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So glad you got that one wrong Ginge that’s put my mind at rest, Vintage Clouds was one of my horses, relieved he’s ok.
Thank you Seaing stars.Such a shame about Up For Review it’s a hard game, the highs and the lows so often go hand in hand.
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...V impressive; wouldn’t have been out of place in the Gold Cup. Amazing little horse, keeps improving and surprising us
First things first; he’s some horse and deserves his place in history. Never looked in trouble and congratulations to all who won with him or had a horse in the placings. I’m smug enough to brag that my foolproof filtering system produced the first two home and humble enough to admit I didn’t have a penny on either! Despite being really sweet on the runner up at Cheltenham and turning my nose up at the 150’s available this morning! All the same Walk In The Mill did me proud and got me all my outlay back. He’s a proper trier and will hopefully be back for another go with conditions to suit.
With all that said I must address the elephant in the room. I can say with quite a degree of confidence I won’t be watching that race very often if ever again. In a similar vein to 2013, but with an unfortunate twist. That year was the first year with the new fences and what I felt that day as I watched the races essence and integrity stripped away was replicated today. Made all the worse knowing that despite all that’s been done there’s still one less horse going home, in a freak incident where the fences weren’t to blame. You, I and everyone with space between their ears are aware of this, yet we know where this can and probably will lead.
For the first time in a long time I feel flat. Flat for the race I watched that doesn’t even remotely resemble the race I fell in love with 21 years ago and flat for the prospect of the race going forward. I’m not demanding blood and guts. I’m not demanding horses doing somersaults after getting too close. I just long for the race that the people have lost to those who don’t care. The people’s race has been surrendered to those with no face or passion. The most upsetting thing is it’s too late for us to get it back.
I don’t consider myself a purist. Simply a fan of the race and it’s status. I’ll be called all sorts of names for saying it, but today the Grand National lost a little something and in turn I feel like I’ve lost a little something too.
The antis will rub their hands and laugh, the purists will weep and lament. I’ll be waiting with baited breath for the knee-jerk reaction that ensues.
I agree Peter. I felt this would not be an enjoyable renewal and so it proved. No reward for good jumping here anymore. I picked a few with distinctive colours to pick out amidst all the maroon but it wasn’t easy.Nothing much can be done to stop accidents like poor Up For Review being behind the wrong horse but it left me very flat. O’Leary playing down his chance because of the weight irked me too.One to forget. BHA have ample time to get the ownership fiasco sorted
I’m in agreement but maybe a bit further. I can’t pinpoint when the love went out of the game for me but it’s just not the same anymore.
I decided yesterday this would be my last race and if I can’t get excited about a dual national winner and such a lovely horse, well there’s no point really.
33 years, sone great ups and many downs. 17 or 18 years of them on TRF which I can’t get my head around!
Kauto, Denman or Desert Orchid? Can’t decide.
All the best to you all!
Yeah, I think in the modern world, we have to be realistic about what it can allowed to be though.
SHL
Delighted!
No aftertiming as it’s on my racing preview but this just must be my lucky race! 4 years of profit in the race now.
1 – 3 – 6
One for Arthur running on for a place and the main two finishing 1st and 3rd. Just incredible.
All on my racing preview on the DLAP bit and Pats comp so no aftertiming here.
Well done all.
Well done to the Tiger.
RIP Up For Review
I’m not demanding blood and guts. I’m not demanding horses doing somersaults after getting too close. I just long for the race that the people have lost to those who don’t care.
What are you longing to go back to, Peter?
I share some of those feelings, Red Rum, Mr Frisk, etc. But how would it be possible to have an old type Grand National without a far greater (these days unacceptable) risk? I understand that you’re not demanding blood and guts or somersaults; but even if not demanding it – that is what you’d get.
Up For Review didn’t fall, he was brought down. I do think 40 is too many runners – considering how many are trying to find a good spot to jump at the first fence… And how many horses take the same small piece of fence at Canal Turn.
