- This topic has 6 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 7 months ago by
.
- Posts
I’ve just got back from Cheltenham and am delighted to report that I reckon the changes made to the Old Course second last fence worked really well. What a pleasure to spend an afternoon there and not have to flinch every time they approached that fence.
I went straight out onto the course on arrival and I have to say that the new layout looked quite natural, as though it had always been that way. In effect, by moving the second last, they have made the Old Course a mirror of the New Course, with one fence on the down hill run and two in the straight.
I travelled with some doubts – that the two fences might be too close together, or that the last might now be too close to the finish, but neither concern proved justified. The last fence hasn’t been moved at all, so the course still has a 240 yard run-in up the famous hill. The distance between the two fences is only slightly less than between the last two fences on the New Course – they are about 40 yards closer together.
And the bend at the bottom of the downhill run has been pushed out so that there is a sufficient straight run to the new second last.
The new layout passed the test of racing today, with no fallers and no race altering mistakes at the second last. In addition to being safer, it’s also now in a much better spot for racegoers to actually see the action, unlike the original fence which was invisible from most of the Members lawn and the lower parts of the stands.
Well done Cheltenham and thank you for listening.
AP
Thanks for the good news AP, am going to Cheltenham tomorrow.
My only slight concern is if there are big fields in 3 mile chases, as there doesn’t look to be a lot of room before the starting tapes.
I travelled with some doubts – that the two fences might be too close together, or that the last might now be too close to the finish, but neither concern proved justified. The last fence hasn’t been moved at all, so the course still has a 240 yard run-in up the famous hill. The distance between the two fences is only slightly less than between the last two fences on the New Course – they are about 40 yards closer together.
Very pleasing to read. Interestingly, Robert Thornton admitted in his
Post
column last Monday to harbouring exactly the same fear ahead of walking the revised course, but was delighted to discover horses get 15 strides between turn in and the second last fence, then another 16 to the last. Evidently a bit more space to play with than anyone, myself included, had necessarily reckoned with.
It’s very early days for the new configuration, of course, and a larger number of contests with (hopefully) bigger fields over the Open Meeting will tell us more, but certainly so far so good.
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.
It is hard to argue against change in the interests of safety but the excitement factor associated with the old second last has seemingly gone forever. Has there been anyone within the sport who has questioned the move? If the second last really was that bad why did it take so long to change it? Will we get to the stage where every fence that produces a high number of fallers is modified so that each fence becomes a uniform test? In my opinion if a horse jumps well it deserves to have a advantage provided by the odd difficult fence.
That was a big part of the problem though. The horses jumping the old second last too well were usually as disadvantaged as the ones who took it by the roots.
The new config seemed to work well, the new fence doesn’t look like those really fake temps they have at Haydock. Overall a very enjoyable afternoons viewing from Cheltenham today.
not keen on the easier fences – its not aintree
see how it rides with the horses that are dodgy jumpers
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.