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I was at Uttoxeter when it was abandoned. Although there was a problem with the hospitality tents, the wings of the jumps were blowing around; someone pointed out that if a horse was jumping a fence and there was a gust of wind at the time it would blow the horse over. We waited for hours to see if racing would start [my partner spoke to MCcoy who said there was no chance that racing would go ahead]. When they did eventually abandon the meeting we felt that they’d just kept people there for as long as possible so that they would spend money in the bars and restaurants. If people going to Cheltenham today were angry and upset at the thought of no racing, they would have been far more volatile at 3 o’clock this afternoon if they were still waiting for today’s card to get the go ahead. I do think however, that people should send their tickets to Cheltenham for a refund, rather than be automatically credited. I’m bitterly disappointed, both for myself and especially for people who planned to go today, but ours is a sport that is constantly being criticized by the press and non racegoing public, and if there had’ve been any injuries to spectators or horses it would have been disastrous. The strong winds that we’re getting these days are becoming more frequent, and situations like this are more likely to happen again in the future, so we’ve got to learn from this. They had to get it right this time and had to err on the side of caution..lets look forward to tomorrow.
If I may put my moderators hat on for a second, can I politely request that we please keep this thread to the point and that personal insults are dispensed with, otherwise it will be locked.
Thank you.
Flash,
Please stop going on and on … and on. You made your point in your first post and have done nothing since but repeat that, and annoy others (myself very much included). One shouldn’t have to read through 7 pages of your (out-of-order, imo) rantings hoping there’s some relevant info in there.
You really need to calm down, and get just a little perspective.
"seemorebusiness" wrote: I’m the first one to criticise some of the things this country does but although I’m very disappointed about the abandonment can you imagine if something did happen today? The festival would probably never be the same again. The H&S folks would have a field day.
Disappointing but at least they are going to squeeze all the races in over the next 2 days.
What do you mean the H&S folks would have a field day? They already have and do virtually everyday in British racing over the last 3 years. It’s a joke. Hardly a breeze in current interviews. What next? Can’t run because it’s sunny/hot/wet/sleety. A pathetic decision but this is fast becoming a pathetic nation.
All this guff about the abandonment being due to potential damage to the ‘corporate’ marquees really won’t wash. If anything more concern was aired about structural damage to the temporary stands which house the ‘cheap seats’. And it wasn’t solely the police or track bigwigs being overly cautious: structural engineers – who presumably erected the stands – were the ones to voice concerns.
It’s a pain-in-the-ar*se to all involved, but in my view the correct decision. I diverted this morning from PC/TV to a potter around garden/greenhouse and frankly the wind – which has increased markedly here in Yorkshire – was rather scary in its intensity. Had racing taken place in such conditions it would have been a tortuous experience anyway.
That the wind has now abated somewhat in Cheltenham is beside the point. With folk heading there from all points of the compass a decision had to be made early.
What a fking joke. I’m sorry but this country is a nanny state. I’m surprised they don’t ban people from walking out of front doors just in case something happens to them.
Absolutely ridiculous.
well just seeing pics from down thire im glad i haven’t gone down looks bad in parts and on the saftey it looks like thay had no choice. and if the organisers pull the next 2 days off good on em i say
Sounds like a good sensible decision to call off racing today. I am not too far away from Cheltenham and the winds are very bad. Public safety has to come first simple as that, you cant race horses with loads of temporary structures that could potentially fly all over the place and kill people and horses.
If they went with racing today and people died at Cheltenham as well as horses being hit with missiles, then everyone would be saying what a ridiculous decision it was to go ahead with the meeting and it would be bad for racings image.
Its cancelled on the advice of the police. If the police tell you to cancel the days racing then you simply have to cancel it. You dont have a choice in the matter.
It’s the police who decided FA Cup replays should be replayed 10 days after the original match, but not in Scotland!!
There are loads of sporting events with tented villages, but horse racing is totally obsessed with H&S.
If we kill a few corporate hospitality people, good!!
Nanny state? Political correctness? The decline of the great british nation?
Are we talking about Britain’s relationship with Europe, the challenges of diversity, the restriction of free speech, the difficult balancing act between individual choice and the public good?
Last time I checked, this was about the abandonment of a horse racing meeting cos’ it’s windy. Let me know if I’m wrong.
Well said, Man.
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.
"manwithaplan" wrote: Nanny state? Political correctness? The decline of the great british nation?
Are we talking about Britain’s relationship with Europe, the challenges of diversity, the restriction of free speech, the difficult balancing act between individual choice and the public good?
Last time I checked, this was about the abandonment of a horse racing meeting cos’ it’s windy. Let me know if I’m wrong.
Coz it’s a bit windy. Not a hurricane or even storm force. I’ve experienced stronger breezes on a warm mid-summers day.
It’s all about racing’s obsession with being PC & H&S. The Thinker & Alverton won in snow storms. Now we would have to wait until June to run the race, only to find 10 fences had been omitted due to the low sun!!
The Listener is running over an even shorter distance now and less fences. Fan bleedin tastic.
god after reading most of the crap on hear i hope its on tomorrow
don’t think i could take another day of this I bet some of you guys moaned in 1985 that the match in Heysel went off a couple of hours late and again in 1989 because the match in Hillsborough was abandoned.
Get some perspective on things for God’s sake.
It’s all about racing’s obsession with being PC & H&S.
No it’s not, it’s about considering the relative merits and pratfalls of each such instance of bad weather, and making the correct percentage call.
If racing has lost its collective nerve to the extent that is being implied, then there would have been no question whatsoever of Plumpton’s meeting on Monday going ahead once surface water started to appear.
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.
This is all well and good but could someone let me know what Flash thinks about the postponement?
PSML Alderbrook!
From what I have seen there appears a considerable amount of damage to the tentage, debris lying about and unstable structures. Something Huntington clearly does not have to worry about. With the high winds still ongoing it would have been negligent to race. 60,000 people crammed into such an area would have been a recipe for disaster and the race course would have been liable for any injuries. They need time to clear up and ensure the structiures are safe.While some may think that racing as normal is a risk worth taking clearly the risk is not theirs to take and is really with the racecourse and their insurers.
Nineteen races over the next two days is a stunning proposition.
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