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Dont think Paul will be winning nominations to the UN anytime soon, but by and his large his contribution to the forum makes TRF a better place and long may it continue imo. As for journalism, his racecourse reviews, at present, are the definitive guide to your way around any UK Racecourse.
We live and learn, move on.
To draw matters to a conclusion, the starter, trainer and jockey met before racing this afternoon at Uttoxeter, a brief conversation which ended with handhsakes all round.
Power Shared duly started perfectly OK, despite being labelled by the course commentator as a possible problem (give a dog a bad name and it sticks unfortunately).
Unfortunately he found the quicksand, with the emphasis on sand, underfoot too much to handle and was a very remote third when he collapsed on landing at the last fence.
This was rather traumatic as I was standing on the grass bank less than 20 yards from that fence, but by the time I’d made my way onto the course and behind the screens, he’d recovered, jumped to his feet and took off down the course, depositing various bits of tack along the run-in. He pulled up by the exit gate alongside his lad and is 100% OK, just exhausted.
It’s been an interesting week – I certainly didn’t set off for Huntingdon on Wednesday expecting his form to read R-F by the end of the week!
AP
Great to hear he’s fine. He looked very tired (they all did) and I was a bit worried after hearing he’d fallen just after going out of screen on the TV coverage.
On another point, only two finished. Now that there is no remounting surely a matter of time until there are races with no finishers.
What happens to bets in that case – does everyone lose? How can your bet be a loser if your horse, technically, hasn’t been beaten?
Good to hear that AP , and am glad this little incident is over ……now lets get back to Rabble bashing and YES , LETS GET GLEN …….hes far too radical
Ricky
Cormack,
If all the runners in a race fail to complete, the race is declared void and all bets are returned.
I’m less certain what would happen about the prize money!
It certainly wouldn’t have been a surprise if ir had happened this afternoon – as you say, the pair that finished were barely walking by the time they reached the last fence. The winners time was 60 seconds slower than standard!
AP
- Total Posts 17716
Cormack,
If all the runners in a race fail to complete, the race is declared void and all bets are returned.
AP
……and the first time it happens, we may see the rule rescinded?
Good to see you back AP, and PO.
Given Silvior’s comments regarding terrestrial television involvement, can we presume that C4’s schedule was the reason for Uttoxeter and Cheltenham overlapping.
It wouldn’t have harmed to have held Cheltenham back 5 mins, and then Lingfield by the same margin would it. Although I realise it was caused by Doncaster’s abandonment, surely it would have made sense to have utilised the 15 minutes after Lingfield’s races in that manner.
Power Shared is in good nick, AP appears happy to move on, as do the thread’s respondents. These are the three important facts of the matter.
Still.
Quis venio in forum, subsisto in forum as Lurcio might have said.
Drone – there is no “history” as far as I am aware between AP and myself. (The only current poster with whom I have any "history" is Happy.)
And there was me thinking that was water under the bridge!!
Where did you get those bins that look like a pair of telescopes. They have cost me a RED CARD.HAPPY
Happy – the apposite word is history
Sadly those bins are now dead – discovered the hard way they don’t bounce that well when dropped down Grandstand steps. Which is a shame as they were perfect for straight mile courses and the likes of Newmarket and the Aintree National course.
DJ,
Think that is a fair assumption that this was an instance where terrestrial TV was the cause of such tight initial scheduling as Uttox could not be moved forward.
As you say in the circumstances Cheltenham should have been delayed if at all possible but I wonder if without anyone policing this at weekends whether they were even asked or aware.
Am finally getting off my soap box on this. Life appears to be too short !
Going back to the original point of this thread, after the "diversion" I think Richard and I share the same soapbox on this one.
Let’s face it racing is a multi billion pound business and although the BHA have improved dramatically in its various incarnations over the years (it seems to have change shape more times than Dr Who in recent years), it does still seem to be in a time warp when it comes to race times.
It is not as if we are still in the days of Gay Future, where the only link to a racecourse was a single phone line – we are in the 21st century with instant communication in many forms.
It is not beyond the wit of man, but seemingly beyond the wit of the BHA, to have, for want of a better expression, a control centre where the situation is constantly monitored during racing and that courses are forced to delay races if overlaps are going to occur.
