- This topic has 55 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 10 months ago by
.
- Posts
Duelling Grounds changed to Kentucky Downs .
Grabel won the Dueling Grounds Hurdle , Nomadic Way and Regal Ambition behind , big money race .No dirt track just turfThe Aintree/Liverpool thing originally relates to the years when they had a motor racing circuit as well as horse racing. The British Grand Prix was staged there in the 50’s.
The horse racing track was Liverpool, the motor racing track was Aintree.
But even after the motor racing track was closed, and flat racing had also gone, fixture lists in my collection of Chasers and Hurdlers annuals still referred to Liverpool even in the early 90’s. And looking at SL diaries, they add to the confusion by listing the course as Aintree in the course maps section as early as 1985, but showing the fixtures as Liverpool on the day by day pages. So it seems safe to say there was no specific moment in time when everybody stopped saying Liverpool and started saying Aintree!
I grew up just a few miles away from Aintree. I cannot remember any of the locals ever referring to the racecourse as Liverpool. It was always Aintree.
But I do remember the national newspapers using the name Liverpool. And when Peter O’Sullevan described Red Rum winning his third Grand National in 1977 he memorably said “He’s getting a tremendous reception from the crowd, you’ve never heard one like it at Liverpool!”
I remember it being “Liverpool” in newspaper racecards, I remember O’Sullevan’s immortal line too.
I also remember at some point the name officially changing to Aintree, but, err, I can’t remember exactly when.
Or why!
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Despite O’Sullevan’s famous commentary, I am sure the track was usually called Aintree by the BBC. I assume the name was changed because Aintree was used more often.
I remember receiving a copy of “Travelling The Turf” as a Christmas present in something like 1986/87. It was a guide to the country’s racecourses published by the “Racing Post”. I am sure the track is referred to as Aintree in the book. Unfortunately it is still at my parents house, so I cannot check!
As I said, Aintree is technically not in Liverpool anyway, although it has sort of been absorbed by the city’s expansion rather like its near neighbour Bootle (also part of Sefton, rather than Liverpool). When I was growing up, older residents of Bootle were very proud of their separate identity from Liverpool and certainly did not consider themselves Liverpudlians.
Yes, absolutely this.
I saw “Liverpool” in The Guardian racecard, but while the BBC had Liverpool on its graphics they referred to it as Aintree constantly in speech EXCEPT O’Sullevan’s historic line.
As a rapt teen viewer, I was in constant awe of the gravelly-voiced O’Sullevan back then, and his use of the word “Liverpool” seemed to me to endorse and rubberstamp its title with the gravitas and theatre he brought to all his commentary back then.
I thought it was really cool that Liverpool had a great football club AND the world’s greatest horse race.
But Aintree is actually out in the suburbs, of course!
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Pontefract is correctly Pontefract Park, the common land north of the town. The racecourse is affectionately known as Ponty
Some refer to Wolverhampton as Wolver but to the best of my knowledge never Wolves
Mildly interesting that Exeter used to be Devon & Exeter with the ampersand, not Devon and Exeter
I’ve heard the term Esher Slopes used for Sandown
It was a better racecourse when it had the 3m1f summer chute and the “Devon &” ampersand.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"A couple of old names that appear in the 1913 McCalls Annual in my library. Both were then courses that staged a single meeting on Easter Monday.
Grafton Hunt – Towcester
West Norfolk – Fakenham
And at least in that annual, the courses include Edinburgh and Liverpool, as well as Devon and Exeter. The latter perhaps because their typeface didn’t include an ampersand?
Hamilton calls itself Hamilton PARK.
.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"That would be because it IS Hamilton Park.
The “Parks” – Hamilton, Fontwell, Sandown and Haydock.
“Grafton Hunt – Towcester
West Norfolk – Fakenham”
These are the names of Point-to-Point fixtures nowadays – the Grafton was at Whitfield until HS2 made a compulsory purchase order and is now at Edgecote, while the latter is still at Fakenham using portable Point fences on the hurdles course.
If an incoming Labour government carries out its threat to tighten up the legislation, effectively ending Hunting altogether, you might see a lot more Points run at professional racecourses as the sport effectively becomes even more of a lower tier of Jump racing.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“Welcome To Hamilton Park” is clearly spelt out in what look like white stones just before the finishing line at the South Lanarkshire venue.
“Racing Post calls it Hamilton”
That would be because the average age of their staff nowadays is about 19.
Hamilton Park, Fontwell Park, Haydock Park, Sandown Parks – dem’s de parks!
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.