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When did it become the norm for jockeys to circle in a “bunch” and so far away from the tape?
Standing starts, or even walking in starts didn’t seem like an issue 10/15 years ago. But in recent years they’ve been doing a horrible bunched up circle thing that without fail results in those wanting a position down the inner jig jogging as to not lose their position when they whip round to face the starter. Is it an Irish thing?
Also circling so far away from the starter is the most ridiculous thing, no wonder the tapes get rushed. More distance = more speed. These arguments about the parades being bad for the horses are completely undone by the riders circling around so far from the start that they are literally in front of the stands.
I remember them doing this ridiculous bunched circle routine beyond the water jump before “walking in” for the 2023 Grand National. Naturally because they had to navigate a bend they were completely congested down the inner as they set off. We all know what happened next.
A quick fix for now would be to get them circling closer to the actual start and get them circling using the width of the track.
I get frustrated with false starts as much as the next person, but I’ve found recently that the discipline of the jockeys is just as much if not more to blame than the the starter himself.
Gavin Cromwell has just made a great point on RTV – the horses were walking in from way too far back, in his opinion, and once they break into “a jig-jog” (as he put it), it’s only going to get worse.
Have to agree with him there – they were walking in and, indeed, started racing 100 yards before the official start in many races. That really needs to be addressed for next year.
I see the first race at Aintree was no better.
What’s with this walking in from miles away? That’s the root of the problem.
There is a common factor in play at Aintree and Cheltenham – Robbie Supple as senior starter.
I’m sure that helicopter hovering at the start of the Topham wasn’t helping is it actually anything to do with the racing?
The more I know the less I understand.
When I was at Cheltenham yesterday, the starter must have raised his flag before the first race when the runners were something like a furlong away from the starting area. He then dropped the flag when they must have been about half a furlong away.
It is ridiculous. They must have run appreciably further than the official distance.
At least it didn’t affect Jax Junior.
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