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Willie Mullins’ thoughts on the original topic –
“I read this morning that the clerk of the course was worried about whether to water or not. I always thought a rule of thumb was not to worry about having it over-watered, safety is the main thing to me and a little too much is better than a little too less.”
BUY THE SUN
Spot on re Pinfolds history of Aintree. It’s a great read, comprehensively detailing the history of the course as opposed to the National.
I’ve never been to Salisbury but the view of the hurdle course at Kelso from on top of the old members building is amazing. You’re almost looking down on the runners.
I have been to Salisbury a few times but the last occasion was about twenty years ago. I always enjoyed it there.
The long distance races are amongst the very few Flat races to start without stalls. There is also that race at Goodwood which Lil Rockefeller won a few years ago.
Are there any others? I can recall the long distance races at Chester not using stalls but they do now.
Hamilton Park is the only other racecourse to have a similar design to Goodwood and Salisbury but all its races start from stalls. I have only visited there once and can recommend it.
On the area covered by racecourses: Pontefract, where the new season starts today, is a very large circuit. The third race there today is 2m 2f. Isn’t it less than one complete circuit?
As for Aintree, it depends what you mean by the racecourse! The Mildmay and hurdles course form a very tight circuit in between the stands and the Melling Road. This would also have been where the Flat racing was staged.
It is only the National course that makes it such a large circuit. In old commentaries, when they cross back over the Melling Road, John Hanmer would say something like “and as they head back onto The Racecourse, we join Peter O’Sullevan”.
Presumably the National course was considered to be open country and not part of the racecourse?
“When the place filled up beyond any sensible capacity, it became a bit of a toilet to be honest. I can see the Thursday being infinitely better.”
It is, although far busier than it used to be (which is a good thing, much better to see the course supported).
When I first started going, the Thursday was rather quiet, the Friday was busier and the Saturday would have been packed.
Now, the Thursday is far busier than either the Thursday and Friday used to be; the Friday is manic and the Saturday crowded.
I stopped going on the Friday a few years ago. It was starting to become expensive (£53 for just a basic Tatts ticket now) and too noisy (for me anyway). I am happy to leave it for Liverpool’s finest ladies to enjoy their Big Day Out. Good luck to them, especially this year. Their first Ladies Day for three years!
I have been told by people who go that the Saturday is better than the Friday. More of a racing crowd go to see the National, whereas the Friday is a party crowd.
I just think it’s a shame when any racecourse uses any quality card as a simultaneous vehicle for a “party.”
Cracking card Friday too, but many will be put off.
I don’t attend Cheltenham’s Hunter Chase evening any more as, incongruously, they now have a DJ after racing to attract the local night club crowd.
Peaky Blinders wannabes and their other halves would be quite happy with Class 6 Handicaps all night on a Flat AW card – it should be the LAW that all “Party” cards are confined to these!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I now have a vision of the tweedy, yellow corduroy wearing Hunter Chase set strutting their stuff to the latest dance sounds.
Gentle rain in Liverpool this morning and it looks like more is on the way. No need to turn the taps on, Clerk.
CAS,
Pontefract circuit is just over two miles round. The 2m 2f races start in the home straight, the 2m 5f+ Marathon from the 5F start.
The no stalls 1m 6f start at Salisbury is simply because the course at that point isn’t wide enough for a single unit of stalls. Much the same at Goodwood, another race that starts by the winning post. Additional problem at Goodwood is nowhere to put the stalls after the start.
Though there is a bigger crowd on the Friday they nearly all go down to the bottom end where the music and bars are so it is actually quieter around the paddock on Friday than it is on Thursday when there is more of a racing crowd in attendance.
On the subject of Flat races without stalls, none of the Flat races at Tramore use stalls, no matter what the distance.
I seem to recall Sir Mark Prescott once sent over to Ireland a horse which had developed an aversion to stalls. It won a nice handicap. Cannot remember if it was at Tramore or another Irish venue. Wexford perhaps, when it still had Flat racing?
The problem with Aintree now is that they ditched their no drink areas so on the Friday it’s become an open air night club with the racing playing second fiddle.
I stopped going on the Friday a few years ago but may brave it on Friday as there’s a couple of Owners Group horse entered“I now have a vision of the tweedy, yellow corduroy wearing Hunter Chase set strutting their stuff to the latest dance sounds.”
Horribly-plausible.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"CAS wrote:
“The only Grand National I have ever seen live was in 1997 when Lord Gylenne won and the race was run on the following Monday after being abandoned due to a bomb scare. A kindly manager let me take the afternoon off. It took about two hours to get in after queueing up and having to go through all the security. It was quite strange being there for just one race!
In some ways, the autumn meetings at Aintree are better. You can visit more parts of the track with just a general ticket, including the roof terrace of the old grandstand where you get a great view of the track and the surrounding area.”
That was my sole visit to Aintree too, in exact same circumstances (kindly manager etc). Can’t remember the queue being that long though!
Great tip about the autumn. I do fancy Becher day, for example.
I have not been on Becher day for a few years. I recall it as the busiest of the autumn days.
The Sunday meeting at the end of October with the Old Roan Chase is a good meeting and not too crowded. I quite enjoyed the November Saturday meeting this season as well, even though the weather was terrible.
I remember going to the ‘first’ Becher Chase back 1992, when Kildimo won – rained all day, and got rather wet.
My only time watching the National, was 1997; dropped the car off at Maghull, and got the train…..was enjoyable experience, for one race.Haven’t been to the Thurs/Fri of the National meeting for a while; I’d stopped enjoying it. Thursday was starting to get like the Friday, which was horrendous. Too crowded, too long queues for food/drinks, toilets – and far too many there not watching the racing. Most would be better off going the Queens/Sefton pubs….However, they bring the money in, so fair enough.
Watering has started on the Mildmay and Hurdles courses as well. Although the latest forecast I have seen says there is an 83% chance of rain between now and the start of the meeting.
The clerk says unless they water, there is a danger the course will dry out to “an unacceptable level”.
Why is it unacceptable? If the ground was left as it is, I do not believe for one second it would be dangerous.
The radar indicates it’s raining in the area now, or soon will be, with a heavy dollop currently over north Wales heading rapidly east
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