Interesting comments coming through. I recently managed a club on a p/t basis - my second stint there after a stint there some years back. There is no comparing the industry now to back some 10 years ago sadly.
Majority of clubs are struggling for money within the industry, even some of the larger ones. You would be surprised how many clubs in fact. A club receives 10% of on-course turnover but there is not much incentive for a club to promote a day like today for example, so your on-course hold (TAB and bookmaker) would be lucky to exceed $8000. Add to this a gate of about $150 and probably $200 at the bar and you can see how difficult it is for a club to generate income, let alone pay wages, bills etc.
Turnover on some weekday/night meets can be as little as $2000-$3000 on-course.
Clubs receive marketing $$ for their Cup only (once a year) which must be matched dollar for dollar, unlike the greyhounds where a marketing budget exists year round.
Having also worked in the broadcast media mainly across the greyhound code for the last couple of years, I have experienced how their meetings are promoted/received. While their crowds on average are not better than the trots, their sport is promoted exceptionally well, although of course this does all come at a cost.
One thing they do offer in Vic is that all their Cup races are staged for virtually the same minimum stake - as an example the Warragul Cup carries the same stake as the Ballarat Cup unlike in the trots where there is around $100,000 difference. This would be difficult to implement in the trots due to the different class of horse competing across the Cup's, however consider that the Warragul Cup stake of $25,000 has not risen since 2006, and that the club probably puts in some $10,000 of its own money to that stake, unlike the dogs.
And where are the earning opportunities for horses once they win their M0? Once you are out of an M0 you will probably encounter Smoken Up each week. Going back some 10-15 years you could win 3 or 4 in town then sell the horse to WA or USA - I don't know if this still happens as frequently.
I am sure we all remember trips to the Valley and dining in the members or Celebrity Room and watching the car park fill up. The biggest mistake was leaving the inner city, where the money is re potential owners/investors in our sport. The research proved some years back that the majority of members of the then VHRC lived in the Eastern suburbs. While the trainers are "out the other side" they will find it hard to train without owners.
One thing we can probably all agree on is that too many mistakes have been made by successive boards/administrators, and I certainly noticed in my second brief stint in management that there was very little in the way of support or money in my club. If this is reflective of other clubs then yes it will be an interesting/challenging next decade for our sport.
I have gone on for too long but two final points - I took a trots veteran to the dogs on a feature night at Sandown last year and he couldn't believe the atmosphere and the quality service in the dining package we had - I think he said he went home and cried! Secondly, the Gippsland Harness Training Centre has some 17 full-time students at present, many from the Latrobe Valley region (Traralgon) where racing ceased nearly 20 years ago. This course has run since 1997 largely without any support from the controlling body. Indeed the Chairman toured the facility recently and stated he had no idea that such an operation even existed.
I can tell you a lot more, maybe some other time. I retain a committee involvement but have become disillusioned somewhat with the racing industry in recent times for a variety of reasons, and I do feel sorry for those still battling away in the trots who throw their heart and soul into it seven days a week.