Cross Country Chase

[apracing]

<br>Hi All,

Anybody else share my view that the Cross Counhtry race at Cheltenham this afternoon is a farce and a total waste of time and money. Do we really want to watch a bunch of old plodders going round and round in circles for what seems like half an hour, jumping obstacles that they never see anywhere else. Calling it a chase is also rather undermined by the fact that the last two obstacles are in fact just ordinary hurdles with a bit of Xmas decoration stuck in them.

Cheltenham must have to spend a lot of money and effort in maintaining this extra course and that must provide an incentive for them to eventually put one of these farces on at the Festival.

Apart from anything else, the nature of the track is a gift to anti-jumping protestors.

Alan

[THE ROOK]

Hello Alan

Having watched cross country chases in most of Europe, I have to totally disagree with your premise.

I really like them, much though does depend on the course.  Go racing in most other European countries and their steeplechases (never mind their X-Country chases) have more variety of obstacle than simply our standard plain fence, plain fence, open ditch, plain fence plain fence, water jump etc etc.

I’ve never held the view of those who belive that the home of racing shouldnt have at it a race based on the origins of the sport … look on teh bright side , it gives you an extra half an hour studytime.:biggrin:      

These races are ghrowing in popularity and it wont be long before a race is introduced at the Festival, because as today’s field suggests it will give the Festival a more European feel .. and thats no bad thing.    

[Celtic Pride]

I have to agree with you when I say I rather watch a proper hurdle/chase.<br>However,on what do you base your opinion of the race playing into the hands of the anti-jumping loby. What is the percentage of horses killed (if any),while running on the X-country course at Cheltenham,compared with horses killed on the conventional course,espesially bearing in mind the high profile horses eg Valiramix and Gloria Victis killed in resent years. <br>

[Kotkijet]

I just think that x-country racing is endlessly refreshing and easy on the eye.

The horses look like they enjoy the experiance and it’s just nice to see something that occurs none too often.

Its never a thing to bet on thus it’s not going to be ruined by the seriousness of the terrible habit.

So long as it isn’t a regular occurence and prevents itself from becoming stale then I have no objections to it whatsoever.

The charges from abroad are another delightful benefactor to this wonderful contraption.

Keep it up Cheltenham:)

[RichK]

It’s a great event, I look forward to it every year. I wouldn’t want a serious bet on it, but it is good fun.

Another question altogether though is : would you want a cross country race at the festival?

[tooting]

Nope, I’m with Alan on this one –

not for me at all.

It may have something to do with my placepot foundering on this damned curio for the last 6 years straight…

Actually I think this meeting is diminished by being over three days – and I sincerely hope Cheltenham don’t go for a 4 day festival – particularly one with a stock car tally ho round the middle of the course. <br>

[Jim JTS]

Totally crap thats my verdict, get rid of this shambles, it’s bad enogh asking a horse to jump open ditches and water jumps without all this nonsense!

ps. Mr Pride , could you please choose another avatar as the one you are using is mine as I designed it and have copyright! (thank you)

[Kifill]

"Do we really want to watch a bunch of old plodders going round and round in circles for what seems like half an hour, jumping obstacles that they never see anywhere else."

Sounds not too far from a description of the National Hunt Chase!

I enjoy both races, precisely because they’re one-offs.

[robgomm]

<br>The Pardubice race seems a little crazy. I think the Cross Country chase run today is a safer race (although I don’t have stats) but it’s not of much value to anyone except those taking part in the race and their connections.

Perhaps it’s viewed as a spectacle to bring in new racegoers.

On the extra day festival thing – seems odd to have another day. What sort of races do you have? A two-and-a-half mile Championship race doesn’t sound like a good idea. It could be made for one horse – Florida Pearl. But in all honesty, the Champion chase is not exactly an easy two-miler.

[RichK]

I think the whole idea of a fourth day at Cheltenham is greedy, ignorant and likely to completely devalue the whole festival. Perhaps we should have a thread to discuss it? I know we did it last year, but we know more now and we have more members.

I’ve tried to imagine what the fourth day would look like – I’m stumped! What would be the championship race on day four? I don’t think a 2.5 miler would be appropriate, as you say Rob. I think the only option would be to yank the Arkle on to day 4 as the feature – but that would devalue Tuesday.

