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“He’s scratched the horse early as he doesn’t want to run and knows there’d be heavy criticism if he waited until Friday when the rain may have come.”
He has declared the horse a non-runner as early as possible in order to avoid people buying tickets for Windsor unnecessarily. As he said he would.
I can understand Constitution Hill boosting the attendance at Southwell and Kempton, especially at the former when it was the winter and there was an element of intrigue about his debut.
But would he have made that much difference to the numbers at Windsor on a Saturday evening in summer? It is a while since I have been to that fixture but it was usually well attended anyway.
There’s always a way to put a negative spin these days.
Especially from those who have nothing positive to say.
I don’t particularly care about Henderson not running the horse at Windsor, mainly because I didn’t think he would. Kempton on an all weather surface where he has won before always looked more likely.
I just don’t buy the argument that thousands of people were itching to go to Windsor to see him run but won’t bother going now. Windsor on a Saturday evening in the summer is popular anyway.
Perhaps he will boost the numbers at sparsely attended Kempton again. Although there will be the issue of who rides him. It is the same day as the Group 1 at Haydock.
“I just don’t buy the argument that thousands of people were itching to go to Windsor to see him run”
I just don’t think that Henderson cares what you think.
He will put extra bums in seats as he has a fan club that will travel to see him but as people have said Windsor is very popular and always well attended regardless (being a straight run in on the train from Waterloo with a riverboat ride if you are inclined) so not overly difficult for Londoners to go especially as it is rather nice down that neck of the words especially if the weather plays ball.
Kempton will get a bump in attendance for sure and probably a dedicated camera tracking him, which will at least show that there are people actually in attendance, which is not always evident when cameras are usually there…..I do wonder whether they purposely don’t seem to have cameras pointed at the grandstands during A/W meetings to hide the fact that not many people are there generally.
“He will put extra bums in seats as he has a fan club that will travel to see him”
Constitution “Taylor Swift” Hill.
Hope Kempton can handle the rush.
“I just don’t think that Henderson cares what you think.’
Really? Thanks, I didn’t realise. I thought Henderson spent all day hunched over his computer, eager to read the latest posts on The Racing Forum.
Turning into a Rocky Balboa story.
Make a movie or a Netflix documentary
Henderson gets him back to form
He can’t jump hurdles but somehow takes to fences
A bit of a love story thrown in with Hendo and a blind woman
They turn up at the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2027
Nicky announces its like Sprinter Sacre in that Champion Chase and also that he cares what Cork all Star thinks, he gets a kiss off the blind woman
ITV pundits start fawning over Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill jumps like a stag for the first circuit
Then then the cameras turn to the fan club who have turned up in their 100’s lead by Matt Chapman
Tears, tears, tears as
Gaelic Warrior leaves him for deadGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
“Then then the cameras turn to the fan club who have turned up in their 100’s lead by Matt Chapman”.
No, by Gladiateur.
He could boo Willie Mullins as well.
Oh, Gladders doing a Donald Trump impression on the wrong forum. This is not the “Lounge”….
I just don’t buy the argument that thousands of people were itching to go to Windsor to see him run but won’t bother going now. Windsor on a Saturday evening in the summer is popular anyway.
That’s mostly been true, CAS, though as the past three renewals have borne witness to an alarming slide in people through the turnstiles they might just appreciate a shot in the arm from Constitution Hill, should it come to pass.
Herewith the HBLB attendance figures for that Windsor August Saturday evening fixture in recent years, and where they ranked in terms of biggest attendances of the respective year:
2016: 8,053 – 1st
2017: 7,405 – 2nd
2018: 8,450 – 2nd
2019: 7,473 – 2nd
2020: n/a
2021: 7,670 – 1st
2022: 8,705 – 2nd
2023: 3,845 – 5th
2024: 3,410 – 10th (9th Flat)
2025: 3,585 – 10th (10th Flat)FWIW, there isn’t a single Windsor meeting this century which has netted a five-figure number of attendees, according to available HBLB data.
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.
Thanks, those figures make for interesting reading. It is a long time since I have attended that fixture but it was always popular.
Is any reason known for the decline in the last three years? Was there a post-racing concert prior to 2023, which has now been discontinued?
The attendance was still quite healthy after lockdown was lifted, so why the decline now?
I am still sceptical about Constitution Hill putting that many on the gate in the summer but it will be interesting to see what sort of attendance there is at Kempton a week on Saturday. Assuming he turns up.
Looks like he will have to take on Coronation Cup winner Bay City Roller
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