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I am strongly considering purchasing the above, and have never bought any previous editions.
Doubtless a great number of people on here will buy the book, and if I may I would like to ask them:
(a) Is it worth the money (it is a rather expensive book)?
(b) What do you find it useful for – betting; compiling your ten-to-follow lists; or just a good read to set you up for the season?
(c) Is it only worth buying if you also subscribe to Timeform, or is it useful as a stand-alone reference?
Any advice gratefully received!
It is a stand alone reference book and details every NH horse that has run in the UK last year. Also identifies horses with improvement to come and has some information on what the trainers say.
I have bought it for the last 8 seasons and it has paid for itself specifically in the early season and if you a follower of horses rather than an everyday backer.
I tend to end up with my own list of around 100 horses to follow for the season and for that type of thing it is excellent.
It is more use between now and Chrismas than thereafter and particulalry good information on horses changing codes.
Benny, how good is your eyesight.
I bought it for years but I know find the print to small for me to read with any enjoyment.
It is expensive but it is also very good and you can build a great record of racing.
Colin
It’s hard for all but the inveterate racegoer / race-watcher to see every newcomer to the NH code during the course of every season, so I get a lot of use out of previous editions of Chasers and Hurdlers to verify details of some horses’ conformation and temperament.
I usually regard the current edition as partly a guide to horses to follow in the coming months (although in terms of a digestible volume, maybe One Jump Ahead has the drop on it a little); partly an inspiration for articles to write; partly to verify facts in those and other articles; and partly simply a jolly good read. As a laboriously slow reader I don’t always tend to get through it all in time before Mackenzie and Harris gets published around two months later, though.
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Buy it Benny B,
Chasers And Hurdlers might at £70 be a little more than most form books but I love it. Got every one since 84/85.
Sometimes I struggle to get enthusiastic about the coming season, but once I start reading the excellant essays in C+H I can’t wait.I use it often to pinpoint a value ante-post bet on Cheltenham.
It is a great stand alone publication for a referance book, looking back on the season past. It is a wonderful read.
However, since summer jumps it is not as useful as a form book (on it’s own). Used in conjunction with the Timeform Perspective and Statistical Review its great. Easy to use if you want to see if something acted on a particular surface last season or likely to stay. Whether it is a good or poor jumper, temperament, how much improvement is likely, etc.Have used it for the Tote Ten To Follow and come very close to big wins (won a monthly one on the flat with "Racehorses" annual, with about 30 odd others).
£70 is value. But don’t tell Betfair.
Mark
Value Is EverythingI’ve got every one since first published in I think 1975 (you can pick up the old ones off ebay or via specialist shops).
A magnificent chronicle of the jumping game, unlikely ever to fall prey to everything being available to view online. Just a shame that Timeform didn’t do them in the golden era of Arkle.
Quote – "As a laboriously slow reader I don’t always tend to get through it all in time before Mackenzie and Harris gets published around two months later, though."
Can’t wait for this GC. Our kitchen table is a bit wobbly and it will be just the thing to stick under one of the legs to get it level again.
Chasers And Hurdlers is a large part of any worth while punters armory,not to mention a particularly interesting and fascinating read for the enthusiast. An excellent reference manual. I would highly recomend it to any national hunt enthusiast.
Thanks for the replies chaps, a resounding recommendation from all quarters, and going to make the purchase today.
Now, if somebody could just give me a 6-1 winner to put my tenner on to pay for it………
Quote – "As a laboriously slow reader I don’t always tend to get through it all in time before Mackenzie and Harris gets published around two months later, though."
Can’t wait for this GC. Our kitchen table is a bit wobbly and it will be just the thing to stick under one of the legs to get it level again.
Impudent young pup. Get thee to Balcormo Mains, and repent!
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Quote – "As a laboriously slow reader I don’t always tend to get through it all in time before Mackenzie and Harris gets published around two months later, though."
Can’t wait for this GC. Our kitchen table is a bit wobbly and it will be just the thing to stick under one of the legs to get it level again.
Impudent young pup. Get thee to Balcormo Mains, and repent! 8)
gc
Mosshouses is colder Jeremy, even in May. But what a lovely place to be high up in the Eildons above Galasheils. Dalston is lovely and so is Friars Haugh. Been to all three having brought up in Langholm.
Shamefully I’ve still got to visit all those courses, Bob – I’ve been to most ptp courses south of Easingwold but none further north than that! However, it’s very much my intention to do some of Perth Festival next April, and then stay in that part of the world for an extra couple of days in order to do Balcormo Mains that weekend.
I nearly got to Dalston this last March, but a welter of pre-Cheltenham prep got in the way. Usually a very long day (10 or so races) up there, isn’t it!
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Shamefully I’ve still got to visit all those courses, Bob – I’ve been to most ptp courses south of Easingwold but none further north than that! However, it’s very much my intention to do some of Perth Festival next April, and then stay in that part of the world for an extra couple of days in order to do Balcormo Mains that weekend.
I nearly got to Dalston this last March, but a welter of pre-Cheltenham prep got in the way. Usually a very long day (10 or so races) up there, isn’t it!
gc
Usually ten races and beware of the company you fall into. When Heroic Way won the John Peel Open some years ago, the owners’ father took 21/2 hours to leave the track. I know this because he was my late father’s great mate and he was travelling in our car. Mind you he did have his uses. The first thing he did that day was to hand us the owner’s car park pass and we had great fun waving at all the Langholm lot queueing to get in while we were waved past them like Lord Muck and his mates. It is that kind of meeting, great fun.
Never did get to Balcormo and Netherby and Overton opened long after I moved south. I used to get to Bogside a lot when I lived in Glasgow ( easy on the train to Irvine) and we never used to miss the old Dumfriesshire meeting at Roberthill, Lockerbie – saw Flying Ace win there in what I think was the the only time Doreen Calder didn’t ride him. The late great Charlie McMillan was on board – now there was a horseman.
Mosshouses is just along teh road from me. I’d be tempted to go but I’d be worried that, in Annikin Skywalker fashion, I might never return from jumping’s dark side.
When Heroic Way won the John Peel Open some years ago
I presume that’s John Peel as in “D’ y’ ken John Peel” rather than the late lamented broadcasting legend?
Imagine an Open point run in honour of the latter – in deference to the great man they’d have to go the wrong way around the course, or else run around it at 45mph instead of 33.
Oh yeah, and the winning jockey would have to be Mr Mark E Smith (7).
My facetiousness aside, some great memories there, Bob. I don’t recall having seen Charlie McMillan riding in the flesh, but did Mrs Calder under Rules once or twice – a riding style akin to knitting according to some observers, I think, but still obviously effective enough to guide the gelding to – count them – 58 of his 59 career wins.
She is, of course, still training the odd one or two animals, and enjoyed a degree of success in mares-only company with What Now last season.
None of which has a right lot to do with Chasers and Hurdlers, so apologies!
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
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