Whether we like it or not, social media is here to stay. Warwick Barr investigates the numbers behind the names and how the thoroughbred industry is embracing business on X, Instagram and TikTok.
During the Seven Network’s neatly packaged racing coverage of Perth racing, a name appeared on the telecast that would be unfamiliar to most in the thoroughbred industry.
After watching her cameo interview, research reveals Annaliese Gann’s connection to horse racing is tenuous at best.
Unless you are a consumer of reality television or are an observer of the hierarchical order of the Perth social scene, there’s every chance a diehard racing fan has never heard of her.
So what was the reason Gann turned up on our television screens?
Her accompanying title provided an insight. Gann was introduced as an influencer.
In other words - and in the simplest of explanations - the model has created a social media presence and following that allows her to make a living.
Influencers have permeated most parts of society, so why should racing be any different?.
Their evolution brings to a digital era a long and often storied relationship between racing and celebrity.
Old-timers will remember Jean Shrimpton and her mini-dress and how the British model upset the establishment when she showed up for the 1965 Victoria Derby at Flemington.
But somewhere along the way, celebrities turned into ambassadors.
Ambassadors have since made way for influencers - and the social media followers they bring to the table.
Gann, who has almost 110,000 followers on Instagram and delivers a podcast, wasn’t at the races to discuss the favourite in the next race.
Fashion and lifestyle are her wheelhouse topics, and while racing remains connected to both and can see value in the alliance, we can expect more people like Gann to show up on our screens and across our timelines.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a trend picked up from the United States. The Breeders’ Cup website has a page dedicated to influencers.
And for pure engagement, remember the name Griffin Johnson. He has more than 14 million followers across his social media platforms.
Johnson is described as a social media star in America, famous for posting comedy videos on his TikTok account.
He is also a recent convert to horse racing and is already part of an ownership initiative to attract influencers who can share their experience.
A behind-the-scenes video of Johnson at Keeneland tells racing’s story in the best way possible and should serve as a blueprint for those inside the racing bubble to spread the message.
So, who are the industry-connected people in Australia who use social media as a platform to influence like-minded fans, whether by design or, in the case of one well-known trainer, literally by accident?
In less than a year, the enthusiastic betting exploits of Benny Scarf have either kept a growing audience entertained, annoyed or perplexed with an approach to wagering that has rarely been seen in such a public way.
The 23-year-old has easily won the internet for Australian racing in 2024, attracting a following just as curious about his modus operandi as they are in watching some sort of punting trainwreck unfold before their eyes.
Scarf has more than 212,000 Instagram followers and they are the conduit for his social media posts.
To put Scarf’s following into perspective, gambling giant Sportsbet has acquired 107,000 Instagram followers.
Sportsbet and its parent company Flutter have a global reach like few others and a ubiquitous line of attack for marketing and promotional exercises.
The fact that university-educated Scarf has almost twice as many Instagram followers as Sportsbet is hard to comprehend.
Day 108 of betting 5c on the best bet of the day for every Instagram follower I have 🤑#finance #punting #punt #horseracing #horseracingtips #tips #cash #betting #gambling pic.twitter.com/Xk1AXuH9Vl
— Benny Scarf (@BennyScarf) December 18, 2024
If you haven’t encountered Scarf’s betting habits, his starting point is staking 5c for every follower of his Instagram page. It’s a model ‘borrowed’ from another social media sensation in the black jack world, Tim Naki.
That means Scarf is wagering more than $10,000 in a single bet.
He is filmed counting the cash, placing the bet at an undisclosed Sydney TAB outlet before letting his audience into an emotional rollercoaster of watching the race from start to finish.
It often doesn’t end well. But maybe that’s the attraction. Perhaps this is why Scarf’s social media profile resonates with everyday punters.
He is sharing his wins and losses and developing an online camaraderie that wagering companies have pushed heavily via in-house platforms encouraging customers to bet with their friends or engage with fellow punters.
There are those who question exactly who is funding his punting exploits, but they can’t question its cut through on social media.
Just as Scarf has generated a cult-like following, Bjorn Baker has been able to engage a social media audience like few other Australian racehorse trainers.
Baker risked ridicule before admitting he discovered a fan base he never knew existed outside of loyal stable clients.
Footage of a backyard slam dunk in 2017 that went wrong that his wife Andrea posted on X went viral, flicking the switch for a social media production that includes a weekly tour of the Baker stable through a live Instagram channel.
