‘We think that’s the best way of increasing racing’s fanbase’
Innovation is set to be at the forefront of the newly-announced global jockeys’ league concept, which will aim to increase racing’s share of the international sports audience and capitalise on the success of Netflix’s hugely popular Formula 1 series Drive To Survive and its equine equivalent Race For The Crown.
The as-yet-unnamed series is the brainchild of former Entain Australia chief financial officer Lachlan Fitt and John Ferguson, Sheikh Mohammed’s one-time right hand man who has employed his extensive network of industry contacts to help get the concept off the ground.
The two men came together with a shared vision to engage a younger demographic and hero the (human) stars of the sport. Australian jockeys James McDonald and Zac Purton are two members of the dynamic dozen chosen to compete for points – not to mention a prize pot mooted to be in the region of US $15 million (approximately AU $23.3 million) – across up to 10 race meetings per year, ideally run as night (or twilight) fixtures in different jurisdictions.
The proposal to recruit a new generation of fans – and by extension punters – to the sport of kings will be driven by innovation and a keen focus on new media, with jockeys expected to invite viewers into racing’s inner sanctum through their social media channels and to interact with members of the public and corporate sponsors in the build-up to each race meeting.
“We’ll look to develop a global media platform with content that will grow the profile of the 12 jockeys initially chosen, because we think that’s the best way of increasing racing’s fanbase,” Fitt told ANZ Bloodstock News from the United Kingdom, where he has been promoting the concept.
“Focusing on the human aspect of racing provides a way for new people to connect with the sport, because it breaks down some of the barriers and simplifies it. Hardened racing fans want to know about ratings and sectional times, but they mean nothing to people outside the bubble.
“But if you can sell the likes of Ryan Moore, William Buick and James McDonald through a very deliberate and targeted content strategy, hopefully we can replicate the success that Formula 1 has had through Drive To Survive. Most people who follow Formula 1 probably wouldn’t know how long the races are or any technical details like the size of the engine, but they now immediately recognise Max Verstappen and so they engage with the sport as a result.
“As an industry we need to innovate as much as possible, so we’ll be discussing the ways in which we can replicate the successful ways that other sports are now marketed and broadcast. It can’t be gimmicky and it can’t disrupt or turn off the core wagering customer, but there are definitely ways that we can present the sport in a different way to a new audience. For instance, some of the data could be presented in a much more innovative way, so that it’s easier to understand and adds another dimension to the format.
“There are obvious comparisons to other sports and the jockeys have all bought into the concept of growing their individual brands and, by extension, racing’s brand. It won’t be the case where jockeys fly in the morning of the meeting and fly out that night, they will be expected to take part in promoting the events in the local markets. Now it may not be realistic to get all 12 jockeys into the country three days before a race meeting, but it’s certainly our desire to get as many of them as possible to arrive early and take part in corporate golf days or charity events in the build-up to the event.”
That may prove problematic for the likes of Moore, an introvert who is much more comfortable in the saddle than he is engaging with the media or the wider racing public.
Of more pressing concern is a decision on the timing and location of the race meetings, with the jockeys’ conflicting schedules and existing contractual obligations likely to present a serious logistical headache for organisers.
According to Fitt, many of the finer details are still being worked through – the cat was seemingly let out of the bag a little sooner than had been anticipated – but the series is due for launch at some stage next year.
“We’ve had positive feedback so far because everyone realises the need for racing to do everything it can to revitalise its brand and grow a younger audience,” said Fitt, who resigned from Entain in mid-February after seven years in his senior role with the wagering organisation.
“John and I have been working away at this concept behind the scenes since the start of the year, there’s already been a fair bit of progress in that time but there’s obviously still a lot more to do before it officially gets off the ground. The foundation jockeys are in place, now we need to finalise where and when the race meetings will take place and having looked at the global calendar, realistically there are probably only ten to 15 dates available to run these events given the jockeys’ existing obligations.
“I’m a racing purist and John is a passionate racing man, so the last thing we want to do is to disrupt the natural flow of race programs across the world. Instead, we’ll look to complement the existing carnivals and feature race meetings, but we do think there’s a gap in the market and an appetite to offer something a bit different.”
Inevitably the announcement has already been met with a healthy degree of scepticism from some within the industry, with many arguing that the horses are the genuine stars of the turf and criticism also levelled at the all-male line-up of jockeys.
While broadly welcoming the concept, Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m)-winning jockey Michelle Payne expressed disappointment that the likes of Jamie Kah or her fellow Group 1 winner Hollie Doyle were not among the initial draft of riders, posting on X that “perhaps they should make it 15 [jockeys] and add our 3 [sic] best female riders”.
Others have pointed out that the league concept isn’t especially new to racing, with similar formats launched – to varied success – both in the United Kingdom and closer to home.
In Australia, The Racing League pits state-based teams the NSW Tycoons, the QLD Maroons and the VIC Husslers against one another in a concept loosely based on the State of Origin format, whereas the UK version features seven teams competing for £2 million in prize-money across six race meetings.
Both have struggled to gain significant traction, but Purton is adamant that the point of difference of profiling the competing jockeys as the rock stars of racing – allied to a short, sharp format of six races with 30-minute gaps between each – should ensure that this iteration has a broader appeal than some of its predecessors.
“The announcement probably came out a bit sooner than we would have liked, but I’ve already had some people getting in contact to say that they’re pretty excited about the proposal and want to come on board,” Purton told ANZ Bloodstock News from Hong Kong.
“We want to race outside the big days where there is clear air so it gives us the chance to properly promote the events. There are still a lot of moving parts in terms of the dates and venues which all need to fall into place, but everything starts with an idea and I think this is a very good one.
“You’ve got Formula 1 which has been a travelling roadshow for some time now and then more recently LIV Golf has burst onto the scene, which is doing a good job of growing the game of golf around the world with its new concept and format. We’re maybe not looking to disrupt racing in the same way that LIV has perhaps disrupted golf, but there’s no doubt we need to look at racing with a fresh set of eyes to see if we can help grow the sport.
“It can be quite a long day at the races, particularly for people new to the sport, so having six races on the card and only short gaps in between should keep the excitement levels going throughout. There’s probably also an opportunity to do a bit more between the races to engage with the connections and the fans, so that you bring the sport to life a little more and inject some more fun into the day.”
Purton and McDonald are set to be joined as ‘team principals’ by Moore, Frankie Dettori, Yukata Take, Joao Moreira, William Buick, Christophe Lemaire, Mickael Barzalona, Irad Ortiz Jnr, Flavien Prat and Vincent Ho.
A naturally competitive beast who has won the Hong Kong Jockeys’ Premiership on no fewer than seven occasions, Purton is relishing the opportunity to go up against his peers in an international battle royale.
“If you look at the list of jockeys announced, they are all at the very top of the game,” said Purton.
“There wouldn’t be too many Group 1 races across the world that at least one of us hasn’t won. Provided I get the go-ahead from the Hong Jong Jockey Club to compete, I think it would be very exciting for us as jockeys and for the fans to see us going head-to-head with one another.”