32Red.com Hcap Ch AND 32Red Hcap Ch?

[Anonymous]

That’s because races named after sponsors at their inception must take it as they find it – one reason why the prestige of the former

Whitbread

has declined so dramatically is this lack of continuity. The same will happen to the

Hennessy

once that changes its sponsorship.

Frankly the

Mackeson/Paddy Power

or whatever is merely the most important chase staged traditionally at that particular meeting, so the name’s not so important as the date and venue.

A race with the peculiar conditions of the

Washington Singer

(high sire’s median distance, lack of a previous pattern win) needs continuity if it isn’t to descend into nonentity.

[Racing Daily]

Max, thank you first for telling me who Washington Singer was. I had vaguely assumed the race was something to do with American sewing machines, and am delighted to be proved wrong.

My own position is that I have no particular problem with a race being called the

"Matalan Stakes"

, because if race names went on ethical suitability we’d have had no

Derby

or

King Edward VII

either, semi-cads that they were!)

What I do have a problem with, is the fact that a race’s reputation is built on continuity: say

"Washington Singer winner"

and we know the month, course and conditions of an established brand, which trainers favour it, which don’t, and many other factors. Unless it’s guaranteed to be the

Matalan Stakes

for at least a decade – and you can get your bottom dollar that this name will

not

last

half

that time – then continuity, and the race’s reputation is lost.

We know now that this kind of sponsorship does not raise the prize money on offer. So why cannot Newbury simply call their virtual toilet the

"Matalan Comfort Station"

in perpetuity, as a gracious nod towards the cheque presented to them by that esteemed retail outlet?

The 2010 race title could have been the

Washington Singer Stakes, sponsored by Matalan

, without losing its prestige, or confusing everyone, or irritating not a few.

The words

Newbury

,

cut

,

nose

,

spite

and

face

occur to me in no particular order. I think I might email them…

I agree, I don’t see what the hell is wrong with that, instead of holding a garage sale and selling off historic race names to any old riff-raff for the highest price. It disturbs me greatly that racing is selling it’s soul to the highest bidder.

[davidjohnson]

They may not please folks on here, but looks like their shareholders will be happy.

http://www.egrmagazine.com/news/870532/ … rise.thtml

[Racing Daily]

It seems like we lost the Scilly Isles Novices chase to bookmaker sponsorship today. In fact, the entire scoop 6 helping for the day was/is one big billboard for high street bookies and their menu of services

[Drone]

The Bunbury Cup is back, so that warrants this thread being given pole position for a while

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-ra … 00/latest/

"Renaming the Bunbury Cup last year stimulated many people to air their views both in favour and against the change. Most important of all for 32Red is actually being recognised as the sponsor of the race, but we also believe being positively associated with such a race is vital for us."

Newmarket managing director Stephen Wallis added: "We are delighted at Ed Ware’s gesture to put racing’s heritage over his own commercial interests."

Power to the (TRF) people

Now,

what joy there is in heaven when a sinner repenteth

so Mr Ware, don’t spoil things and give us our Tolworth Hurdle back too

[apracing]

Newmarket managing director Stephen Wallis added: "We are delighted at Ed Ware’s gesture to put racing’s heritage over his own commercial interests."

How ironic then that Wallis and Newmarket have actually removed the Heritage Handicap label from this race in order to allow them to reduce the prize money by thirty grand and not offend the gods of the tariff!

If I had a runner I’d be a lot more bothered by that than by a semantic debate about the race title.

AP

[Racing Daily]

The Bunbury Cup is back, so that warrants this thread being given pole position for a while

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-ra … 00/latest/

"Renaming the Bunbury Cup last year stimulated many people to air their views both in favour and against the change. Most important of all for 32Red is actually being recognised as the sponsor of the race, but we also believe being positively associated with such a race is vital for us."

Newmarket managing director Stephen Wallis added: "We are delighted at Ed Ware’s gesture to put racing’s heritage over his own commercial interests."

Power to the (TRF) people

Now,

what joy there is in heaven when a sinner repenteth

so Mr Ware, don’t spoil things and give us our Tolworth Hurdle back too

Fair play to 32red for seeing the error of their ways, i’d love to think that TRF played a part in it too
Yes, now we want the Tolworth back too, in fact all race names with a historical context attached to them. I am pleased.
@AP, I agree totally. Whilst the tariffs issue is a separate debate it does need to be sorted out. Diluting the schedule down with cheaper races is not any way to run a historic sport that so many people love.

[Drone]

How ironic then that Wallis and Newmarket have actually removed the Heritage Handicap label from this race in order to allow them to reduce the prize money by thirty grand and not offend the gods of the tariff!

Hypocritical words from Wallis indeed, though I’ve long found the criterion for leg-up to ‘Heritage Handicap’ being monetary rather than historical quite strange. Correct me if I’m wrong but many relatively new (or brand new) handicaps have been awarded Heritage status in recent years purely on value grounds, haven’t they?

The Bunbury Cup is a ‘heritage’ handicap whatever its value, in my book

The Carlisle Bell and Cumberland Plate are races with a very long heritage. Are they Heritage Handicaps too?

[Anonymous]

It seems the Heritage Handicap is a deceased duck. Anything to lower the prize money. BHA need to make sure that more sponsorship goes to boost the value of the

races

, and not all to the

racecourses

who pull this kind of stunt to the detriment of the sport.

[Author]

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