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As the title really ,used to look forward to the Derby when i was younger the hustle and bustle of a 20 odd runner field turning for home round tattenham corner just don’t see how a modern day derby with such small fields warrents 700000+ prize money to a winner of a twelve runner and less Derby field .
Just not a spectacle at all .In my view there are too few good horses and too many poor horses, so the days of 20+ runners in the Derby will never be repeated. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
In my view there are too few good horses and too many poor horses, so the days of 20+ runners in the Derby will never be repeated. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
I disagree, Derby horses were always rarer than tits on a billiard ball.
There are more options nowadays for high class 3yos and there seems to be fewer ‘have-a-go-merchants’ who’ll take on a run due to the increasing expense (remember Blue Judge and Blues Traveller filling the places at 150-1 each behind Commander-In-Chief in 1993?).
However, the key point is probably the downgrading in kudos of the 1m4f trip as we edge more towards speed than stamina.
Mike
Heh, I long for a 10-14 runner (Kentucky) Derby again. Better to have only the very best 3yos in the race, if that’s less than 20 horses so be it.
If you want more runners in the field how about finally letting in geldings…
Why is more deemed better?
How many ran in the 1971 2000 Guineas? I think it was six and is thought to be one of, if not the best of all time.
Classics should be about quality.
If you so wish you can get your fix of 20 runner handicap races every day of the week.
I grew up thinking that The Derby was the greatest race in the world. I go back to the year when Larkspur won (1962) and there were 7 fallers on Tattenham Corner. I used to run home from school on a Wednesday afternoon to see it and then in later years I used to take a radio to work to listen to the race if I couldn’t get time off!
I’m not saying there has to be 20 runners, in 1962 there were 26 and look what happened, but I would like to see more genuine British challengers, a few more owners that are more racing than breeding minded and a race to get excited about again.
For the last few years The Derby has left me feeling like the kid who finds out that Santa Claus isn’t real and Christmas isn’t the same anymore!!
Agree re- missing the spectacle. Mind you, some dross used to turn up in it…
It was all dross last year.
I do feel that the race is not as important as it used to be,I preferred it on a Wednesday,it seemed a bigger event but I will still look forward to it.Good luck with all your bets.
If you go to back a certainty always buy a return ticket.
Why is more deemed better?
How many ran in the 1971 2000 Guineas? I think it was six and is thought to be one of, if not the best of all time.
Classics should be about quality.
If you so wish you can get your fix of 20 runner handicap races every day of the week.
Totally agree Stilvi.
I am more concerned with quality, and we haven’t seen much of that in recent years. Take out the winners and the over all standard of runners hasn’t been great. Does not mean it will continue, but probably isn’t good for most middle-distance/staying colts to be housed in so few stables.
For all Mr O’Brien’s public face seems obsessed by "speed", that does not play out in practice. Numbers of top middle-distance/staying breds in the yard is remarkable.
Godolphin seem on the decline. Hopefully Qatar Racing Ltd will be a new force, but the British owner-breeder sadly sems a thing of the past.
Value Is Everything
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