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Just taken a call from the Racing Post who are doing a story tomorrow – rather worryingly, they seemed to think this debate had taken place on the Betfair forum.
AP
I have just seen the article online and the forum does get a mention – you obviously put them right AP.
Your suggestion is commonsense AP – and that is why it will never be accepted (if I could find an irony icon I would add it here) I despair for this sport sometimes. But there is always a first time so let’s be optimistic!!
… incidents at this fence are just part of jump racing and we have to accept them or not follow the sport.
I would suggest that Mr Down is talking a self-indulgent load of old rollocks.
Would it then follow that driving related deaths are simply part of ‘the game’, and if you can’t accept the risk then you shouldn’t be driving?
Clearly, any risk of fatalities (equine, human, amphibian, reptilian or whatever) should be addressed to the best of our ability? Is there any reason why Mr Down apparantly feels that death is just an acceptable risk for the equine individuals that risk themselves for our gratification?
Unavoidable accidents are one thing, but a large percentage of fallers at the second last at Prestbury are very avoidable.Paul Nicholls in his RP column today states that ‘something needs to be done about that fence’ . If a professional trainer such as Paul Nicholls thinks that there is something amiss with it then I hope that the sceptics will take notice and action will be taken to correct this unsatisfactory situation.
But a professional trainer such as Nicky Henderson says there’s nothing wrong with it.
Yes david but Paul is the Champion and now that one of the leading trainers has come out and said that there is something wrong with it then others may take more notice of the problem.
Ruby Walsh said this morning there was nothing wrong with the fence and it’s part and parcel of Cheltenham. I think we’ve got to remember guys such as Ruby and AP are risking life and limb everytime they go out and wouldn’t risk it if it was dangerous.
I’ve watched this debate with interest, and I have to say that Alan’s idea is a sound one. But before any fundamental changes are made there is something else which I believe is a serious consideration. Fences have been generally dumbed down over the last ten years or so in the interests of safety, and my concern is that they have been dumbed down to the extent that horses and some jockeys in particular don’t show them the same respect they one did. There is no doubt that the fences at Cheltenham are considerably ‘softer’ than they once were so why is it then that we seem to have a heightned problem with the second last? Yes its never been the easiest fence and some modifications have already been made to the take off and landing, but it seems we are getting more problems there than ever before.
I won’t pretend to have any stats to hand, but I have the feeling that we are seeing more fallers at that fence from horses from particular stables and certain jockeys. Does anyone else sense the same thing? Essentially too many falls (not all), are coming from a basic lack of respect at a time that some jockeys are trying to steal a few vital yards at an important point in the race, and actually making fences easier is potentially having the opposite effect than the one intended.
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