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<br>With the reduction of the Craven meeting to two days, all the staying races have been dropped and we now have 14 races (12 restricted to 2 or 3-y-olds) and none of them run over more than 10F.
There used to be a 14F handicap, which was dropped a few years ago, but now we’ve lost the 12F handicap and the 12F maiden as well.
It’s the same at almost every other turf meeting this week. Windsor tomorrow, Nottingham Tuesday, Ripon Thursday have nothing over more than 10F. Warwick on Tuesday and Newbury on Friday manage to stretch things to 11F. But the only 12F race over the next five days is a moderate fillies handicap at Beverley.
The four tracks that keep things going through the winter may not be popular, but at least they stage a decent program of races at 12F and further – it’s the turf tracks that are taking us down the American route on this week’s evidence.
AP
That’s quite unnerving news, AP.
But the only 12F race over the next five days is a moderate fillies handicap at Beverley.
I find that hard to believe, frankly. Is this just a seasonal thing, (to enable young horses to get their chance) or do you really believe this is a long term trend?<br>
The reduction of the Craven meeting (on of my favs) to two days and no terrestial TV is sadder still :(
<br>Max,
If you’ve got an older horse (4-y-o and up) rated 76+ that wants a 12F handicap, you’ve got just two options between now and end of the month.
There’s a 0-85 and Bath and a 0-95 at Epsom – neither track would be everyone’s choice and the races are on consecutive days!
After those, the next one south of Hadrians Wall is on May 7th.
AP
The Craven meeting is no longer on CH4??
I’m probably being a bit slow here, have been a bit busy of late…but how do they expect the average people (who don’t want to/can’t fork out the money for RUK) to keep up with the racing?? :angry: :angry: :angry:
Totally agree with your initial posting, apracing.
Variety is a great feature of UK flat racing, and having races over widely differing distances is one of them.
There used to be a restriction, certainly in the 60s and 70s, that every flat programme had to have 2 races, differing in distance by at least a furlong, whose total distances added up to at least 2 1/2 miles.
That more or less ensured that there was one race over 12f or longer on every card.
Quote: from Venusian on 5:04 pm on April 15, 2007[br]
Variety is a great feature of UK flat racing, and having races over widely differing distances is one of them.<br>.
Staying affairs ain’t really my cup of tea and i enjoy the US stuff, but your spot on Venusian
Quote: from Meshaheer on 4:36 pm on April 15, 2007[br]how do they expect the average people (who don’t want to/can’t fork out the money for RUK) to keep up with the racing??
Who do you mean by "they", Mesh?
For goodness sake AP, you’ll be asking what happened to the 16+ runner handicaps next?
Its all to do with health and safety and the war on terror and the so-called modernisation of british racing.
Long distance flat races are probably the easiest of all flat races to fathom, so we will eventually see them banned, because of health and safety and the war on terror, or because some reptile at Laddies says so.<br>:cheesy:
A quick perusal of the 8 flat cards scheduled between Monday and Thursday reveals only one race run over a distance of 12f or more.
What on earth are the race "planners" playing at?
The Craven meeting has always been about Classic trials. The handicaps won’t be missed by me.
(Edited by ClintM at 11:51 pm on April 15, 2007)
Just 2 races a day for you then Clint (are you Zorro’s mate btw?).
The handicaps were great pointers for the rest of the season and a great loss imo.
Quote: from Alderbrook on 1:35 am on April 16, 2007[br]Just 2 races a day for you then Clint (are you Zorro’s mate btw?).
The handicaps were great pointers for the rest of the season and a great loss imo.
Each to his/her own, Alderbrook. I’ll leave the flat-handicap minefield to others.
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