There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the future of the All-Star Mile. The seventh edition of the ‘pop up’ race last weekend only attracted a field of seven runners, there was a significant reduction in prizemoney, and more importantly, there was less involvement and interaction from the general public. The drums are beating, and the punters are restless.
The uniqueness of the oddities in sports are what make moments, events, or individuals special. Why iron out the quirks or differences that make you stand out from the crowd in the first place? In early editions, the ASM punters would vote to determine the majority of the field. Yes, several Benchmark horses have made the starting line-up at cricket-score odds, and no they were never a realistic chance of winning, however; this added to the theatre and drama.
The original voting system also gave lucky punters a chance to win $250,000 for simply casting a vote on their favourite runner. The original ambassador celebrating his life-changing moment when Mystic Journey got the job done in the shadows is still fresh in the memory bank, and it gave goosebumps to all racing and sporting fans. The public involvement and lavish prizemoney (for the participants and winning ambassador), were the key aspects of the race that made it different to the other annual 73 Group 1 contests. The reduction in both elements could destroy the event long term.
The ultimate respect being shown to Mr Brightside ironically also affected the line-up. It happened to Phar Lap, Black Caviar, recently Winx, and now to the people’s champion. He has had a stranglehold on Group 1 1400-1600m weight-for-age contests during the early part of the autumn and spring for several seasons, and this year’s ASM small field was a reflection of his presence, again, a sign of his greatness and overall fortitude.
We don’t need to make this event a handicap, we don’t need to move it to a different part of an already over-saturated racing calendar, the prizemoney on offer is still more than generous, we need to go back to the heart of the sport and the foundation of the race, the people.
Involve the punter and allow them to determine, invest, and connect with the race or watch it decline into another novelty event with no charm or character.
