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Old Derek Thompson this morning said the Ebor is the best horse racing festival in the world – now I know he says that about every race meeting he will say the same about the St Leger next month etc – but does he really think the ebor is better than Cheltenham, Dubai world cup or Breeders Cup. Does anyone else think Ebor is best in the world
Dubai World Cup for me ahead of Hong Kong Internationals and the Melbourne Spring carnival.
Having said that I am yet to experience the likes of Goodwood, Newmarket, Royal Ascot (well I was there one year on the fringes taking photos for a London Aussie magazine whose name I forget but that was it) and Ebor.
And I haven’t been to a Breeder’s Cup or Kentucky Derby – good grief I haven’t been many places at all
I think if we had a poll of say, 10,000 racing enthusiasts, I think Cheltenham would get more votes than all the other festivals put together – I really believe that.
You have to remember, different festivals will suit different people. York is a fantastic meeting, full of quality racing – but that’s just it, it is a meeting with quality racing and top class horses, whereas Cheltenham is a proper festival.
On the flat, there are so many meets that are on a par with each other in terms of getting the best horses to the track, ie, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, Newmarket July Meeting, Ebor Meeting at York etc – but over the jumps, Cheltenham is by far the main event and stands head and shoulders above the likes of Punchestown and Aintree in terms of ‘getting all the best horses to the track’.
Cheltenham is unique, the friendly rivalry between the English and the Irish, the packed crowds, the atmosphere, the roar of the crowd, the Championship Races, the speed that the horses travel and jump. I’ve never experienced anything like Cheltenham, and i’ve been to most of the UK meets on the flat and jumps – and probably never will.
Mike
good old thomo, what a muppet, to say the ebor is the best racing festival in the world mmmm. nothing comes close to cheltenham, never been to the dubai world cup, but should imagine being surrounded by blokes in dressing gowns who are’nt allowed to have a bet is’nt much fun
Best festy? Cartmel or Perth for me.
Inevitably.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Aintree for me with Cheltenham close behind.
Typical Thommo nonsense. He’s entitled to his opinion though of course. even if it is as ridiculous as the "Dubai World Cup" nomination. Dubai World Cup lol, I’d rather watch a dull day at Brighton at least its all on grass and ego free.
Well, of course I’m biased cos I live there but Cheltenham gets my vote.
My girlfriend has been to the Dubai World Cup and says its fabulous with a ‘very different’ atmosphere – they don’t win money of course because that constitutes gambling, but they do win cars, jewellry etc etc!!
I’d bet Thommo would rank his festivals in order of the totty he can get his hands on!!
back in 2001 i attended a day at all the main flat festivals ie: chester,epsom,royal ascot,newmarket july, goodwood,york and doncaster and noticed how flat the atmosphere seemed compared with cheltenham and aintree.
even eclipse day at sandown was the same,so i would say cheltenham and aintree are the best festivals the rest are also ransMost of them aren’t "festivals" anyway, just race meetings. Unfortunately, renaming them in this way gives the racecourse executives the excuse to hold a "Ladies’ Day" of which on present trends there will soon be three or four a week.
I see the Tralee version gets under way on Tuesday. It must be a festival because the Post says so.
Isn’t ‘atmosphere’ an overrated concept. I’ll happily swap it for good racing and the ability to get around relatively easily.
Isn’t ‘atmosphere’ an overrated concept. I’ll happily swap it for good racing and the ability to get around relatively easily.
Come on DJ,
I hardly think atmostphere is overrated, like in any sport, atmosphere plays a huge part of the enjoyment. Would you rather watch a footy game in an empty stadium just so that you could move around easier – or would you rather watch it in a packed stadium where the atmosphere is electric?
Would you enjoy watching the Ryder Cup with hardly any fans there, just as long as the golf was good, or would you rather watch it with thousands and thousands of European fans having a banter with the American fans?
It’s the same in horse racing, would you rather go to Royal Ascot or Cheltenham, with only half full stands and no atmostphere, – just as long as you could move round and watch a good race – or would you rather be in a packed crowd, with the huge roars while still seeing good races.
I would say that in my opinion, atmosphere actually makes the event far better, making for better footy matches, better golf tournaments, better horse races etc.
I am amazed if you still think that atmosphere is ‘overrated’ if you go through your memory bank and think of some of the greatest sporting events. Cheltenham wouldn’t be the same if it were not for the packed crowds, the roar as the tape goes up, the English and the Irish banter etc.
Mike
I hate the over-use of the word "Festival", in my humble opinion Cheltenham is the only "Festival", however as far as York goes, I actually enjoy it there and I’m an out and out jumping fan with only occasional forays on the flat. That said we are avoiding Thursday, "Ladies Day" as it gets too crowded and too many people who are not there to enjoy the racing.
Hong Kong in December, followed by Breeders’ Cup, followed by Royal Ascot.
Jump racing festivals don’t do it for me. Or for anyone else much outside our corner of Western Europe.And if you want atmosphere try 150,000 screaming Deep Impact home from before the turn in the Japan Cup. That put Cheltenham into perspective all right..
Jump racing festivals don’t do it for me. Or for anyone else much outside our corner of Western Europe.
Yep, along with Draught Bitter one of the few feathers left in this increasingly septic isle’s cap.
Are you a Lager drinker?
I preferred it when those three days in March were called The National Hunt Meeting
Jump racing festivals don’t do it for me. Or for anyone else much outside our corner of Western Europe.
Here we have a manifestation of the hopelessly idiotic "If it isn’t ubiquitous, then it must be garbage" theory.
Doubtless, Zorro, you therefore consider McDonalds the height of culinary achievement?
Either that, or you really like your jolly’s, and will happily bump any old foreign Flat sh*ite, in order to score those first class tickets to the Far East.
Say it ain’t so.
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