Racing: Pick6 bonanzas to entice punters

Proposition is a strong Pick6 hope in the Hawkes Bay Steeplechase. Photo / APN

The TAB is set to dangle a $1,875,000 carrot in front of punters usually turned off by the drudgery of winter racing.

That is the total the TAB will guarantee terminating Pick6s for the month of July to as they desperately seek a drawcard to keep punters from turning off.

Winter racing can be a slog for punters, especially in the thoroughbred code where heavy tracks turn Saturday into a betting minefield.

So the TAB could use up as much as $700,000 of its Pick6 reserve fund trying to keep punters interested, with all weekend Pick6s during July to be terminating.

That surge starts tomorrow with a $100,000 terminating Pick6 at Alexandra Park, to be matched every Friday night.

Saturday's Hawkes Bay meeting will host a $250,000 terminating Pick6, which, although inflated by a jackpot from last Saturday, will be matched every Saturday in July, while the Sunday greyhound Pick6s for the month will be guaranteed to $25,000.

"We realise winter racing is tough sometimes and that we need a drawcard so this is it," said Dore.

"We could spend this money from the reserve fund later in the year at the bigger meetings but we already have a hook for punters there, with the good horses and the better races.

"We think this is the best way to keep turnover ticking over."

With racing in financial crisis on many fronts some could see the splurge as a waste of valuable cash, but Dore says the money can only be used for Pick6.

"It is taken out of the Pick6 pools every week for this reason and this reason only.

"Effectively, it is like a dividend that has already been paid but held back and that is recorded on a different side of the ledger.

"So there is no chance it can go somewhere else. It is a reserve fund for Pick6 and we can only use it for that.," he said.

While Quaddies have reduced Pick6 pools by between 30-40 per cent on average, the long-time betting product is here to stay.

"Pick6 is still very popular and it has the possibility of a jackpot that can quickly make a meeting a real drawcard.

"So Pick6 will remain, even though the Quaddie has been very popular," said Dore. With all weekend Pick6s during July being terminating Dore's advice to punters is simple.

"There is almost no point taking Pick6 for a full unit, just take them for a percentage.

"Because if a percentage bet is the only ticket that wins a terminating Pick6 they get the whole thing.

"On Saturday, for example, if it is only struck by a 10 per cent ticket, we will declare the dividend as $2.5 million and that sole ticket will get the whole $250,000."

Dore says the TAB's next main mission is to bring online its new betting system which will allow greater flexibility for its operations. "We are still operating the 1980s Jetbet system and once our new system comes on line we will have greater capacity."

That will allow fixed odds place betting to be introduced, possibly in time for the Hawkes Bay Carnival in the spring.

"It will be gradually introduced, like win fixed odds betting was.

"And the new system will mean the sports and racing bookies have the opportunity to set a lot more markets."

On the racing front North American thoroughbred racing will be the next major product to come on line.