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Am I missing something , as I cannot understand why this weeks racing at Brighton is being styled as a "festival" ?.
Todays fare is a 7 race card comprising a Class 5 maiden, 2 Class 4 handicaps, and 4 Class 6 handicaps.
Where is the festival in that ?The first rule of marketing in racing is any meeting of three days or more is automatically sold as a "festival" – indeed some courses even stretch it to two day meetings.
The fact the meeting may consist wholly of three legged donkey races is entirely irrelevant – a three day meeting MUST be a festival.
Of put in plain English a complete and utter load of marketing bollocks by racecourses desperate to drag in as many racegoers as possible and by applying a theme or festival tag they try and detract from the poor quality racing on offer.
My other bugbear is "Ladies Day" these used to be once a year themed meetings at some courses – now it seems not only obligatory to have one, some courses now have three or four of them a year.
The sad thing is when you go to many of them ‘Ladies" are often in very short supply – I went to one where I saw more tattoos on the "Ladies" than one would expect to see at a Hells Angels convention.
This three-day Brighton meeting has been a feature of the traditional post-Goodwood pre-York vacuum for many a year and therefore does sort of warrant that ill-defined term ‘festival’ as I’m sure the downs are thronging with holidaymakers, ice cream, candyfloss, razor gangs and all sorts of timeless English summer hi-de-hi hoopla
Seedy racing at a seedy course in a seedy town
that should be helping the police with its enquiries
*
Silly season jollity no more, no less
Is the Ashforth-Carnaby Selling Stakes still the highlight?
*courtesy Keith Waterhouse
As far as I know it’s been billed as the ‘Brighton Festival’ from way back. It certainly was in the 1980s and 1990s when I was regular attender. I appreciate it’s heresy to say so, but I’ve always enjoyed visits to Brighton racecourse.
Rob
I’m sure in the past Brighton staged at least one good quality ten furlong race at their "festival", but then Northern Racing took over the course which explains why the racing’s so bad nowadays.
As far as I know it’s been billed as the ‘Brighton Festival’ from way back. It certainly was in the 1980s and 1990s when I was regular attender. I appreciate it’s heresy to say so, but I’ve always enjoyed visits to Brighton racecourse.
Perhaps it was the first meeting branded as a Festival
Visits to racecourses are by default enjoyable aren’t they? If you don’t enjoy, you don’t do. Some may be more enjoyable than others though
Just one visit to Brighton, sometime in the ’80s. Thought of it then as the Worcester of Flat courses: down at heel but having a grim somewhat desperate attraction
Just one visit to Brighton, sometime in the ’80s. Thought of it then as the Worcester of Flat courses: down at heel but having a grim somewhat desperate attraction
I must admit some of my best days at Brighton have been when the sea fret comes in and all you can see is the final half furlong or so – it just adds to Brighton’s reputation for being just on the seedy side of racing with skullduggery waiting around the corner – just what is happening in the thick swirling mists?
I recall one day there where it must have been borderline all afternoon – Richard Hoiles was calling but he only ever properly saw the horses in the final half furlong or so (apart from ghostly images as they flashed passed the cameras), which may sound like an easy number but it only gave him a few seconds to spot who was who and identify who was where.
The only way those of us there knew the race was off was when the starter radioed the judge who then announced the "off" over the PA.
http://www.ors-racing.co.uk/Images/General/BrightonFog.jpg
Paul
You probably remember the pre-TV days when 1m 4f races at Brighton started out of the view of the crowd and officials. There was a man on top of the hill who waved a white flag when the stalls opened. Lee McKenzie told me that the white flag signal was used buy the press corps to start their watches for timing the race. I suspect the ‘official’ times for those races would not necessarily have been accurate!
Rob
Sure its a gaff , and yes the racing is mainly low grade , but its really well supported and enjoyed by many folks
Its a good day out , racing then a good fish and chips , walk on the prom and hang about until you think its safe to battle the traffic
long may it last
Ricky
Is the Ashforth-Carnaby Selling Stakes still the highlight?
By the looks of it, that’s the opener on this Monday’s card down by the seaside. Regular visitors Surrey Dream and Scommettitrice among the nine acceptors at the 48-hour stage.
Enjoy – I’m sure I will!
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.
Brighton is terrific fun.
Started going again this summer after many years and will be there on Monday.
Sure the paddock and unsaddling etc is basic but some £ has been spent on updating facilities.
The razor gangs have gone but the seedy atmosphere in keeping with the City remains. You’ll see some interesting Brightonians!
Staff are helpful. Enjoy it!I am a northerner and have never been anywhere near the south coast (except for transit via Gatwick airport!) but I have been a fan of racing (TV racing, that is!) since I was barely out of my nappies. I must say I don’t recall any feature race run over ten furlongs at the Brighton Festival though. What I recall is that the festival took place over three days mid-week in August, from Tuesday to Thursday (just like the Cheltenham Festival then). There was one feature race on each day, with the Brighton Mile on the first day followed by the Brighton Cup (1m 4f) on the Wednesday and the Brighton Sprint (6f) on the final day. These races, which carried comparatively good prize money, were invariably well contested and interesting betting medium, all be it nothing like top class. I would put them on a par with the feature races at Carlisle’s main summer meeting at the time, namely the Carlisle Bell, Cumberland Plate and Cumbrian Sprint.
I made my annual trip to Brighton today – the place still has a seedy feel to it.
The racing was OK but nothing special – what I did learn though is the word discipline seems to be missing from the lexicon of the majority of parents who attended Brighton races as the place was teeming with out of control brats.
I’m not sure who was worse, the moron who thought it would be a good idea to have fairground stalls which had bows and arrows as prizes or the parents who thought it OK for the toxic fruit of their loins to start firing said bow and arrows in a busy Grandstand – the irresponsibility of some parents clearly beggars belief.
HK had its pre-season carnival on Saturday:
http://campaign.hkjc.com/en/2013-so/201 … 01739.html
No under-18s admitted on racedays.
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