Value Is EverythingSame old argument, Ginger. I agree with Peter & co. The runner-up landed IN the Chair and had no right to remain on her feet. The spruce is too loose and, as I predicted a few weeks ago, no amount of emasculation will stop all fatalities. There has to be a greater premium on good jumping although to be fair the jumping test now is stiffer than it was circa 1850s-early 1880s so from a pure historical perspective it is acceptable. However, Graham Thorner said today there should be 50 or 60 runners! The ditch at the CT should be brought back – that will stop ’em cutting the corner!
Two separate issues.
I agree with you Peter re this race. Nobody wants to see horses being killed but the National just isn’t the same. I made it 36 horses going out onto the second circuit. The whole reason I fell in love with the National were the thrills and spills and the fact that this race was like no other. Not any more.
Rich, I’m really sorry you’re giving up on the game. I wonder if the problem is that there is so much racing on TV now. I grew up at a time when outwith the big meetings racing was only on TV on Saturdays so live racing was an event. Now it’s wall to wall racing almost every day of the year. It’s quite easy to become jaded. I have five days at the races lined up for later this month. Hopefully that will rekindle my passion for the game. Maybe time away will rekindle your love Rich.
Agree with Peter and others, the race left me cold. When the National becomes just another valuable handicap that is rich pickings to certain connections (enter a hat load, sell off a couple and win anyway), it’s in trouble.
. I made it 36 horses going out onto the second circuit. The whole reason I fell in love with the National were the thrills and spills and the fact that this race was like no other. Not any more.
What’s wrong with 36 horses managing to survive the first circuit? It just shows you that horses are better jumpers than they used to be and jockeys are a lot more professional and of higher quality than they were 40-50 years ago. No plausible argument can be found to be against that number of runners going out on the 2nd circuit. I think that speaks rather for the race than against it.
If we’ve had the fences from the 70s or 80s do you think that Tiger Roll would have been a dual GN winner? I don’t think so. I don’t even think that he’d run more than once in the race.
Ginge pointed out the narrow lane everybody takes at the Canal Turn. Yes, that is a problem, especially when there are more horses in contention than decades ago. And for 40 runners there isn’t enough room to bypass a fence and still maintaining the proper racing speed.
It’s very sad to lose one horse in any race, but with a bit more room, I guess, nothing would have happened.
Nichols Canyon, Ballyward, Invitation Only and now Up For Review represent a sequence of terrible luck for the Wylies, but it can happen in any race….
The spruce is too loose and, as I predicted a few weeks ago, no amount of emasculation will stop all fatalities.
I agree, the runner-up should have fallen at The Chair… And Regal Encore should’ve fallen too, GM. Maybe they have overdone it in places. Are the soft cores high enough at The Chair?
However, yes in many ways I enjoyed the 1970’s/80’s Grand National more than I do today’s race too. Used to like seeing them jump those unforgiving big fences and didn’t think badly when a horse fell either. But I for one did not realise how many horses lost their lives. I too once said I’d never watch the race again. After badly injured horses were being pulled out of Bechers Brook to allow the horses to jump again second time around. It’s just a matter of acceptable risk. We now have different acceptable risks because we’re living in different times.
Value Is EverythingIt just shows you that horses are better jumpers than they used to be
To be fair, ER; If looking at the runner-up’s mistake at The Chair and Regal Encore’s later in the race. No way they’d have got away with them when fences were more unforgiving. Then again, horses were used to higher/harder fences in those days and therefore could jump that way in the Grand National. Put any horse of today over 1970’s Grand National and they’ll fall because they’re not used to higher/harder fences and/or drop fences.
Value Is EverythingTo be fair, ER; If looking at the runner-up’s mistake at The Chair and Regal Encore’s later in the race
The runner-up almost walked through the last without getting his feet very high. He would have fallen at many tracks over regular fences, but I’m glad he didn’t. For some reason the Harrington stable is finding back to form, just like Tizzards’.
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