May need to stick to my day job 🤔 #DadSkittles pic.twitter.com/XdRY7IUttv
— Bjorn Baker Racing (@BBakerRacing) October 5, 2017
“Probably my wife, Andrea, was one of the first to really embrace it and do it a little bit differently,” Baker said.
“I think that definitely was the moment we realised just what sort of views and what sort of numbers you can get.
“At the end of the day we are running a business but we try and probably show a little bit of my personality.
“Andrea makes fun of me a little bit, but we like to show it how it really is rather than a lot of the stuff that is the same old thing.”
Baker’s team of racehorses has been flying in 2024 and the social media output has been flowing accordingly.
Whether it is sharing post-race celebrations with anyone in the near-vicinity, showing racehorses enjoying stable routine or pitching to new owners such as leviathan American horse player John Stewart, Baker has found a level of engagement that works.
A video on X of Baker watching Overpass win the Winterbottom Stakes in Perth in November has attracted almost 50,000 views.
“We definitely try and put our own spin on it and essentially cultivate a community,” Baker said.
“That's what it's about. Cultivating a community, getting support, and hopefully that can follow through to getting nice horses to train.
“And also, I guess you can send your message out there, especially at sales time when it becomes even more important.
“If you've got a good marketing and social media strategy, that definitely helps,” Baker said.
Instagram Live has enriched the stable’s profile even further, with a Friday morning broadcast allowing Baker to engage with viewers in real-time.
“People really enjoy that. They like to keep up with what's going on and enjoy having a look around the stables as well.
“At times it can be a little bit demanding, but we think from a marketing point of view, it's definitely well worth it.
“We always often try and do things a little bit differently depending on what's been happening.
“Thankfully, at the moment, we've got plenty of nice horses to talk about.
“In terms of my business it's been important for recognition, important to sell horses, and it has also definitely helped get horses in the stable.”
Aushorse Investor’s Guide 2025
- More Races worth $1 million+ than Europe & America combined
- More than 140,000 Australians involved in racehorse ownership
Baker likens his social media duties to a release from the day-to-day pressures of running a successful stable.
He is always mindful of that and vignettes of life outside of racing provide a balance for his audience.
“I like having a laugh. It's not always quite like that. There's very stressful times and it's a stressful results-orientated business at times, and there's always a lot happening. But I enjoy that side of it,” he said.
“And it's not something that happens overnight. It's taken time to build up the right sort of people to follow.
“But it's been a very interesting journey. I've actually learned a lot about social media in the time.”
Appropriately used, social media is a brilliant tool. In the wrong hands, reputations can be damaged and the fallout can be irreversible.
There’s no escaping that it attracts the outraged crew. Jockeys on beaten favourites will tell you there’s no place like it for an instant character assessment/assassination.
But whatever you think about social media, there is no doubt that it has taken up the slack left by a steadily declining mainstream coverage of racing.
And in an age of activism, Baker says racing can use X, Instagram and TikTok to change the narrative about the industry.
“I guess the other thing, too, is you've got to promote racing and show why it is good and how well horses are treated,” he said.
“Give people an idea of what really happens, the horse comes first. From that point of view, we've been quite good at getting our message across.
“We might not win every day on the track, but I really think that Andrea is winning the social media battle and actually cultivating a supportive community that enjoy what they get.
“And hopefully that can transfer into horse ownership.”
AUSTRALIAN RACING’S SOCIAL MEDIA LANDSCAPE AT A GLANCE
For overall impact in Australia, Sportsbet rules the social media space where gambling companies are competing.
The Australian wagering firm of global betting behemoth Flutter has 126,000 followers on X - more than double its nearest competitor.
Since its X account was opened in 2009, Sportsbet’s social media team has posted more than 176,000 times during campaigns usually targeted at a new generation of gamblers.
Sportsbet also has 107,000 Instagram followers while Dabble, a relatively new online operator part owned by Tabcorp which tries to tailor its wagering as a punter-to-punter experience, has built a TikTok audience of almost 14,000 followers.
The TAB also ventured into the world of X at the same time as Sportsbet, accumulating 53,000 followers on the back of 174,000 posts in the past 15 years.
Ladbrokes, part of Entain’s group of worldwide wagering companies, has increased its presence across online platforms with 24,000 X followers to be ranked third among Australia’s betting outlets.
