Racing entered the dark side on Saturday. A place where shadowy people in trenchcoats, fedoras pulled down over their eyes, are capable of kneecapping jockeys quicker than you can say whobegotyou.
These unscrupulous people would have turned Australian racetracks into something like the south side of Chicago in the 1930s.
That was the murky scenario painted in 2004 if Betfair, a betting exchange where punters match bets, was allowed into Australia.
Remember those blazing headlines from spring 2004.
First, it was Andrew Ramsden, then chairman of the Australian Racing Board, who said there was a "strong probability" there would be a ban on English horses racing during the spring carnival if Betfair was not outlawed.
Robert Nason, then Racing Victoria Ltd chief executive, went further. He said he would have no hesitation in shutting down the spring carnival if it meant getting rid of Betfair.
Betfair had to be stopped at all costs. If not, we would see jockeys jumping off favourites under threat from drug lords set to rake in sugar bags full of dosh.
A national campaign, including the signatures of leading trainers and jockeys, was mounted to keep the evil Betfair at bay.
The fact that such a drive was illegal was lost in all the scaremongering.
Well, guess what?
As punters arrived at Betfair Park, formerly Sandown, on Saturday to usher in a new era, they did so with a backdrop of not one kneecapping or jockey jumping off a hot-pot.
We were told that Betfair would pillage our racing. How, then, do you explain the millions that Betfair is pouring, via its sponsorship deal, into the Melbourne Racing Club?
And, where will the money go? Into prizemoney, the MRC assures us.
More sponsorship money will be pumped into country clubs by Betfair. Is that a bad thing?
What about the "leakage" from Tabcorp?
Betfair pays a mutually agreed product fee to RVL.
Remember, Betfair wanted to be licensed in Victoria, but moved to Tasmania after being shunned.
Betting is vastly different today compared with five, 10, 20 years ago.
Punters demand more bang for their buck, so to speak. Clearly, they are not going to be force-fed poisonous odds or stale betting products.
Betfair - where punters match bets at fluctuating prices - is not for everyone. It has a boutique appeal.
Much has been made of punters backing or "laying" a horse to lose. Why? Punters have been betting against horses since well before Betfair became part of the punting fraternity.
Betting is all about choice. No one is forcing anyone to bet with Betfair, just as no one is forcing anyone to bet with corporate bookmakers or Tabcorp.
To suggest that Melbourne Racing Club's decision to enter a sponsorship deal with Betfair will bring down the curtain on racing as we know it is nonsense.
One more thing. Seven favourites won at Sandown, oops, Betfair Park, on Saturday.
All jockeys' knees are reportedly fine and the stewards report did not have one mention of a jockey jumping off a horse.
Australian Sports Entertainment
