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I hope it was a successful evening, ID.
The Aintree attendance on Boxing Day has been confirmed as 6,002. The crowd on Old Roan day at the end of October was 5,947.
I am rather surprised by the Boxing Day total. It seemed far quieter around the paddock and winners enclosure. I watched most of the races from the top tier of the Daresbury stand and that was much quieter than on Old Roan day as well.
Where were all these people? Maybe they were in corporate areas where I did not venture.
I wonder what the Jockey Club make of the attendance? It compared favourably with Old Roan day and the Saturday in mid December. But the Boxing Day crowds were larger at Wincanton and Market Rasen, which are in smaller population areas than Liverpool. Then again, those two meetings are long established on Boxing Day. Aintree’s fixture might need time to grow.
I do wonder if the price was a little bit high. £30 for a card with one Grade 1 and six ordinary races in support is a bit steep. I suppose it puts into perspective just what incredible value the Thursday of the Grand National meeting is – £35 this year for 4 Grade 1s and the Foxhunters. I will be booking my ticket tomorrow.
Thanks CAS.
It was certainly busier than on a Wednesday evening and with two Class 3 Handicaps it was an ok card.
The Thursday of the GN meeting you allude to is an outstanding deal for racegoers for sure.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Not at the races but I am at a racecourse: walking the complete circuit of Chester. It is always quite pleasant to do during the closed season.
Yes, Chester is a lovely walk and I too would recommend it if you happen to be in the area on a non racing day.
“walking the complete circuit of Chester.”
LOVE this.^
I would absolutely do the same if I was there.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Thanks ID. The going was a bit tacky up the home straight and on the turn out around the 7 furlong pole but otherwise it was OK.
You’re welcome, CAS – great stuff.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I enjoyed it at Doncaster today. Only a small crowd, plenty of space and decent enough racing for midweek in January.
I recommend going to Town Moor at this time of year if you just want a quiet day at the races.
Glad you had a good day, CAS.
Funny old track for jumping, Doncaster.
Town Moor is best known for Flat racing (St Leger, Lincoln etc), but I see the Great Yorkshire Chase has finally got its name back and the Chase course there is a fair galloping test.
The Silver Ring Clock Tower was still intact last time I went and parts of it are unchanged since they filmed the climax to “The Rainbow Jacket” there in the 1950s.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Thanks ID.
Doncaster’s Flat racing will always be more famous but I do quite like it as a jumps track. I suppose it lacks the character of some of the countryside jumps tracks but the racing is usually of a fair standard and the ground is seldom too testing.
By the silver ring clock tower, do you mean the clock on top of the old fashioned grandstand? Despite looking its age, I noticed it was telling the correct time, so it is clearly in full working order.
Only the lower part of that old stand was open. The upper tier had barriers up to prevent anyone from entering, which was a pity because I usually like to watch a race or two from that spot.
“By the silver ring clock tower, do you mean the clock on top of the old fashioned grandstand?”
Yes – I didn’t word it very well.
I watched many a race in that old Silver Ring Stand and actually watched the 1978 St Leger from the even back then largely disused older lower stands even further down the course just past the furlong pole.
I can still see Julio Mariner forging clear and fending off the strong-finishing Le Moss while odds-on Ile De Bourbon found nothing in my mind’s eye as I type – over 45 years ago.
I remember various Jumps cards there too.
Good old Donny – delighted you had a good day there.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I’ve attended this meeting on several occasions and if memory serves it used to be held on a Monday in early-mid January. As you say it’s pleasantly quiet and understated: the atmos of a midweek rural gaff in a metropolis
Long thought that Donny is under utilised as an NH track, mainly because of the usually decent winter going, as you note. The fences, which are now softer and portable, used to be big and robust, not quite those of old Haydock, but a good test nevertheless.
The gentlemen’s lavatory in the clock tower stand is worth admiring over a lingering leak: a long line of enormous, satisfyingly-enclosed white porcelain urinals, which could well be Victorian/Edwardian
I first attended Doncaster in the first week of January 1978 on a wonderfully sunny, crisp, cold, day.
I saw Royal Frolic beat Cancello 12 lengths in a match, King Weasel won that day and Connaught Ranger was successful in the last.
I returned later in the month in miserable weather when Tree Tangle was UR at the fourth (first ditch), Autumn Rain beat Lucius in the Great Yorkshire Chase and Night Nurse beat Bird’s Nest in the Yorkshire Hurdle.
Even back then, the fences, while still big, weren’t as stiff as once reputed to be – Wetherby and Haydock Park were much sterner tests (and better preps for trying Cheltenham’s then similarly stiff fences) as they all were back then.
Having not been there since seeing Kingston Hill win the St Leger, I must return to Town Moor one day, including over Jumps which I’ve not been to there since the 80s – CAS picks the best days at the races to go to and I love reading about them.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I suppose the only slight down side to Doncaster is its viewing is not the best. It is a big circuit and there are also some trees in the middle of the track, which makes viewing on the far side a problem. Of course, the big screen renders the issue obsolete nowadays – but I still like using binoculars!
“The gentlemen’s lavatory in the clock tower stand is worth admiring over a lingering leak: a long line of enormous, satisfyingly-enclosed white porcelain urinals, which could well be Victorian/Edwardian”.
This might be too much information but I did make use of that facility yesterday. All I saw was a wall and a gutter. I hope the rather beautiful sounding white porcelain urinals have not been taken out!
As previously stated, I hate big screens at racecourses and do my best to avert my gaze from them.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Deary me, if they have been replaced by the ubiquitous smelly stainless steel gutter the that’s cultural vandalism at its worst
It’s probably 15 years or more since I enjoyed my elegant piddle so it wouldn’t surprise me
A return trip maybe to confirm and then a stern word with the management
It wasn’t one of those stainless steel things (although they were in use in the facilities in the main stand). It was in effect the tiled wall with a gutter at the bottom.
Thinking about it again, some of the room may have been closed off, so perhaps the urinals were in there?
Anyway, I am intrigued now and will have to check the next time I visit!
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