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A three runner race, took about four attempts to start and then one of them planted himself and refused to race.
Don’t blame him after that performance. It made racing look comical and amateurish.
No one does being condescending and patronising better than GT – even better than me at my worst here 15 years ago, I’d say.
Standing ovation.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"You said nothing wrong, CAS.
Just thought if “It made racing look comical and amateurish” you’d have a solution and wanted to hear it. Personally I think it might be a bit “comical”, but how is it “amateurish”? Surely everyone knows these things happen when there’s horses involved. The old saying “never work with children or animals” came to mind. Hence me suggesting a solution of “Horse Racing without horses”.
Thought I was just being comical, but apparently it’s “condescending and patronising”, so apologies if you found it that way.
Value Is EverythingNo problem Ginger. I was not upset, I just did not understand your post.
In my opinion, there was no need to call a false start on (I think) the second occasion. It seemed to me that the starter was preoccupied with De Boinville being too far behind the other two – but he was clearly happy to be out the back. The starter did not need to be so fussy.
Yes, I tend to agree with you CAS.
However, do feel sorry for starters…
When a horse got left several lengths behind at the start the starter gets the blame.
So I think the starters were told not to let them go when one is so far behind…
But that in turn means there’s a greater chance of a / multiple false starts… Which again the starter tends to get the blame for.Value Is EverythingI agree that “amateurish” is an accurate description and it happens time and time again. Nothing has changed since the Grand National debacle of 1993. Same untrained amateurs responsible for the critical stage of races.
BHA has no interest in exploring ways to improve starting processes. Too many injuries (and deaths) due to use of outdated starting stalls and old boys’ club members still getting easy billets starting showcase races with flags and bits of elastic.
Nice bit of bedtime reading from the Stewards’ Report:
An enquiry was held into the circumstances surrounding the start of Race 2. The Starter and the Clerk of the Course were interviewed. The Starter explained that on the first 2 efforts made to start the race FAIVOIR (FR) and TORN AND FRAYED (FR) had broken into a canter. As the horses were a sufficient distance from the starting tape, the jockeys communicated with the Starters and elected to turn their mounts away from the start, in order to prevent a False Start. After re-grouping and then trying to start the race with all of the runners now walking in, the starting mechanism failed to release the starting tape, resulting in a False Start. As a result, the race was then started by flag and on this occasion CASCOVA (IRE) refused to race and was deemed to be a runner. The Starter further explained that the starting tape had worked for Race 1 and during normal pre-race checks prior to Race 2. The Clerk of the Course explained that the starting mechanism will be replaced with a spare prior to Race 3 and that the reason for the fault with the original starting mechanism will be investigated. Their comments were noted and passed on to the Head Office of the British Horseracing Authority.
It’s hardly the most complicated mechanism in the world! When a piece of elastic can’t be ‘worked’ properly you do wonder.
There sometimes reaches a point where the ground becomes too Heavy to use stalls and even Flat races have to dispense with them.
But that doesn’t stop them using stalls most of the time and I fail to see why that cannot be the case for Jump races.
It’s 2021 and they use a bit of elastic – comical, amateurish, agreed.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Considered the use of stalls for jumpers. Came to the conclusion:
If stalls were used on all bar heavy then horses wouldn’t be used to starting without stalls on very soft / heavy, therefore probably have more problem races than there are now.
Taking a considerable risk of trouble in stalls when there is no real reason (other than what it looks like)… And in flat racing it is often bigger types that play up when touching the sides. Big chasing types could be even worse.
When first making the decision to change to stalls you’d also get the prospect of learning eleven or twelve year olds new tricks just for their final season.
…And when using stalls is a borderline decision you’d also get times when they’ve made what turns out to be the wrong decision – stalls get stuck. Surely can’t take that risk – having stalls in the way coming around for the second circuit…
Wouldn’t that look even more amateurish?
Value Is EverythingGingertipster remember last season when they ran Tiger Roll first run season back on the flat, completely bazaar. And when the stalls opened he was slow always he probably thought he was in is stall on way home
A national hunt horse going back to stalls start he was totally confused by it all, yes he had some runs on flat in younger days. But didn’t seem rightAs you say big handicap fields can you imagine starting stalls for the nationals and Cheltenham festival races it be crazy
VF x
I would point out that 40 horses have been successfully loaded for the Cambridgeshire in the past, the issue with existing jumpers being unused to it would be gone ten years after it was introduced and it would have prevented racing being a global laughing stock after the void Grand National in the 90s.
There are pros and cons to everything, of course, but I could see it at least being trialled – maybe for summer jumping – in our lifetimes.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I do not think starting stalls are necessary. The main problem is starters are too fussy. I have lost count of the number of times they have called false starts when every horse was facing in the right direction and nothing was too far back. Only to then let them go the next time when there was no difference and sometimes when it was more ragged.
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