Steve Jones: “A lack of respect could cost racing dearly”

RACING fans thrive on a bit of nostalgia.

Reminiscing about great races from yesteryear in cosy bars warmed by log fires is a perfect evening for many jumping enthusiasts.

Those memories are worn as badges of honour. To have been on track when the likes of Desert Orchid, Kauto Star, Denman and Sprinter Sacre were winning big prizes scores plenty of points in the competitive game of racing one-upmanship.

The reverence of old heroes – often remembered in race titles – is part of what makes the sport so enjoyable.

It gives a deeper meaning to the staging of big races, with the knowledge the winners are assured their place in the hearts of racing fans.

This week will see some of the great champions remembered as Newbury stages its biggest jumps meeting of the season.

All the while there will be umpteen references to a certain brandy. The new sponsors, backing the big race for the first time, will largely be ignored.

We’re right in the middle of peak season for those who like to refer to races by long-gone titles. The Hennessy generally follows The Mackeson. The coming weeks bring The Massy Ferguson, The SGB Chase and, later on, The Schweppes, The Sun Alliance and The Whitbread, to name but a few.

All impressive Clever Dickery by those intent on reminding you that their memory is intact despite their obvious advancing years.

The obsession with long-gone race tittles is even stranger when it comes from younger racing fans who were barely out of their tweed romping suits when some of the brands disappeared for good.

It’s all harmless fun from those who hark back to the good ‘ol days but, in reality, it could easily be viewed as counterproductive for the sport.

Racing has enough trouble trying to attract new sponsors without building any more barriers.

There seem to be fewer companies outside the betting industry willing to stump up to have their names added to the race titles.

Even fewer are involved for commercial reasons. Scratch beneath the surface of many of the current crop of sponsors and you generally find someone at, or near, the top of those companies with a huge passion for racing.

For racing fans to largely ignore the sponsors makes the pursuit of new financial backers even harder. And they are giving exposure and free marketing to companies with no interest in the sport.

Brands no longer spending their budgets on backing big races are taking the benefit of sponsorship cash stumped up by someone completely different who are routinely ignored.

We need to embrace the new sponsors and give them more reasons to stick around, not make them feel like Johnny-come-latelys yet to earn the honour of having their financial support recognised by the public.

It rarely happens in other sports. No one talks about the Milk Cup or the Gillette Cup these days.

It’s just racing fans that seem obsessed with showing their age by harking back to sponsors that have long-since dropped the sport as a promotional strategy.

So come on, folks, give them all the credit their efforts deserve. A little respect doesn’t cost a thing but a lack of it could easily cost racing dear when it can least afford it.

Let’s drop the brandy and give Coral its due. And while we’re at it give credit to all the sponsors we have and encourage them to see the commercial benefits of this great sport.

It might just help preserve the great races we have so future generations of Clever Dicks can look back on today’s champions, stroke their aging chins, and tell the youngsters all about their memories of races synonymous with cherished sponsors.