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Just looking at revised cards on racing post news part, tomorrow channel four will be showing a monster card of the Royal and Sun Alliance, The Jewson, The QMCC, The Ryanair and the World hurdle.
Not saying Im disappointed with today (wish I hadnt got out of bed), but its definitely not as bad as it appeared to be an hour ago.
Listening to Edward Gillespie on RUK – he’s doing an awful job of convincing me that this decision was unavoidable.
He feels sorry for people – save it Mr Gillespie. Its 2008 FFS racing should not be called off because of wind. The important things are the horses and the jockeys there was no reason whatsoever why races couldn’t be run the reason they’re not is Cheltenham’s incompetance to provide secure and safe facilities end of and it simply isn’t good enough nowhere near it.
People should’ve been informed on the conditions and allowed to make their own decisions on their safety they’re not three year olds.
Calm down, calm down.
May be there is a case Chelters should have taken down the temporary structures. But then they would not have enough room for all you lager louts as well as hospitality.
May be in future they can have contingency plans. As it stands they had no option.
Flash,
Had something come off the roof and killed someone, who’s fault would it be?
The racegoer who did not fully understand the dangers?
Or the racecourse who did?How many court cases would Cheltenham have to fight (and lose)?
The only possible decision was made.
Get over it everyone.
Ginge
Value Is EverythingCalm down, calm down.
May be there is a case Chelters should have taken down the temporary structures. But then they would not have enough room for all you lager louts as well as hospitality.
May be in future they can have contingency plans. As it stands they had no option.
Flash,
Had something come off the roof and killed someone, who’s fault would it be?
The racegoer who did not fully understand the dangers?
Or the racecourse who did?How many court cases would Cheltenham have to fight (and lose)?
The only possible decision was made.
Get over it everyone.
Ginge
Partly Cheltenham’s for not providing secure facilities and half an accident. What happens if someones car turns over in the wind?
Stop mollycoddling people adults are capable of making their own decisions.
It looks like they’re using the slack hour from 1-2 on Channel Four to get an extra couple of televised races in.
Friday’s card is so unbalanced, just so they can keep the ground fresh for the Gold Cup. 5 Hurdles in a row.
12.30 David Nicholson
1.05 Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle
1.40 Coral Cup
2.15 Triumph Hurdle
2.50 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
3.30 Gold Cup
4.05 Foxhunter
4.40 Grand Annual
5.20 County HurdleFlash,
Don’t you think you’re putting your own personal enjoyment ahead of the safety of thousands of people.
What you moaning about? There’s no racing today because of safety reasons. Strong winds are one of the biggest ‘mother nature’ killers in the world for crying out loud.
Let’s go to Cheltenham and have a metal pole blown on our head simply because we still want to see some racing
As for your comment about a madman with a gun turning up, you’re just being silly. I can understand your frustration, Jeez I’m pissed off also – but I can understand completely the decision to abandon. If Cheltenham new a madman was going to turn up with a gun and there was no way of preventing it, they would abandon and not let people in the course – just like they know the high winds are here to stay and structure could blow and cause havoc to the safety of the public.
We all love horse racing – but tomorrow this will all be forgotten and we will be looking forward to two bumpers days of top quality racing. Well done Cheltenham.
Mike
Flash,
Don’t you think you’re putting your own personal enjoyment ahead of the safety of thousands of people.
What you moaning about? There’s no racing today because of safety reasons. Strong winds are one of the biggest ‘mother nature’ killers in the world for crying out loud.
Let’s go to Cheltenham and have a metal pole blown on our head simply because we still want to see some racing
As for your comment about a madman with a gun turning up, you’re just being silly. I can understand your frustration, Jeez I’m pissed off also – but I can understand completely the decision to abandon. If Cheltenham new a madman was going to turn up with a gun and there was no way of preventing it, they would abandon and not let people in the course – just like they know the high winds are here to stay and structure could blow and cause havoc to the safety of the public.
We all love horse racing – but tomorrow this will all be forgotten and we will be looking forward to two bumpers days of top quality racing. Well done Cheltenham.
Mike
FFS Its 2008 and a race meeting has been called off because of the wind with no problem with the course and no problem for horses or jockeys. Think about it!! Its pathetic.
