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I see the incredible bad luck befalling horses drawn in the outside stalls at Chester continues today in the 3:15 with the horses drawn 10, 11, 13, & 14 all non-runners due to Bruised Foot (2), Ringworm (1) & Lame (1) – all self-certified of course.
Malpas Missile (drawn 12) must be crapping himself!
Something that needs to be dealt with DB.
That said, from the perspective of the owner and trainer, is it fair to ask them to race when they are at such a clear disadvantage? I wouldn’t be happy to simply ‘waste’ a run from my horse if I were in that position.
Perhaps the answer is to restrict races at Chester (and other courses with significant and recurring draw biases) to ten runners?
Its a dog track really , enjoyed by loads of racegoers and fair play to them why not , but from a racing perspective ,its rubbish , cant really blame the owners though , as its a blatant waste of money to run when drawn high
Perhaps all races should be limited to 8 runners
Ricky
Perhaps we could have staggered stalls for courses like Chester and Beverley where the draw is so biased
Last year, I was vilified in certain quarters for saying that Chester was nothing more than a glorified dog track. My opinion remains the same. I haven’t had bet this year and won’t be having one.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
couldnt agree more , not even bothering to watch it, just had a look at the draw for the first 3 winners today ,2,1,1,.
starting to look like a royal ascot meet for footballers.
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Last year, I was vilified in certain quarters for saying that Chester was nothing more than a glorified dog track. My opinion remains the same. I haven’t had bet this year and won’t be having one.
Well
my
opinion is that you deserve to be vilified again.
If a person can’t feel the history and beauty of racing inside such a thrilling natural amphitheatre, at high speed and in close proximity to a huge crowd, then that person has no poetry in their soul!
Betting is, in this case, completely irrelevant (though it’s not as if you didn’t know the draw and other salient factors in advance.)
Or maybe you’re the kind of unimaginative accountant-spirit who would like to see Racing done in a straight line, in lanes marked with white paint?
If owners are unhappy about gambling with the draw at strongly biased tracks, then they should avoid entering their horses there.
And Malpas Missile (Drawn 12) finishes 3rd @ 11/1!
I’ve not touched Chester too often, for no other reason than there’s often other distractions I have to attend to; but I distinctly remember the only five-timer I have ever landed on a Flat card was at Chester two years ago and included winners out of boxes 5 and 11 as well as the two nearest the inner.
Which begs the question, I suppose, albeit perhaps from a ludicrously small sample – is there a grade, distance or in-running make-up of a Chester race at which an inner draw becomes more hindrance than help? I’m thinking of there being too many late players drawn low, too many horses predisposed towards hanging left, etc., which between them can contrive a degree of interference or trouble in running to each other’s detriment.
I was first moved to consider this after looking at previous renewals of Bath’s Listed sprint a fortnight ago, in which nine out of the 10 previous winners had been drawn in stall six or higher. Timeform, not ones to highlight a draw bias lightly, suggests that a high draw in Bath sprints is frequently proven to be an asset as it keeps those so drawn out of the way of the regular crowding on the inner.
Bath is obviously far less tight a track than Chester, but can that alone explain away that course’s propensity to offer an arguably unexpected advantage to high numbers?
Cheers,
Befuddled of Hertfordshire.
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.
David Johnson has it spot on:-
06 May 2010 15:31
If owners are unhappy about gambling with the draw at strongly biased tracks, then they should avoid entering their horses there.Similarly, those who moan when a horse they’ve backed has been beaten that it was the draw wot dun it, have only themselves to blame, the draw IS know beforehand.
I don’t go to Chester nowadays (although I’m going tomorrow – couldn’t get out of the invite; life’s a shLt!), but used to be a regular for over 30 years. Some (not many) jockeys had a knack of overcoming a bad draw (Frankie Durr being the best exponent I can remember.)
The relatively recent introduction at some of the meetings of the artificial rail on the turn in to the home straight, allows poorly drawn horses with a turn of foot a chance of a run that would once have been denied. It should be introduced at every meeting.Well
my
opinion is that you deserve to be vilified again.
If a person can’t feel the history and beauty of racing inside such a thrilling natural amphitheatre, at high speed and in close proximity to a huge crowd, then that person has no poetry in their soul!
Betting is, in this case, completely irrelevant (though it’s not as if you didn’t know the draw and other salient factors in advance.)
Or maybe you’re the kind of unimaginative accountant-spirit who would like to see Racing done in a straight line, in lanes marked with white paint?
Au contraire Pinza; I do appreciate beauty and aesthetics in all walks of life: poetic reverberations have been known to shudder my very being (i.e the "soul" ) from time to time, and I have a very healthy historical perspective – not only on what the Romans did for us ( and what they left behind ) but on the history of the turf – or the sport of kings, as it is sometimes referred to.
In horse racing, betting can NEVER be classed as irrelevant. Professional horse racing would not exist without betting – and that is a fact.
Racing in straight lines, whether marked by white painted lines or not, doesn’t quite float my boat; yet I can’t help but feel that members of the equine fraternity would find it much less discomforting than being asked to run round a tight track, turning continuously and leaning in at an unnatural angle, whilst galloping at 35 miles an hour .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
In my opinion, Chester is the worst racecourse in the country. Even some of the horses look as though they’re suffering from disorientation as they turn into the final bend.
Have to say in Chester’s defence that it is a truly amazing spectacle to watch the horses flying around that final bend and straightening up for the finish … but as a betting proposition ? … no thanks !!
What a truly amazing stat for the sprint handicap on the first day … if I heard correctly, there had been no horse in the first 3 for the last nine years drawn higher than 7 … and this year ? … 3, 7 & 5 made it ten years on the trot … no surprise there then !!!
From a punters point of view, Chester has everything.
Strong trends, workable and predictable biases, a core of trainers who target the course; proper trainers. A strong market, decent prize money leading to tryers and the possibility of a good priced winner in each race. Even a selling plate there is exciting to watch too.
I’d recommend Chester to anyone, particularly the May meeting.
If owners are unhappy about gambling with the draw at strongly biased tracks, then they should avoid entering their horses there.
Why? They may get a good draw and an excellent chance of winning a race with a few withdrawals due to the draw.
I would not blame any owner for withdrawing a horse for any reason, would have no qualms about doing it myself. Owners put plenty into the game for little return and need to maximise every opportunity.
It is plainly ludicrous though that the BHA allow horses that are withdrawn because of the draw to run in the next day or two.
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