- This topic has 23 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 9 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
It is a Bank Holiday tomorrow. There are only four meetings in the UK, two of them on the all weather.
There is no meeting at all in Ireland – where I assume it is also a public holiday.
Maybe everyone is just weary from all the racing over the Christmas period but this still strikes me as poor fare to offer the race going public on a day when many will be off work. Nothing in the North of England, nothing in the West and very little in the South.
It must have been possible to offer something a little more inspiring.
I have been thinking exactly this ever since first looking at the fixtures at the entry stage.
We have had numerous delayed Bank Holidays this Yuletide due to Christmas/New Year falling on a weekend, but even so this is truly shocking fare tomorrow.
Cheltenham always used to be a two-day New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day meeting with a big 4m Handicap Chase (the first of numerous Grand National trials in January) and it might have been an idea to have raced there on Monday with ITV Racing offered it too?
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"Maybe they could have run the Challow Hurdle card today, instead of it being slightly lost in those boring days between Christmas and New Year.
And run Fairyhouse’s New Year Day card yesterday and the Naas meeting today.
That would have been a better scenario too.
This four-card Bank Holiday is an epic fail by the BHA – it’s as if they’ve given up on the idea it’s a Public Holiday, everyone’s back at work tomorrow anyway, so let’s not even bother with it.
Bog standard winter Monday fare.
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"Why did Cheltenham stop the two day fixture? I think the last time it took place was 1999 – and I seem to recall that was just revived for the Millennium celebrations after being dropped a few years before.
Tramore used to be a two day fixture on New Year’s Eve and 1st January as well. Now the former has been replaced by a rather bland card at Punchestown.
It is crazy there is no racing in Ireland today.
No idea.
I remember going to the New Year’s Eve fixture with my Dad in the 1980s and it was a decent card.
The valuable 2m4f Handicap Chase still existed at the fixture – Fred Winter’s Observe won it one year, I think, and later won the Cathcart at the Festival – but the 4m (Bass sponsored) Handicap Chase used to take centre stage.
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"The last time Cheltenham had a two day meeting at New year was 2004. And I’m fairly sure the official reason for dropping the second day, was the addition of a fourth day the the Festival, thus sticking to the same total number of days for the season.
Economics might have also played a part, as by concentrating solely on January 1st, they now get more people attending for one meeting than the previous total for two days. In the early 90’s, when the second day was often not a public holiday, crowds of less than 5,000 were the norm for that day. The last New years Eve meeting had just over 9,000.
Thanks for the information AP.
The NYE at the Millennium was a public holiday but I expect the crowd was not much larger given everything that was going on that day.
It tends to be forgotten that New Year’s Day only became a public holiday in England in 1974.
Doesn’t usually fall like this though does it. It’s not like Good Friday/Easter Monday which is on a certain day every year eg. the All Weather Finals are now synonymous with Good Friday and the Irish GN with Easter Monday no matter what date this falls on. The NYD Cheltenham meet always falls on the 1st so I can understand the NY Bank Holiday being lost somewhat when it falls on a date other than the 1st.
Just a case of CAS’s moan for the day
It is not a moan. It is a Bank Holiday and the racing is not very good. A statement of fact.
A Bank Holiday after over a week of jollity and excess for most people. Not a normal BH IMO.
I refer you to my original post when I recognise there might be an element of weariness after the Christmas period. Nevertheless, with a bit more imagination I think some better fare could have been offered. Mr Davies and myself have both offered practical suggestions for how it could have been improved.
But just attack me if that is what you prefer.
I’m not attacking you. Just giving my view of why there probably isn’t much racing. The moan comment is just a personal observation on the posts you make.
To be fair, CAS is a very popular “moaner!”
The bugger produced himself late and fast like Lester Piggott on Sir Ivor in The Derby to cut me down in the final furlong for TRF “Moaner” Of The Year after I’d led, travelling like a winner (or so I thought), at Tattenham Corner!
Joking aside, don’t most here post to “moan” (aka “constructively criticise?”).
I would agree some people are relentlessly and endlessly negative about absolutely everything – cheer up, chaps, plenty of time for being miserable when you’re dead – but I wouldn’t level that accusation at CAS.
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"I think better racing today would be a good idea, there’s far less other sport going on than between Christmas and New Year. There’s only one Premier League match on and it’s after dark anyway plus the darts final (the sport’s blue ribband event of the entire year) but again it’s in the evening.
The Scots even have another Bank Holiday tomorrow and no meetings on (I know they can’t attend but for Christ’s sake let’s not go there yet again).
I know the calendar isn’t the same every year and the days fall nicely this time but you get a three day weekend if New Year’s day is on any day Friday to Monday. The racing calendar needn’t be the same every year, it could adapt to the individual circumstances of each year.
The last time Jan 1st fell on a Saturday was 2011 – the cards on Monday were Ayr, Hereford and Lingfield. But nobody came, all three had crowds between 1,300 and 1,500.
There was a different solution back in 1994 – on Sat Jan 1st, Newbury staged the Challow Hurdle card. Cheltenham raced on Dec 31st and Jan 3rd and that seemed to work, as Newbury got almost ten thousand and Cheltenham just over eleven thousand on Jan 3rd. Windsor also ran their News Years Day Hurdle on Jan 3rd and got nearly five thousand.
Of course there was no Sunday racing in 1994, which would have helped fuel demand on the Monday.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.