Weekend Wisdom 8th May 2016

The Absence of Why

“All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.”

Immanuel Kant, German philosopher and physicist, born 1724.

Faith has supplanted reason in the mainstream of wagering on racing? Discuss.

Real time coverage of modern day racing, both audio and visual, is now littered with the editorialising of race callers and their ancillary studio anchors. They insist upon screeching incessantly about the heavy support for a contestant in the upcoming event, usually accompanied by a dire warning regarding another’s friendlessness.

The post-race debrief typically comprises an encore performance of the “off the map” riff, now joined by “we told you pre-race”, or lamentation about the horse that “should have won” based on the caller espying said well-tried runner denied galloping room at a critical juncture.

Betting on horses appears to have been reduced to sheer travesty. Either punters load up on their “black bookers” compiled from the “tragedy beaten” brigade of recent weeks. Or they await the media commentators’ pronouncements based upon analysis of betting fluctuations shortly before jump time.

This methodology is positively ecclesiastical. The revealed word of the “inner sanctum” of horse players, entrusted to the priests at SKY to be authentically interpreted and faithfully disseminated to the congregation.

All that is required of punters is to proffer their cash and say “AMEN”.

“Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without the guidance of another.”

Immanuel Kant

Nowhere, in all of this observance, is the critical question posed. WHY?

Why has this horse been heavily backed? Why is this horse friendless in the betting? Why was this runner unlucky? Why did the winner do just that?

We cannot proceed to understanding, thence reason, without such investigation.

History repeats, yet again

The above caricature is reminiscent of another; The Dark Ages, a time synonymous with ignorance and superstition where divine decree held sway over personal experience and rational activity.

The Thoroughbred Wagering Industry has paralleled the rise and fall of the Roman Republic, thence Empire and we have entered the darkness of the Medieval period.

The cut and thrust of legal on-course and illegal off-course betting prior to 1964 is represented by the Republic. No individual has an excess of power. The committeemen (senators) of the AJC face regular elections, and are more likely than not to be Thoroughbred enthusiasts.

The introduction of the TAB in December 1964 (NSW) may be seen as the beginning of the transformation from Republic to Empire. Soon one institution (TAB) will wield immense (financial) power. Its state-sanctioned monopoly enacts Emperor-like status. Fortunately for racing, the TAB is owned by the people of NSW. Unfortunately for racing, the unremitting income stream funnelled by TAB encourages administrative indolence symptomatic of declining hegemony. The task of ensuring continued public interest in the activity of horseracing suffers grave neglect.

By the mid-90s the empire is in serious decay. In 1995, the Temby report recommends stripping the AJC of its powers to run racing and the implementation of a new entity, the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Board. The Senate is reconstituted. The TAB is swept up in the zeitgeist and is privatised. The Emperor is now a mercenary.

And the advent of the world-wide-web mimics the effect of the barbarian incursions / migrations on the Roman Empire. Suddenly the gates are overrun and order gives way to anarchy. “Wagering Australia” becomes the target of looters/Goths otherwise known as Corporate Bookmakers, who refuse to honour the long-cherished principles of the pre-invasion regime. An online betting exchange threatens the funding model delivering racing’s gravy.

Praetorian Prefect Pete sounds the clarion call. Man the battlements! Unlike the Roman Empire, these migrants are not offered citizenship, but are resisted all the way to the highest court of the land.

An uneasy truce ensues as twilight descends on the once noble realm of the turf.

And in this half-light few perceive the loss of classic learning. Intellectual and cultural heritage is quickly forgotten. As in the dark ages, the Church emerges as a sole unifying force. The mercenary emperor is clothed in sacred vestments.

Meanwhile Racing’s remaining patrons are kept like mushrooms, fed on crumbs from the elite in the inner sanctum. The business model is Feudal; via our vertically integrated vision provider, we will advise you which crops to sow, then pay you rock bottom for your produce.

And so we await the Enlightenment, a much needed focus on reason, with opposition to monarchy and religious dogma. Where Church and State are no longer business partners.

I look forward to the re-ignition of the public sphere of Horse Racing. Long ago the track was a vibrant hub for the exchange of ideas, we now require a realm of communication marked by new arenas for debate; online Lodges, virtual coffee-houses and e-publications for dissemination and discussion of sensations, knowledge and reason.

Vive la Racing!

@justideal