Safety of people – Aaaarggghhh!! You run a risk every time you cross the road. Cheltenham have FAILED quite simply to provide secure facilities – not good enough by a long shot.
This cannot EVER be allowed to happen again.
Flash
Ok, you’ve made your point!
There’s severe weather, the meeting is off for today. Deal with it!
Rob
I think it’s a disgrace that racing is off purely because their corporate guests can’t be accomodated, not because of any problem with the track or risk to the horses or jockeys.
Nobody dislikes the impact of corporate guests more than me, however this decision is not related solely to corporate hospitality.
The village is not only home to the corporates, it also houses a significant number of "normal" racegoers.
It is also wrong to say there is no risk to horses and jockeys. The wind direction means that any flying debris, be it as big as a section of tenting or as amall as a racecard, will be blown onto the course.
The conditions here at the course are very windy and, with respect, I would suggest that anyone who is not actually here at the course is in no position to make an informed decision as to the rights and wrongs behind the cancellation.
Flash
Ok, you’ve made your point!
There’s severe weather, the meeting is off for today. Deal with it!
Rob
You mean just do what Brits do nowadays, accept everything they’re told to and be quiet like good boys and girls?
I realise I’m spouting off – rather too much and I do apolgise but it just isn’t good enough and I will personally contact Cheltenham and give them hell. Either provide safe facilities or get rid of the people who can’t and get more competant people in.
I doubt I’ll even bother to read their reply I can guess the garbage it will state before they even send it.
Just forget about today Flash, think of it as a chance to see a bumper card the next two days.
I am just looking fowewardto seeing Tamarinbleu race in two races within 35 minutes.
Ginge
Value Is EverythingJust forget about today Flash, think of it as a chance to see a bumper card the next two days.
I am just looking fowewardto seeing Tamarinbleu race in two races within 35 minutes.
Ginge
Lol and no doubt he will win the one I haven’t backed him for.
The temporary structures have taken weeks to put up. I drive past the course regularly so I can assure they would have needed much longer notice than a few days’ notice to take them down.
As I write, the gusts are still very strong in Cheltenham. I would never want to be in the tented village with all the freeloaders, but I don’t fancy being hit by fllying debris.
At the end of the day, the cops said it’s not safe…and that’s that.
Flash can winge he he likes, but it will make no difference.
it’s easy to comment when you’re nowhere near CheltenhamMy only worry is how I can get through ten races!
You don’t have to apologise Flash. Everyone feels your frustration mate – I’m gutted Cheltenham isn’t on.
We just simply have a diffrence of an opinion – some of us understand why it was abandoned, some of us think it’s a wrong decision.
However, we can’t change what has happened now – let’s start a new thread and start discussing tomorrow and Friday’s bumper cards and let’s look forward again
Just think, it’s only 26 hours or so to the first race of Cheltenham’s 19 race two day meeting
Mike
I don’t want to make light of this, but semi seriously – look at the line up for tomorrow, cut a couple of the drossy races and look what we could have – a quality three day festival!
1 National Hunt Chase
2 Royal & SunAlliance Chase
3 Jewson
4 Champion Chase
5 Ryanair Chase
6 World Hurdle
7 Champion BumperI’d pay to see a card like that. I wonder if Cheltenham have ever considered a three day festival?
I’m a bit torn on this one. In the circumstances and under police advice, they had little choice but to abandon this morning. I suspect that it may not have been practical to dismantle and transport the temporary structures in the time available (only to erect them again after racing!). In any case, there must have been concerns about the ability to accommodate the crowd without the tented areas – everyone would try to use the areas under the stands etc. There would have been obvious insurance problems and possibly problems with their licensing.
Having said that, this is a problem faced uniquely by the biggest of racing festivals. Without the corporate dimension to the festival, racing would surely have gone ahead. This makes me somewhat uncomfortable but it’s a feature of modern sport the world over and I’m also not comfortable in the role of a Luddite or indeed Canute.
It’s very tough on my fellow Irishmen and women, many of whom would have travelled over for just the first two days. The refund on the admission price won’t make much of a dent in their expenses and it must be an enormous disappointment.
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