The Quebec Jockey Club has abandoned plans to present 50 cards of live racing in Quebec City next year after determining it would not be feasible financially
because of anticipated delays in getting regulatory authorization to revive the province's teletheatre network.
Instead, it plans to present 20 live programs.
In a message on the jockey club website, president Tony Infilise said the best-guess now for the needed legislative changes to re-open the provincial teletheatre network is September, although one and possibly two other HPI betting sites in and around Montreal could open in early 2011.
Lack of teletheatre revenue means the 2011 budget projections needed to be revised, Infilise said, and the decision was made to scale back the number of live programs. Instead of $2 million in purses, it foresees $1 million next year.
Infilise said the jockey club hopes to double the number of live cards to 40 in 2012, with a significant hike in purses, provided the teletheatres open next year and meet handle projections.
(Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)
What will be interesting is
What will be interesting is when they do get the teletheatre up and running if they will continue to steal from there customers. I have not bet a race now in over 2 years and will probably never again bet a race so it really doesn't matter to me but i was a race player for many years and a very large one.
My trips to montreal used to be planned around trips to blue bonnets. Then one day about approx 10 years ago i went there to bet the races from weg and the big m and lo and behold they were taxing all tickets cashed on tracks that were not quebec racetracks. So in other words a horse wins at weg and paid $15.00 everywhere else in canada, you got paid back approx $13.50 to $14.00. If you cashed an exacta an exacta that paid $100.00 in the rest of canada you got paid approx $85.00 for that ticket.
I usually bet a couple hundred minimum to win on a horse and usually played 20 straight exactas so when i cashed this really added up. I asked to speak to a racetrack manager to see what was going on. He tells me it was there way to try and force people to play the local product. I told him it was out right stealing. I wonder how well this plan worked out. Oh yeah that's right they closed up. I also told him at the time that i had a phone account at weg and i would be going to the pay phones betting every single penny from that moment forward thru my account so they would not get a single penny from me ever again and they didn't. I would go there when in montreal to watch the races but not spend one penny there besides having a few beer. It will be interesting to see if they have wised up any at all.
Its becoming more ridiculous
Its becoming more ridiculous than ever this Quebec jockey club.... I wish Quebec horsemen will stand up because it is getting worse and worse.
Ca devient de plus en plus ridicule ce jockey club du Quebec.. Je souhaite que les hommes de chevaux du Québec se réveillent car c'est de pire en pire. Promesse et par la suite on redéfait les promesses..... etc...
Je crois sincèrement que les personnes qui feront de l'argent ne seront surement pas les hommes à chevaux du Québec et d'ailleurs, mais seulement les membres de ce jockey club....à but non lucratif?? Je crois que j'oublie ce que ça veut dire!!
Promesse de 50 programmes et maintenant 20 programmes OUUUFFFF quelle diminution.
On va diminuer les bourses de 50% déjà. OUUFF très négatif pour l'industrie au Québec!!!
Ce n'est pas beaucoup mieux et ce sera peut être même pire qu'avec le groupe précédent.... et si ils ont une saison comme 2010 - seulement une petite poignée de gens ont eu la chance à participer à leurs courses avec leurs restrictions d'argent gagné, de propriété/élevage québécois seulement, aucune course à réclamer pour les chevaux plus âgés. Peut être aussi mentionné que sur leur site du Jockey club du Québec seulement les gens qui devaient avoir pris un départ à Québec devaient être éligibles pour les courses spéciales du 5 milles et autres et sans avertissement et sans modifier leur feuille de condition, ils ont changé leurs restrictions pour quelques personnes seulement!!
Beau travail Jockey Club du Québec!! vous allez finir ce que les prédécesseurs ont essayés.... faire mourir l'industrie. Ceci est mon opinion personnel!