CHAMPION JOCK Oisin Murphy has admitted British racing could learn a thing or two from the International circuit.

The 24-year-old is concerned about the attendances at tracks around Britain and thinks the prize money problem is also a worry.

Murphy, out in Hong Kong for the International Races, explained: “The prize money is definitely something we could take a few lessons on but it’s all down to the betting.

“Unfortunately we have private bookmakers and we don’t benefit from them as much as they do here, with the Pool system.

“The way the system works in Hong Kong means so much of the money is reinvested and everyone benefits.”

The Hong Kong Jockey Club took over £140 million in bets from Happy Valley on Wednesday evening alone, with only a 17% take out.

The bigger crowds have also caught Murphy’s eye and he still hopes improvement can be made in Britain.

He added: “I’d love to see more people attend racing in Britain. I’d never really bought the argument that we have too much racing until now – even though we do have a lot of jockeys and trainers to feed and a large horse population and can just about cope with it.

“But the big issue is attracting young people to the sport. Racing was once the most popular sport in Britain and currently it’s not that at all.

“I don’t think it ever will be again but we should endeavour to try and make it something really big again.”

Don't miss out on all the best of Sun Racing

Twitter – @SunRacing

Instagram – sunracing

Youtube – SunRacing

Facebook – SunRacingOnline

Murphy is an avid user of social media and thinks it could help to promote the sport to audiences it largely doesn’t reach.

He continued: “We’ve got the opportunity to do so through the likes of social media and it’s not an impossible task to make this sport grow.

“I have nothing against people that have been to university or anything but I wonder with all these degrees around what people actual pick up these days.

“There should be a bigger focus on the marketing and advertising side of things and I’d love to see more people in and around the sport using their own initiative to help promote it.

“They do that a lot better in some countries I go to.”

Source: Read Full Article