If meetings are abandoned then the times at other fixtures are rescheduled accordingly and so long as a meeting does not begin earlier than advertised – which it needn’t – then there shouldn’t be a big issue with racegoers.At the same time stronger sanctions should be introduced when race starts are delayed unnecessarily and perhaps some rules be reviewed.
For example should the start of a race be delayed if a horse spreads a plate – should it just be withdrawn automatically (with perhaps an exemption for Group One’s and other "big" races?)
As for C4 calling the tune, by all means try and accommodate them but at the end of the day, as has already been pointed out, how much do they actually pay for their coverage. The BBC may well have cut their coverage but at least they pay for the rights.
As no one’s mentioned it and with regard to the above posts may as well mention last Fridays racing when there were 3 race clashes due to a nearly 9 minute delay for a race at Newbury caused by a horse running loose.
Whether racing should be delayed for such a length of time and race clashes ensue because of one horse misbehaving is highly questionable.
In any case, the second race clash was avoided by the Lingfield race being delayed but absolutely nothing done to avoid the other two.
As has been said life’s too short to keep going on about this when the powers that be have repeatedly shown they’re incapable and unwilling to do anything about it to any great extent.It is not beyond the wit of man, but seemingly beyond the wit of the BHA, to have, for want of a better expression, a control centre where the situation is constantly monitored during racing and that courses are forced to delay races if overlaps are going to occur.
If meetings are abandoned then the times at other fixtures are rescheduled accordingly and so long as a meeting does not begin earlier than advertised – which it needn’t – then there shouldn’t be a big issue with racegoers.For example should the start of a race be delayed if a horse spreads a plate – should it just be withdrawn automatically (with perhaps an exemption for Group One’s and other "big" races?)
.It is very easy to jump on one’s high horse when a race clash occurs – a little more tricky to come up with some decent solutions.
This thread proves the point perfectly – the BHA "sensibly" delay a Lingfield race to avoid a clash and what happens? It clashes with the next race at Musselburgh and suddenly the BHA are a bunch of clueless incompetents again…The bottom line is that the time any race goes off is always going to have a degree of randomness to it and pushing back racetimes in order to solve what looks like a simple problem can easily make everything more complicated – and end up frustrating punters even more.
BTW – I can’t abide a situation whereby horses that have spread a plate aren’t allowed to run – owners will have effectively paid well into four figures in training fees and transport in order for their horse to run – they cannot possibly be treated in this manner.
Said with your owners hat on TDK – well done with Dianes Choice the other day nice to call home a winner for you lot after you have been pretty patient.
Unless things have changed recently (which they may have)aren;t trainers the ones who specify whether they want horses who have spread plates to run or not? Certainly on bottom of decs sheets there used to be a list of WISP’s (withdraw if spread plates)which determined which were reshod or allowed to run in three shoes versus those who were automatically withdrawn.
With the Lingfield delay think the point was that there was no point delaying Lingfield unless delayed Muss as well. Whilst that can lead to spending all day catching up in this case it would not have done. Certainly don;t want to overplay the marginal cases though until the obvious ones are sorted.
Rule 35 actually makes it clear that replating of any horse is entirely at the discretion of the starter, regardless of what the trainer puts on the decs list. This is the current rule:
35.1 It is the responsibility of the Starter to take a final decision as to whether or not any horse should run.
35.2 The Starter must immediately notify the Clerk of the Scales that a horse is withdrawn if he considers that, for any reason, the horse is or will be unable to start at the appointed time or when the Starter is ready to start the race.
35.3 In making a decision on withdrawal, the Starter must have regard to any preference which, in accordance with Rules (C)36.2 and (C)36.3 (other requirements affecting equine welfare), the Trainer of the horse has indicated on the list of declared runners given to the Starter.
35.4 Where35.4.1 one of the plates is removed from a horse at the start or is shed on the way to, or at, the start, and
35.4.2 a farrier is present at the start and replating is possible,the Starter may approve replating if he considers that there is sufficient time for replating to take place or that the race can be delayed while the horse is replated, but if loading into the stalls has commenced for a flat race, approval will be given only in exceptional circumstances.
You can make a wild guess as to why I have recently made myself familiar with Rule 35!
AP
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