Gareth are top quality and would do well anywhere else in the world.

Horse Racing is a complicated bet and to bring young people in will not be easy at all, if you compare it to sports bet, lotto, roulette etc if a youngsters who want to have a bet will always rather go for the easier bet and not the horse racing bet. It is a complicated science to work out which horse one wants to take a chance on and often the odds are much lower than say for instance lucky numbers in lotto or correct score in a soccer game.

Over the Air wrote: Don thank you for the response, this is clearly something close to your heart.

I have been a punter for a long time and I must admit to not understanding who you are talking about in terms of these forces that oppose themselves in racing. Is it Phumelela vs Gold Circle? Is it the Jockey Club vs others? Is it TBA vs CTS? I am not being difficult, I truly do not know who you are talking about. Imagine a new entrant to the sport reading the post, it is not far off the pages of a Dick Francis Novel!

As a regular, small player in this game I have had my say. Again let me make it clear that my thoughts are not an attack on Michael Varney as an individual. I have had a look at the MEISTERPLAN on your website and to be quite honest with you have to ask myself how this will attract and keep new players into the game.

OTA, Mr. G and Don

Please supply the link where the MEISTERPLAN can be accessed.

I prepare Business Plans professionally, and successfully !

I have read and reviewed MANY Business Plans, that are "Pie in the Sky !"

Like "Empowering Communities with income generating Projects"

Nowhere do they spell out exactly WHAT will be done, by WHOM, and what the expected RESULTS WILL be within the specified Timeframe !

From reading the above Posts, this seems to be exactly what is happening.

If Varney does not "Eat, Sleep and Drink" horseracing, he will not be successfull.

If he does not even show enough initiative and dedication to do a little bit of homework to determine his family's involvement, then this Project is doomed !

After a couple of months, he will admit failure, or better still "Lack of success", or in Zuma style, "We do not have the capacity". He will then make a profound apology to NHA, not to the Public, and go his merry way, with his big fat Salary.

Why was the position not Advertisd. Why was Varney appointed.

Already too many questions, and the man has just started.


If you don't know where you're going, HTF will you get there !

I'm sorry but I believe that there has been very little input by the gambling /punter type.
There are so many areas that miss the point I think !
A)they are clearly not getting to a new market
B)people who play or watch other sport on Sat can still bet and are still potential punters - but won't be going to the course!
C) I was a lot more popular with my family when I started racing from home, rather than going to the course or racing pubs
lt is tote punting that funds racing -NOTHING ELSE-so one thing counts!!more punters punting ON THE TOTE including winning back the open bet.......the 2 things they continue to fail to achieve-that is the truth no matter how much they deny it!
The solution lies in researching the customer(existing and potential) and give them what they want......its what other industries do!
Forget the spin......its all about the finances!

oscar wrote: I think give the guy some time first before we call the program useless..there are many guys in Phum and GC that love the game..as regards Vee Moodley one of the best however Larry, Nico and Clyde also have racing first..the youngsters I have said like Ali and Gareth are top quality and would do well anywhere else in the world.

Horse Racing is a complicated bet and to bring young people in will not be easy at all, if you compare it to sports bet, lotto, roulette etc if a youngsters who want to have a bet will always rather go for the easier bet and not the horse racing bet. It is a complicated science to work out which horse one wants to take a chance on and often the odds are much lower than say for instance lucky numbers in lotto or correct score in a soccer game.

Oscar do you really believe that these people you mention are the best possible people that we have to take racing forward?i beg to differ if you say yes as there are others outside phum and gold circle who could do a much better job...plus have racing first is another contentious issue I have with some of those individuals

Yes Rob,

The more I read these Posts, the more this thing stinks. (I wonder what the budget for this Project is).

The next thing we will have, is Michael Varney saying, "I did not ask for this Job !"

Michael Varney is already making so many excuses, I really do not see any chance of sustainable success, let alone short-term success !

He seems a good guy and we dont know his budget

But Leseding, if you do business plans, you'd know that any company's business plan is not a public statement - where would you expect to find the brand's business plan - on the net, in the newspaper? And also, that companies reserve the right to appoint staff after an internal recruitment search/offer?. Why are you berating the man for his 'lack of deep involvement in racing related to his family?' Most of us have an uncle that has a share in a horse, or not! And herein lies the problem - that is how we got to know racing, due to having a friend/family member dragging us there. The point is to target those who have 'no involvement and no family link' surely, from a wider base of awareness and access points?

Leseding wrote:

Over the Air wrote: Don thank you for the response, this is clearly something close to your heart.

I have been a punter for a long time and I must admit to not understanding who you are talking about in terms of these forces that oppose themselves in racing. Is it Phumelela vs Gold Circle? Is it the Jockey Club vs others? Is it TBA vs CTS? I am not being difficult, I truly do not know who you are talking about. Imagine a new entrant to the sport reading the post, it is not far off the pages of a Dick Francis Novel!

As a regular, small player in this game I have had my say. Again let me make it clear that my thoughts are not an attack on Michael Varney as an individual. I have had a look at the MEISTERPLAN on your website and to be quite honest with you have to ask myself how this will attract and keep new players into the game.