Entain has created a dedicated media unit complemented by a host of established names in the racing industry, such as retired jockeys Damien Oliver and Glen Boss and leading trainer Peter Moody.
Boss and Moody’s recruitment as Ladbrokes ambassadors gave the brand gravitas and Oliver, despite not having a social media presence, has been an asset since his retirement 12 months ago.
While Bet365’s Australian X account with 9000 followers is modest in comparison to Sportsbet, its global online footprint is impressive.
Bet365 has 486,000 followers, and more than 500,000 posts have been credited.
Despite an ascension to the pinnacle of the world’s riding ranks and his association with countless racehorses with a global profile, James McDonald has a long way to go before his social media status can challenge some of his overseas contemporaries.
McDonald has 29,000 followers on X but it is Frankie Dettori who rules on the platform - and everywhere else.
Confirming his ongoing popularity, Dettori has almost 100,000 followers with Japan-based French jockey Christophe Lemaire coming in next with more than 80,000.
Dettori and Lemaire are also active on Instagram with 212,000 and 88,000 followers respectively.
Regarding the engagement score, Hong Kong-based Australian star Zac Purton is the most active, with 16,000 posts and 19,000 followers.
UK champion Oisin Murphy almost matches Purton for audience interaction, issuing 14,000 posts to his 61,000 fans on X.
Hugh Bowman has 34,000 followers on X in a following built on his association with the legendary racemare Winx while Jamie Kah has almost 50,000 Instagram followers.
Retired Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne, now working alongside her brother Patrick in a family training partnership, is also a fan favourite on Instagram with almost 70,000 followers to complement the 30,000 she has on X.
Blake Shinn (20,000) and Craig Williams (15,500) are among the more popular jockeys on X.
Shinn is especially active, posting more than 6000 times to his fans.
While Bjorn Baker and Mitch Beer (30,800 followers on his personal X account) are part of a new generation of trainers using social media to create and build a name in a cut-throat business, two established stables are the most popular with X users.
Gai Waterhouse, who trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, has almost 42,000 followers with Chris Waller’s account not too far behind with 41,500 followers.
Waterhouse’s effervescent attitude to life has made her a natural for any form of media and with more than 15,000 posts since launching her account in 2010, she has embraced a new world of communication.
NSW-based provincial trainer Beer has 30,800 on his personal X account, while has another 8000 on his stable account.
Lindsay Park Racing, with next-generation brothers Ben, Will and JD Hayes at the helm, has almost 24,000 followers.
As Ciaron Maher’s training career has skyrocketed, so has his social media output with 20,000 followers while Baker is not far behind with 17,500.
On a global level, Godolphin has a reach that is befitting of its status, with 300,000 followers across all platforms.
The Victoria Racing Club has the most prolific social media presence of any major thoroughbred body in Australia.
It has attracted almost 40,000 X users and another 71,000 on Instagram.
However, the VRC’s major point of difference is the following it has generated on TikTok, a platform whose content is usually aimed at a younger demographic.
The VRC has almost 72,000 TikTok followers, compared to the Australian Turf Club with 15,000.
For engagement, the ATC is the busiest on X, issuing more than 60,000 posts to 35,500 followers.
On a global scale, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has amassed 152,000 X followers, and another 28,000 on Instagram.
Ascot Racecourse in the UK isn’t too far behind the HKJC with 136,000 X users but its Instagram handle is a furlong ahead with 168,000 followers.
In the bloodstock world, Australian auction houses Magic Millions and Inglis have similar audience numbers on X with 29,000 and 25,000 followers, respectively.
Magic Millions has almost 39,000 Instagram followers - twice Inglis's figure.
The Gold Coast-based sales company is well known for using its location as an opportunity for promotional and marketing opportunities that lend itself to the platform.
Inglis and New Zealand Bloodstock have also extended their social media profile to TikTok.
Coolmore and Darley have a presence that confirms their status as international breeding conglomerates, but among the studs with Australian identity only, Kia Ora has 34,000 followers on Instagram, while Arrowfield has a significant audience on X (15,500) an Instagram (22,000).
Facebook is also widely used throughout the Australian racing industry. One of Facebook’s advantages is that it can unite people under a single banner.
Racehorses Australia is one such group with a membership of almost 100,000, making it one of the biggest forums of its kind in the world.
