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I didn’t enjoy aintree all that when I went but I do like the festival to watch and the aintree hurdle and the Maghull Novices are two cracking races. The Maghull has to be the quickest and most exciting novice chase of the year.
I would like to go to Punchestown though.
Aintree is very good but it doesn’t compare with Cheltenham. With the proximity of Fairyhouse and Punchestown there will never be the same depth to the Irish challenge. At least it has a mares bumper though!
Betting is a different challenge as well with few early prices and smaller fields/less competitive races making long priced each-way fancies that much more difficult to find.
I really do not agree that every Cheltenham race is a quality affair. The new handicaps do not excite me at all in the way the Grade 1’s and the
traditional
handicaps do. As mentioned many times by myself and others, only the Ryanair made sense and smacks of quality.
The Aintree hurdle is brilliant – the best 2m 4f hurdle of the year.
The National, though not everyone’s thing, is racing’s "window." As a spectacle it cannot be rivalled and it is the only time racing is on the FRONT pages of the newspapers and in the TV news headlines. (Let’s be honest, the Derby is not in the public conscience the way the National is.)
As an experience I can see how Cheltenham would be more of a purist’s choice. Wait till it goes to 5 days…
Going over the Aintree card for all 3 days I could only pick out 3 races that don’t make the pulse quicken. Cheltenham has at least 5 or 6.
Zip
Hi guys total newbie here,just had to come into this discussion.Was at Cheltenham this year again and have to say I much prefer the place to Aintree although Ive only been there once
cheers
sea pidgeonI don’t consider either ‘better’ than the other, they are just different and that surely is the great thing about the two meetings.
Anyone know who’s calling the Grand National this year? Richard do you know?
I should imagine it will be the usual team on BBC (Jim McGrath,Ian Bartlett, Tony O’Hehir & Darren Owen).
Radio 5 is usually John Hunt and Malcolm Tomlinson I think?
Steven
Cheltenham will always be the class act compared to Aintree although I love both,and Punchestown. The great quality races have come and gone at Chelt and Aintree has to make do with the crumbs off the rich mans table. However they are some crumbs ,and this where the strength of the super stables like PFN comes in. He has an army of quality horses coming up and to see Big Bucks put the shine on his Chelt triumph will be something to behold. The Aintree hurdle is spectacular,and of course the great Grand National,nothing can compete with this. When we first see those spruce fences it stirs our hearts.
The three meetings are what NH racing is all about and I can`t wait.Anyone know who’s calling the Grand National this year? Richard do you know?
I should imagine it will be the usual team on BBC (Jim McGrath,Ian Bartlett, Tony O’Hehir & Darren Owen).
Radio 5 is usually John Hunt and Malcolm Tomlinson I think?
Steven
On course it is Mark Johnson, Richard Hoiles and Stewart Machin.
Last I heard it was going to be Mark in the Grandstand, Richard at the third fence and Stewart at Beechers although that may change
Do most of the on-course bookmakers accept euro at Aintree this week?
Wouldn’t go as far as to say most – but a large number will.
Anyone know who’s calling the Grand National this year? Richard do you know?
I should imagine it will be the usual team on BBC (Jim McGrath,Ian Bartlett, Tony O’Hehir & Darren Owen).
Radio 5 is usually John Hunt and Malcolm Tomlinson I think?
Steven
On course it is Mark Johnson, Richard Hoiles and Stewart Machin.
Last I heard it was going to be Mark in the Grandstand, Richard at the third fence and Stewart at Beechers although that may change
Good to get Mark Johnson back as he is much better than Mike Cattermole and at least he will generate a good roar from the crowd as his style is suited to this meeting and he will love doing the Fox Hunters again.
And it is fantastic to have Stewart Machin hopefully doing part of the meeting, very much underated and has done a few Cambridgshire so this will be doddle and deserves to be given a high quality meeting like this.
On course it is Mark Johnson, Richard Hoiles and Stewart Machin.
Last I heard it was going to be Mark in the Grandstand, Richard at the third fence and Stewart at Beechers although that may change
ok Cheers for that info Paul.
I did hear a while ago that Mike Cattermole was not going to be doing the Aintree meeting as the course had several complaints about his calling of the National last year and were going to conisder changing things in 2009.So the above may be correct but couldn’t say for definate why they changed this time around.
P.S Good to see that Mark is part of the team this year though!
I see they have also opted for three pairs of eyes instead of two. Good Move.
Suprised that Stewart Machin wasn’t included in the on-course team sooner – arguably the best big field caller in the game.
Mark Johnson won’t forget 2009 in a hurry will he? Cheltenham, the National, Kentucky Derby.
Doubt if the BBC TV will change things- with the exception of the 2004 shake up they’re not known for bringing in new blood in a hurry…
I see they have also opted for three pairs of eyes instead of two. Good Move.
Suprised that Stewart Machin wasn’t included in the on-course team sooner – arguably the best big field caller in the game.
Mark Johnson won’t forget 2009 in a hurry will he? Cheltenham, the National, Kentucky Derby.
Doubt if the BBC TV will change things- with the exception of the 2004 shake up they’re not known for bringing in new blood in a hurry…
Probably not giving too many secrets away if I say there will probably be six pairs of eyes – each of the callers will have a spotter – usually another commentator, to try and help spot fallers.
I defence of Mike last year, the commentary box at the third is in the most terrible position and for the "far side" call he was reliant on just a monitor which will not be as clear as your TV at home!!!! Hopefully Stewart at Beechers will have a better sight of that section of the course this year.
The BBC TV line-up is the same as for the past few years Barty, Tony O’Haire, Darren Owen and Jim McGrath – I haven’t seen the BBC Radio line-up, although John Hunt in the Grandstand is a given. I hope they stick with Malcolm Tomlinson and also Gary O’Brien (he of ATR fame) as both are very good.
Paul & Others,
I have just seen the following from the BBC Radio 5 Live website:
"On Saturday 4 April, Mark Pougatch presents 5 Live Sport from Aintree from 12noon, with all the build-up to the big race at 4.15pm. Commentary on the day will be provided by John Hunt, Luke Harvey, Malcolm Tomlinson, Matthew Hill and Gary O’Brien."
If you look at the link below you will see this week’s schedule for the Grand National 2009 meeting:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressr … rald.shtml
I notice from the above that Mick Fitzgerald joins the BBC 5 Live team this year!
Steven
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