OTA, Mr. G and Don

Please supply the link where the MEISTERPLAN can be accessed.

I prepare Business Plans professionally, and successfully !

I have read and reviewed MANY Business Plans, that are "Pie in the Sky !"

Like "Empowering Communities with income generating Projects"

Nowhere do they spell out exactly WHAT will be done, by WHOM, and what the expected RESULTS WILL be within the specified Timeframe !

From reading the above Posts, this seems to be exactly what is happening.

If Varney does not "Eat, Sleep and Drink" horseracing, he will not be successfull.

If he does not even show enough initiative and dedication to do a little bit of homework to determine his family's involvement, then this Project is doomed !

After a couple of months, he will admit failure, or better still "Lack of success", or in Zuma style, "We do not have the capacity". He will then make a profound apology to NHA, not to the Public, and go his merry way, with his big fat Salary.

Why was the position not Advertisd. Why was Varney appointed.

Already too many questions, and the man has just started.


If you don't know where you're going, HTF will you get there !

Chris - are you on the inside of the circle or on the outside? If you are on the inside, that is a problem and needs attention. If you are on the outside, yes the acid test is now to see through which media you are going to pick up the message this summer. Are you using social media and which platforms?

Don wrote: Chris - are you on the inside of the circle or on the outside? If you are on the inside, that is a problem and needs attention. If you are on the outside, yes the acid test is now to see through which media you are going to pick up the message this summer. Are you using social media and which platforms?

What do you mean when you say on the inside of the circle,you make it sound so suspicious.

Don wrote: Chris - are you on the inside of the circle or on the outside? If you are on the inside, that is a problem and needs attention. If you are on the outside, yes the acid test is now to see through which media you are going to pick up the message this summer. Are you using social media and which platforms?

Don wrote : But Leseding, if you do business plans, you'd know that any company's business plan is not a public statement - where would you expect to find the brand's business plan - on the net, in the newspaper?

Of course the Company's Business Plan is not a public statement, BUT to prepare a prepare a successful Business Plan, the Company should have advertised and requested Public input from ALL those involved, e.g. Punters, Trainers, Owners, Phumelela etc etc

There are many options to determine what is required. (It seems as if this was not done).

Don wrote : And also, that companies reserve the right to appoint staff after an internal recruitment search/offer?.

Naturally, it is the Company's perogative to select and appoint their own person. But if within a short period of time, questions are raised and asked about the selection and appointment of this person, then the selection and appointment process would seem to be flawed !


Don wrote : Why are you berating the man for his 'lack of deep involvement in racing related to his family?' Most of us have an uncle that has a share in a horse, or not! And herein lies the problem - that is how we got to know racing, due to having a friend/family member dragging us there.

I am not berating the man for "lack of deep involvement in racing related to his family?" What I did say was that IF Michael Varney does not even make this little effort and involvement in this Project to do his homework, and get his facts right, THEN how can it be expected of us to believe and depend on his future actions.

Don wrote :The point is to target those who have 'no involvement and no family link' surely, from a wider base of awareness and access points?

All I am saying is that if Michael Varney does not "Eat, Sleep and Drink" Horseracing in all its facets, and get intimately involved with ALL the role Payers AND Stakeholders, (At least for the period of his appointment), then there is little chance of success !

He cannot just be involved with the "Inner Circle", or not want to confuse the Punter with "Too much Information" !

Don.having raced for 40 years and once was an "on course at every meeting" player.
During that period I have seen a lot and When John Alexander was the Chairman at Turf I raced as his guest in the stewards room quite a few times and many times ,into the night ,the discussion turned to "increasing the turnover and people on course"
At that time we all agreed that the fashion shows ,cars,drum majorettes,skydivers etc had no long term benefit at all because it wasn't how many ,but what they spent, on going, that mattered.
I was neutral on the "its a rush" initiative hoping that they had addressed, and maybe solved, the conversion of "crowd to punter" issue.
That was dashed when Varney was asked by Jimbo Goodman about the involvement of the punting assistance given to the guests on Charity Day..................the answer "very little, we didn't want to confuse them".................That said it all for me!
Just more waste of money chasing a goal that is pointless,even if they achieve it!

(Take the point that business plans may not be public,but heads should roll when they fail!!!!!)

Rob, as you know we are trying with the Ambassadors Programme as well and found that a sensible increase in information reaps success in terms of understanding handicapping and being able to apply it. That learning process is quite long for a beginner. Hence the betting buddies only dealing with basic knowledge, racecard stats and win/place bets on the first encounter. This is what Mike Varney meant by 'very little, not to confuse them'.

We all agree on the 'pomp and frills' not equating to conversion - however, racing is trying to raise the bar on the race-day experience at the same time as converting visitors but without forcing it down their throats. At the very least it must be equal to going to eg. a wine farm as an outing (for those who are not a punter, or who will never be a punter). The service must be good, the food must have value, all of those points must have been attended to and bettered.