Don’t even get me started on the idea of a Saturday gold cup :grrrrrrr:

[THE ROOK]

I cant help by feel that those who hate the race simply hate it because of the diffulty in evaulating formlines, much in the same way punter initially disliked allweather and to a lesser extent USA racing.  

I know he didn’t win, however if you get a chance to watch the race again have a look at how the big czech grey Kedon jumps for the first two circuits…. pure poetry. (Dont know what he’d cost to buy but he’s running over the wrong trip in my view .. but that’s another story.)

I would have thought that there is some sense in having a course with differing variants of obstacles, rather than one set of obstacles, with the occasion digree of difficulty… its definitely explains why we dont do as well as we could when we send jumpers abroad.

     

[Jim JTS]

Just to clear a few things up here –

The reason I dislike the cross country race is that it does nothing for me and in many ways it’s cruel, in fact why do we need to have these races? we have enough endurance tests for horses in racing as it is, ok this race is a one off, so what, does that make it ok? if you were a horse would you like to take the cross country challenge? what do the public get from watching racing like this? it’s bad enough watching horses jump open ditches and water jumps, why can’t we keep the jump racing simple? NO open ditches NO water jumps and certainly NO cross country races!

Also – me disliking these races has got nothing to do with betting on it, give me a race anywhere in the world, a form book a couple of videos of previous races and I’m sure whatever my selection is it will be there or thereabouts so it has got absolutely nothing to do with my ability to pick a winner of races like these!

I respect that many people like these races but that’s ok for them, I hate them and I’m not alone!

respect to the horse!

[Jim JTS]

I can only agree Tony, if it were up to me horses on the flat wouldn’t be allowed to run until they were 3-y-o.

[THE ROOK]

Jim

Whilst I wouldnt disagree with some of the sentiment with regards to two year olds.  I do disagree with you totally with regards to  the cruelty aspect of this sort of race.

I think its a bit unfair to imply in any way that supporters of the race do not have the same compasion as you do about horses… some simply like the spectacle, and some like me dont quite see the balance in your argument.

It seems odds to use to "think of the horse" issue with a race which within it will ask a horse to jump obstacles varying sizes, degrees of difficulty and has related distances. which to my mind will make a horse use itself more …. much more than our standard obstacles would.

Ceannanas Mor who isnt the best jumper of park courses demonstated the advantage of his recent intensive schooling over different related distanced obstacles.   He jumped round very precisively and might have won over a slightly shorter trip.

Lets be blunt, far more damage was done to horses yesterday over the hurdles  than were over the cross country course.  A quick look at the construction of both will explain readily why that is always going to be the case.

[elderberry]

With regard to putting young horses in training I was under the impression that the opposite was true:  that it is more beneficial for a horse to be in training at 2 or 3 then running around a field.  Apparently a study of tendon and bone injuries found that consistent exercise of horses at a younger age made them less prone to leg injuries later on.  It’s the reason why these new 3-y-o bumpers are being run.

I am in favour of the cross country races as they are something different and provide a spectacle.  They are a unique test of a horse’s jumping, agility and stamina.   Often you will see a horse who is no star over conventional fences come into their own in this type of race e.g. Risk Of Thunder.  I disagree that they are cruel.  They are no more cruel than a 6f 2-y-o maiden.<br>

[sacha]

I though it was a great race to watch and well done to Cheltenham for an interesting and chaellenging course. I think the different obstacles encourage the horses to jump well and fail to see what is cruel about it?? Unless you think all NH racing is cruel?<br>A good jockey who has natural balance and a eye for a stride is a god send and the horses that had been schooled properly (as all chasers should) jumped well. When i finally achieve my ambition of becoming an owner I would love to have a horse run in such a race.

[The Judge]

 I find watching the Cross Country races at Cheltenham easy on the eye, and as an occasional treat, for me they’re absolutely fine in principle. Cheltenham do a good job in vetting the entries for the races so that only experienced chasers take part in the contests. It won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but when it’s only 2 races in the entire season, well…<br>  The only objection I would have to the course is the bank in the centre- for me it’s not a pleasant sight watching horses negotiating banks on any Cross Country Course. <br>  In twelve races over these fences, there has been one fatality- Leguane as was rightly pointed out in 1995- at the bank itself, incidentally.<br>  In terms of horse welfare, I find watching the Cross Country races far less concerning than the 2 mile hurdles at Cheltenham. Watching them bullet down that hill to the second last à la The Triumph Hurdle is uncomfortable stuff for this Judge. <br>

[Author]

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