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Hope everyone is not too depressed?! So the BHA is still working towards the resumption of flat racing on May 1st. Means as it stands we are 4 weeks away from the 2000 Guineas. I don’t really understand their thinking, I doubt they even understand it to be honest, but do we really think we will be racing in 4 weeks time?! If not, surely everyone needs time to re-plan and adjust etc. I have little idea what it takes to tune a horse up for a 2000 Guineas race, but surely the preparation of these horses has to be seriously underway with 4 weeks left and then what? The BHA postpone it in 2 weeks?
Just seems a crazy situation to me, I would suggest there must be about a 5% chance of running the 2000 Guineas in 4 weeks, so surely the BHA need to start publishing a revised and realistic timetable on this season? We do really know what we are facing as well based on statistical models of the situation, we know we will not be rid of this virus this year, if ever at all and we know the worst is likely to be over within 8 weeks pretty much, why not be planning to start everything on June 1st and shunt everything back a couple of months and re-do a fixture list where some will have to be cancelled?
What are they waiting for?
I am no fan of the BHA, absolutely laughable organisation, but I feel I must defend them slightly in this case.
Racing only shut down 17 days ago so to expect them to have re-mapped the entire season by now, for both codes, is a little unreasonable, especially in such unprecedented circumstances where no one know what is going to happen from one day to the next.
They probably will make a horlicks of it going on previous experience, but think we need to give them a bit more time before we start criticising.
They could have quite easily suspended all racing until 1st July like they have done with National Hunt but as MC has said there is so much uncertainty. In two months time other sports may be up and running and it would have seemed daft if Racing was still on the sidelines whilst other sports, may not be back in full flow, but up and running again in some form.
I think we all know the Guineas will not be run at the intended time whether behind closed doors or not though.
I think we all know the Guineas will not be run at the intended time whether behind closed doors or not though.
So then why have they not moved it out? Doesn’t make sense.
Maybe a tad harsh to suggest they’ve mapped out a new calendar, but you’re both missing the point on planning. A horse can’t just rock up at a 2000 Guineas can it. I think it’s ridiculous they haven’t moved the timing back again. I get July is too far out, but End of May/June is more realistic(would allow another short extension if needed) and would give everyone connected with racing a chance to plan to it.
As I said, I don’t know what it takes to get a horse ready, but one would assume that to get a horse tuned up and ready to peak on a particular date in a classic is a process that’s done with incredible skill from trainers and is done with a military type precision.
The problem is that if you run the Guineas on the last weekend in May for example, you cannot then have the Derby 7 days later, so then that will need to be rescheduled, which will no doubt interfere with Royal Ascot and so it goes on and on and on…
It really is a massive and unenviable task.
Thats really my point. It is a massive task, so needs to be planned now, not waiting on some miracle that we will be racing on May 1st.
What’s your view on what’s going to happen? They will keep every race meeting date in and just cancel anything that can’t be raced? Means potentially a cancelled 2000 Guineas for this year?
I think the Derby is going to get cancelled this year anyway, I would say that’s very likely. It certainly can not be run behind closed doors and Epsom are insured against it.
It is a massive task, so needs to be planned now.
I would imagine they are making plans at the moment. Whatever they do is not going to satisfy everybody, least of all the forum experts!
I’m not sitting behind a keyboard pretending I’m an expert in managing a virus crisis Chestnut, I’m just wondering what people’s opinions are of it. To be honest it’s giving me hope that there is a 50/50 chance the 2000 Guineas will go ahead, because I just can’t work out why they haven’t cancelled/postponed it yet.
I get it’s an impossible task but it still needs to be addressed. The Premier League for example won’t play, even behind closed doors before June 1st, under government advice so why is it so different for Racing?
The government’s current ‘lockdown’ restrictions are due to be reviewed in about 10 days, immediately after Easter, and while it is surely highly unlikely they will be relaxed perhaps the BHA have decided to resist making any formal announcements until then
That would make sense I guess as a reason. Meanwhile trainers are totally confused about what to do. It’s a week Monday I think, less than 3 weeks before the Guineas so surely they can’t make a decision any later than that then. Let’s see!
The government’s current ‘lockdown’ restrictions are due to be reviewed in about 10 days, immediately after Easter, and while it is surely highly unlikely they will be relaxed perhaps the BHA have decided to resist making any formal announcements until then
That’s the key point here. Racing can make whatever plans it likes but they could easily then be immediately torpedoed by the government. Makes perfect sense to wait until the government’s next steps are clearer.
Whilst racing is perhaps better placed than most sports to operate under any restrictions that may be placed on the general public (large open air venues, often in more rural areas etc) it’s difficult to see it being treated as a special case and allowed to resume any sooner than any other sport. It is, after all ‘just sport’ in the eyes of the public. Yes, many livelihoods depend on it but the same applies elsewhere.
Before the AW starting in 1991 the flat yards used to shut up shop for 4 months, there was the occasional foray to places like Gagnes-sur-Mer (FR) and everybody seemed to manage OK, nobody is allowed to go fishing at this moment in time, I remember when you had to wait until June 16th to wet a line.
There is a very simple solution to the 2020 flat Turf season, extend it to Dec 31st.
I’m spending my self Isolation putting together 3D chess games on my YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/user/thebluesbrother/videos?view=0&sort=dd&flow=grid&view_as=subscriber
My speed figures (new links)
NH2018_2020: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UvUG0hrv4TsKsTjromOaUUW89o1z3xXJ
FLAT2018_2020: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kEPTrDkoWa4xQmNKlCJUbr3E_mP40Sf5Keep safe…
Mike.
Blues Brother – there is no good reason why combined racing couldn’t take place and extend
the flat. In France there will be a both flat and jumps. We ran at Pompadour once on the flat,
they also had hurdle, steeplechase and finished with a cross country race. There are courses
in the UK which could quite easily offer these meetings.
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