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This isn’t a new phenomeon, the race has been run for 3 years now. Middleton Grey successful in the last 2 runnings and I think Smart Predator won the inagural contest in 2003.
I presume so, as there are 5 this afternoon at Bath:biggrin:
If they are the conditions of the race, is it any different really to having an 80 horse not qualified to run in a 0-75 or a winner not qualified for a maiden?
What next? A race for big strapping chestnuts with white blazes on their faces? They could call it the ‘Minstrel Handicap’ :biggrin:
quite right too. the greys only hcap is a great sight to watch and we mustn’t let connections put their horse in another hcap on the same card for fear of reducing the potential field for the big race. i will never get tired of seeing the wall of grey horses bolt up past the stands and even knowing how crap it sounds saying "i’m on the grey one", will probably say it again
btw, tdk, it is based on ability – the ability to be grey
<br>The prize money point is something Newmarket should be ashamed about – they are staging two other 0-85 6F handicaps this month (Aug 11, Aug 26), and they are both for the bare minimum permitted for a Class 4 race – i.e £8,500.
Other courses staging Class 4 6F races on turf this month are Thirsk, Brighton, Redcar, Newbury, Goodwood, Ripon and Epsom. Every single one offers more prize money than Newmarket. At a conservative estimate, those Friday evening pop concert meetings generate £300,000+ in gate money alone – where on earth does it all go?
BTW, the biggest prize fund for any Class 4 6F handicap (circus races excluded) this month is £12,500 – but that’s at Kempton, so obviously it doesn’t count.
AP
I remember when the "greys only" race was proposed three years ago, the Newmarket officials stated that to avoid complaints of favouritism, they would also run a non-grey horse race but the results section of the RP doesn’t state the race entry conditions. However, the Friday night of this meeting for the past 3 years has held a 6f Hcp which contained no Grey Horses, which itself is not unusual but I would reckon that this "non-greys" race has indeed been held for the last 3 years.
Please no-one mention Political Correctness as it will inevitably start me on the mother of all rants. I consider Political Correctness pathetic, childish and downright stupid. I have no time for it whatsoever and will never conform to it. (Bah bah rainbow sheep :no:, freakin idiots).
I’d love to see a running of "The Minstrel" handicap…I love those flashy chestnut horses :biggrin:
At the national hunt sales a few years back, before the coming of Roseliers in particular, many many people would turn there back if a grey walked into the sales ring. They could be very hard to sell. All that has changed now but fashions come and go and even the leading experts have there own personal and often perculier ideas about what a racehorse should look like. Funnily enough these ideas rarely look like anything youll see in the winners enclosure come March and chelters.
Certainly one thing holds true, chestnuts with white socks…the farriers hate them most. ;)
SHL
Stewards Inquiry could be needed. Hravest Warrior declared yet he seems to be registered as a brown gelding on the racing post database.
On further investigation i.e. from Weatherbys, the horse’s colour was officially changed after vet inspection. Not sure when though.
I think the HRA needs to rethink this kind of race. With all the negative publicity currently in the media, the last thing racing needs is for something like Middleton Grey or Harvest Warrior to suddenly rediscover their form after a sequence of very poor runs. Then there’s Ermine Grey suddenly coming back sharply in trip form recent runs. The whole thing stinks. Putting up such good prize money for a race that threatens to make a mockery of the form book is asking for trouble. For the sake of the sport, I hope either Finsbury or Celtic Spa wins as they are consistent and improving.
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