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So its the biggest race in flat racing apparently and with have to poor poor jump meetings its a bloody Joke!!
Blame the powers at not giving two fingers to the bookmakers for having too much racing just so they make more money
Well it did enable Henderson to provide a Derby Day winner for Her Majesty at Worcester (not for the first time). I don’t see why the other meetings detract from the occasion. Ignore them if you wish.
So its the biggest race in flat racing apparently and with have to poor poor jump meetings its a bloody Joke!!
It’s a lovely Saturday in summer – people want to go racing! Can’t for the life of me see how this diminishes The Derby in any way.
How does it do so for you Folly?
Mike
I don’t object to there being so many meetings but surely they could be spread out a little better.
We had such a bonanza on Saturday but just Fakenham and Perth on Sunday. Why not bump a couple of Saturday’s meetings (perhaps one AW and one flat turf for a sense of variety) to Sunday? Bookies, punters, spectators, racecourses and just about everyone would be much happier with that.
Generally racecourses don’t like Sunday meetings because they can’t get the Corporates in
More difficult to get sponsors and hospitality events
Obvious really ……… if you run a business and HSBC invite you and a few other businessmen to a day at the races for a bit of Masonic handshaking and secret deals to screw the workers, you don’t want to be going on a Sunday, you want to go on a Wednesday for a day out of the office
It’s also worth saying that such a glut of racing in one day makes life very difficult for industry professionals on both sides of the line. I need to watch every race every day – flat turf, AW, jumps and Irish. Luckily I don’t hold any prejudices against any of the codes.
On a Friday or Saturday this is barely possible, even in a purpose-built office with multiple TV screens. It certainly leaves no time to enjoy Racing UK’s coverage or watch horses in the parade or on the way to post. Professional punters, sales scalpers and hardcore racing enthusiasts have absolutely no chance to watch everything. This isn’t a good state of affairs for any of us.
LS, That’s a real eye-opener for me that you have to watch every race every day. What’s the purpose of that from your employer’s viewpoint, if you don’t mind me asking?
At least only one of the other meetings was on RUK. How can the the BHA expect newspapers to give much of a Derby build up when they have to print so many meetings?
Next Saturday looks just as daft with meetings at Beverley,Catterick,Chester&HaydockLS, That’s a real eye-opener for me that you have to watch every race every day. What’s the purpose of that from your employer’s viewpoint, if you don’t mind me asking?
Nobody has demanded that of me Joe but I still see it as essential. I’m a big believer in the value of visual clues.
I’m still a very junior member of the team, so I can’t lay claim to any particular niche. I just fill the gaps. In a week I might flit between a Southwell sandpit card, a midweek Irish meeting, a northern turf card, some summer jumping and maybe something a bit classier at the weekend. I think it would be a dangerous game to go into any day without having a strong grasp of the pool of horses I’m dealing with.
Professional punters, sales scalpers and hardcore racing enthusiasts have absolutely no chance to watch everything. This isn’t a good state of affairs for any of us.
It’s great for your employers, though. The less clued-up punters are, the more the odds are in the bookies’ favour.
Thanks, LS.
I started in this game when I was 17. Was too young to be allowed in a shop so spent months at Ladbrokes’ settling school (that was the extent of management training in those days – 1970).
Worked in it for decades and met all sorts of people, especially ‘bosses’. You’ll be amazed how much your views change in the coming years: be wary of indoctrination. If your experience proves anything like mine you’ll find that many people you currently admire have the proverbial feet of clay, and quite a few will have brains of the same material.
Good luck.
I don’t know about that, Gladiateur. Maybe.
Anything that encourages straight form-based punting would be welcomed. I think most genuine punters would just sit out yesterday’s ‘away’ meetings – it takes some stamina for someone even taking a cursory look to get down as far as Hexham on a day like that!
I don’t totally agree with you because such busy days are especially attractive to the exchange trackers. They know the low-key meetings are going to have much more volatile markets and redouble their efforts to get through the net.
2 jump meetings supporting Chester today what the hell is going on !! 3 jump meetings all together its the flat season 😤 Absolute joke !!
Another way of looking at it is you’ve got the Lily Agnes, an Oaks trial and a Derby trial on terrestrial TV. There’s also a listed race at Gowran and four maidens across the day. All on a Wednesday no less.
There are days during the winter where AW cards outnumber jumps cards but if one’s not into AW, it is easily ignored. Which begs the question, does your antipathy come from a longing for quality flat racing or an irrational hatred of jumps racing?
No way Jump meetings should outnumber flat meetings in the flat season. and Vice Versa..
Wonder what all them Flat jockys are doing at home while earning nothing maybe £30 riding out fee while 3 jump meetings are on today days after the first 2 classics of the Flat season makes my blood boil !
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