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BHA will get this race changed to try and appease those who wish to see the sport banned entirely. A common pattern will repeat. And we will sleepwalk to the abolition of jumps racing and possibly racing altogether.
The fatalities are a tremendous shame but the BHA must not overreact and panic which they are so prone to do. The 4 miler is an integral part of the Cheltenham Festival and a much more historic race than virtually everything else. To abandon tradition for the sake of a supposed short-term relief (although I reiterate that they will never be appeased, short of abolition) from Racing’s critics would be a poor decision.
Spot on, The Krypton Factor. Credit to the RTV website for posting the replay in full. None to the RP results analyst who describes it as an awkward watch and makes many negative comments. It was epic and the epitome of what steeplechasing is all about.
Lavery on the 3rd and Skehan on the 4th are receiving suspensions because the stewards believe they shouldn’t have finished the race as their mounts were showing signs of distress.
McParlan ( on Mulcahys Hill who fell two out ) also suspended for the same reason.
Surprise, surprise:
Yet the whole point of Fothergill Rowlands devising this race in 1859 was as a hunters championship and hunters, naturally, would be ridden by their amateur owners.
Lavery on the 3rd and Skehan on the 4th are receiving suspensions because the stewards believe they shouldn’t have finished the race as their mounts were showing signs of distress.
McParlan ( on Mulcahys Hill who fell two out ) also suspended for the same reason.
No one can complain about the suspensions. Stewards just doing their job.
I’m appalled quite frankly that you would describe a jockey being treated for injuries instead of a horse as “very good news”
I agree with not pushing horses beyond their capabilities but think there are double standards at work re Cheltenham/Aintree vs other fixtures and amateurs vs professionals. I found the last half mile of last season’s Haydock National trial almost grotesque to watch (and it was shown on Saturday ITV rather than midweek racing channel as the Cheltenham NH chase is- so much more accessible to the passing viewer). Blaklion and Mysteree crawled over the last couple of fences on their hands and knees and finished 54 and 128 lengths adrift of the winner respectively. Wild West Wind was ridden to a standstill -granted he was stopping quite quickly but the jockey faced him at the next fence and the horse had the good sense to refuse it.
If the same standards applied there then all horses bar Yala Enki should have been pulled up or the jockeys should have been suspended for not doing so.
Spot on, GAG.
There’s an argument for the BHA’s policy of ‘perception matters’, but they can’t grade that on how many people are watching. While I support them on the whip, they are beginning to lose the place now.
This race being the longest and most attritional of all the festival races should be run on fresh ground at the beginning of a days racing. It could easily be swapped with something else
They shouldn’t be suspending jockeys who finished placed in that race.
A few advisory words, a discussion with the vet ( who found nothing abnormal with their mounts ) but 10-12 days there and then ?!
Bonkers.
All started with the overly fuss prima donna with the starting flag
Kevin Blake said earlier in the season “the BHA are running out of feet to shoot themselves in”
I think now the BHA have ran out of feet to shoot themselves in.
Ridiculous to suspend jockeys for finishing 3rd and 4th both passed fine by the vet afterwards. More unnecessary negative headlines
A big race on a big day with a big field, over 4 miles, with some going up a mile and a half in trip, with amateur ridden novices. BHA could not invent a race more likely to produce carnage.
Yes, there are other professionally ridden races that may (“MAY”) produce a similar result if jockeys get the pace wrong… But the point is the likelihood of it happening in this race is significantly higher. Horses going up a mile and a half in trip are less likely to stay. Amateurs are more likely to get carried away with the occasion. Amateurs are not so good at judging pace and 4 miles is more difficult to judge. Amateurs are more likely to misjudge what a horse has left. Big field means more interference – less room – and amateurs are more likely to cause interference. Amateurs are worse at putting a horse in the right position over a fence and these are inexperienced chasers more likely to make mistakes.
They’re asking for trouble.
Value Is EverythingComplete bullocks as usual, Ginger. As Nicky Henderson says, today’s amateurs are virtually pros.
If this race didn’t exist, then some of them- certainly Ballyward and OK Corral, and probably Discorama- wpuld have been in the RSA trying to jump at RSA pace. And possibly bashing into or bringing down TOTG, Santini et al. Some of them would go into the big field handicaps with more exprienced horses.
This year was unusual; if the ground had been easier through the winter then the likes of Ballyward would have had more racing experience.
Haha. Native River would’ve run a good race in the RSA, GM; only a few weeks later Native River won the 3m Grade 1 at Aintree. Tiger Roll would’ve also enhanced the RSA, putting up a Timeform rating in the NH Chase that would’ve seen him fighting out third with Bellshill in the RSA.
It’s just silly to say amateurs are virtually as good as pro’s. Some amateurs are just as good as pro’s, yes; but you get a large variety of abilities with amateurs. Why else would good amateur jockeys dominate amateur races? I’m not against amateur races, just think this particular race places too much risk of carnage.
Value Is Everything
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