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I was interested in Alan Lee’s comments in yesterday’s Times about courses where he would give bouquets and brickbats to following his visits over the past year. Would other members care to throw a few of their own in? General opinion is that Ascot has deteriorated in most racegoers eyes and Aintree and Doncaster have improved.
Maybe not quite specific to your thread but I have found myself actually going racing less each year. I used to enjoy taking a day off and going midweek. If it was a small crowd so much the better. Sadly, I wouldn’t cross the road to go summer jumping at Worcester, Warwick has shifted every half-decent meeting to the weekends and Stratford serves up mediocrity on a consistent basis.
I disagree about Ascot, with the viewing improvements it has certainly improved from 2006 to 2007.
OK back to the theme and four of each.
Brickbats
Warwick for the watering / false ground fiasco
Huntingdon for passing the course fit for racing at 10:30 then abandoning at 12:00
Haydock for destroying NH racing
Doncaster for the overcrowding on Leger Saturday
Bouquets
Fontwell and Goodwood – just for being Fontwell and Goodwood
Stratford and Southwell – for recovering from the floods and not charging full price for the first few meetings.
Personally, Towcester has to get a mention for their apparently very bold move of giving free admission to most meetings, or have I missed a ‘catch’ in this story?
As someone who has Kelso as one of his nearest tracks, where entry is well over £20 for a course few would argue is one of the very best on offer, it is an absolute revelation.Just some minority, personal, views:
Southwell is better value than Kempton.
Hereford is better value than Ludlow.
Uttoxeter is better value than Goodwood.
Chester is poor value, but I love it!
Lingfield seems to be going into decline.
Ascot is better than it was, but still not right.
Epsom is losing value year after year. They have commandeered the Hill and charge too much now.
Sandown is good.
Newmarket and Cheltenham are poor value, but my expensive Gold Cup ticket has arrived this morning, so things could be a lot worse, imo.Sean Rua.
Just some minority, personal, views:
Southwell is better value than Kempton.
Hereford is better value than Ludlow.
Uttoxeter is better value than Goodwood.
Chester is poor value, but I love it!
Lingfield seems to be going into decline.
Ascot is better than it was, but still not right.
Epsom is losing value year after year. They have commandeered the Hill and charge too much now.
Sandown is good.
Newmarket and Cheltenham are poor value, but my expensive Gold Cup ticket has arrived this morning, so things could be a lot worse, imo.Sean Rua.
reads like one of those I.Q. test questions! If Goodwood is better value than Hereford but less value to Southwell, then what value is Lingfield to Hereford!
Bouquets to:
Bangor On Dee
Cartmel
Market Rasen
Wolverhampton
Ludlow
HerefordBrickbats:
Haydock
Worcester
Especially Chester – nearest course to home, wouldn’t go there if they gave me free membership
Reasons: Full of inebriated people who couldn’t give a fig aboout horseracingBouquets to :
Lingfield – it’s my local and it’s on all the time and it has all types of racing
Plumpton – a really nice little course, i like the food there
Southwell – for getting it back together from the floods
Kempton – for going all weatherBrickbats
Wolverhampton – godforsaken sh*thole with no facilities (never again, not if you paid me)
Goodwood – for letting too many people in for a comfortable day
Huntingdon – for making us travel there, let us in, serve us food and cancelling the racingberminn,
Yes, that makes it seem a bit like trying to make selections by using collateral form!sberry,
I like Wolver, but I don’t expect you’ll ever return. The viewing there is better than most, imo, so I’m happy with the place.Facilities?
What are they?
The toilets work; the roof doesn’t leak. It’s always freezing cold and blowing a gale outside, which is where I go.
Good enough for me. All we need is better class racing!
I gave that bandit twilight rubbish every chance for a whole season of misery. Never again! If you attended that, then I can fully understand your dim view of the place.
Lingers used to be my favourite too, originally, but I find the new management retrograde and unfriendly.
Sean Rua.
Take issue with "bad value" Newmarket. Champions day (£20 i think) has to be best value card of the season
Of the courses ive visited recently, bouquets to Kempton for the nicely thought out facilities and catering as well as the opening up of all areas for nearly all meetings.
Brickbats to Haydock for the fences.
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