Every Friday across Australia punters still visit newsagents to collect two trusted form guides – Best Bets and Winning Post. Both publications are key assets in the mix of media assets managed by VTRIMB.
See also: Managing Victoria’s thoroughbred racing media during Melbourne Cup Week
Although the Racing Victoria-owned titles are weekly, they both had special bonus Melbourne Cup Day editions published on Monday this week.
The chief executive of VTRIMB Peter Campbell told Mediaweek both weekly titles combined sell over 1m print copies a year.
Covering a minimum of six race meetings each weekend, Best Bets offers readers detailed form analysis, up-to-date track information and selections from leading racing experts.
For people who prefer to use the digital versions, both titles have a partnership with Racing.com. For punters who want more depth, Racing.com offers individual digital race books for all TAB-listed meetings across Australia. On Melbourne Cup Day alone there were 28 separate meetings, all with their own race book.
Winning Post meanwhile is also available to download digitally at a cost of $5 using the issuu software interface.
Downloading both titles digitally means punters can access them before the print copies land in newsagents.
The data entry alone on these publications must be massive. Campbell explained: “There’s a bunch of databases that feed into it, which are actually created on a national basis, through Racing Australia, and that gets tailored for what we then want to do with it.
“We have a vast number of form specialists and tipsters around Australia, who then go into our own bespoke system. It’s called FAIS – form analyst information system. They place their tips after an analysis of every single race around Australia. The race fields are generated out of Racing Australia, and all the information about the horse itself, prior results etc, and we then add to that with a tipping service. Every single horse in every single race has a form line. It is quite extraordinary and it really is a very data-driven business.
Racing.com’s Matt Hill (Alice Laidlaw/Racing Photos)
Broadcasting the races
“We’re blessed with some of the best race callers in Australia,” Campbell told Mediaweek.
“Calling Victorian racing we have Matt Hill, who is without question, one of the best race callers in the country.
Campbell noted he is exclusive to Racing.com with the exception of some work he does for Seven across some AFL, Olympics and Commonwealth Games. “Matt has wanted to have a go at doing that and we’re very supportive.
“There was a lovely piece that put together the other day after Matt called the Cox Plate. We married film of his call of the Cox Plate with the actual race. We did a split screen and you can actually watch Matt calling and see how excited he gets. He’s jumping around in the box as he calls the best weight for age race in the world and he did a magnificent job.”
Watch Matt Hill calling the Cox Plate here.
Racing station RSN
After some doubt about the ownership structure of RSN last year, a Melbourne racing radio station, VTRIMB emerged as the major shareholder for the licence last year. There was also interest in RSN from SENTrack owner Sports and Entertainment Network.
After securing the license, RSN appointed former SEN racing broadcast Andrew Bensley as program director.
The other shareholders in RSN are Harness Racing Victoria and Greyhound Racing Victoria with two other minor shareholders.
Campbell explained RSN has agreements that see the station also broadcasting racing from NSW, Queensland and South Australia.
As to the reasoning behind the acquisition, Campbell explained:
“Clearly we have a vested interest in making sure that racing is strong in Victoria and that is why we created the integrated media business.”
As to competition from SENTrack for the racing audience. Campbell said that the station doesn’t broadcast live race calls of thoroughbred racing.
“However, SENTrack is a really good supporter of Victorian thoroughbred racing in that they’re talking about racing. You could say it’s a competitor to RSN but equally, it’s also a promoter of racing in Victoria.
On-air talent at RSN includes Michael Felgate who is also working for 10 across Melbourne Cup Week
Competition from NSW
When asked about the competition from Racing NSW under the leadership of chief executive Peter V’Landys, Campbell said it was good for the industry.
“The more people who talk about racing, the better. There is competition about prize money, headlines and other things, but it is good that people are talking about it, and people are engaged with it. And that’s got to be a good thing for the sport and for the participants.”