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I meant to post this yesterday, so apologies if you think I’m after-timing now that it’s a gloomy day.
But I believe the scheduling of the Novice Chase, to be run at 4:05pm, is just silly. NH Flat races yes, but Novice Chases that might not be concluded until near 4:15pm should the race go off a few minutes late/slow pace etc. I don’t understand it one bit.
It’s nearly dark now for crying out loud, and it’s been like this for the last week or so. I dread to think what it will be like in 80 minutes time. I just hope all horses can see the fences clearly and return safely.
I think the running order was deliberately changed to avoid problems with the low sun blinding horses and jockeys as they are jumping the fences. It’s been a long-standing problem at Cheltenham.
Having said that, waiting until the sun is completely below the horizon isn’t the smartest solution
Well it’s almost dark now according to William Hill Radio.
I hope common sense prevails and the last race is postponed, and run either tomorrow or Sunday with a few tweaks to the card.
But no doubt the horses will be made to run in the dark. Defies belief the scheduling of this race. Pathetic doesn’t even come close.
Having said that, waiting until the sun is completely below the horizon isn’t the smartest solution
Not unknown though. I remember waitng for the sun to sink below the hills at Kelso so a 3m 4f chase could take place.
Rob
Two fallers, Grand Crux walked through a fence.
No evidence to suggest it was due to darkness but that was disgraceful. Will be interesting to read what the jockeys say.
I believe Joe Tizzard said **** and Tom Scudamore said Yipee!!!!
Yeh lol.
Just got home and seen it on TV and it looked nowhere near as bad as it really was, but then that’s what TV cameras do, make it look bright.
I bet Joe Tizzard’s real words were on the lines of, "****, where did that fence come from?" And when Grand Crux missed one I bet Scudamore said something like, "What did we just hit, I didn’t see anything?"
All’s well that ends well though, and everyone’s safe and sound so no more to be said on it. I just wish the BHA wouldn’t cut it so fine (scheduling races so close to darkness), but then, when have the BHA got anything correct?
A better question is why wasn’t this, the best race of the day on Channel 4? The cross country bores me and I can’t see why an amateur riders race is supposed to be more important/exciting.
It was the race of the day because of the horses that happened to turn up in it. However,it was the last race on the card and at the end of the day was a non graded novice chase.
A better question is why wasn’t this, the best race of the day on Channel 4? The cross country bores me and I can’t see why an amateur riders race is supposed to be more important/exciting.
Can see (and agree) with your thinking Phil, but at least we only have three or four Cross Country Chases per year, and I don’t mind seeing them, they are something different. Novice Chase’s are run daily, though not on a scale of today’s class so I can see your point.
It was the race of the day because of the horses that happened to turn up in it. However,it was the last race on the card and at the end of the day was a non graded novice chase.
Yeah right! It’s been going longer than you have and has always been one of the most hotly contested novice chases of the season. Can’t for the life of me understand why it was put to last when some of the best chasers in the history of the game have run in the race.
I agree,I would have liked to see it on Channel 4. However,no need to jump down my throat. At the end of the day,it is just a novice chase and nothing more,hence it wasn’t on channel 4,which is what I said.
Is this not the race that used to be run at Newcastle in the 80s/early 90s?. 3rd week of November if i remember rightly. Theres a clip of it at the end of this video. All horses fell leading to Tropenna being remounted and finishing alone.
Dave,
While I remember the Novice Chase you refer to (which I think was on Fighting Fifth day), the race that was transferred to Cheltenham was the Grade 2 Dipper which I believe was always run in either December or January but has formed part of Cheltenham’s New Years Day card for a few years now.
As for Cheltenham’s running order, this is dictated by the demands of Channel 4 which means that the novelty of the X-Country (an unusual but ultimately sanitised version of the sport popular across the Channel) and a Sponsored 13 runner Handicap Chase (albeit for Amateurs) – and therefore perceived good for betting turnover – takes precedence over a non graded Novice Chase – regardless of the relative merits of their respective participants.
The cross country race is shown on C4 because I understand the sponsorship deal with Glenfarclas is conditional on terrestrial TV coverage.
Although I do agree with the general point about running chases at the end of the card, especially this time of the year.
It was pretty dull by the time the race was run, to the extent I gave up trying to watch the race through bins and I watched it on TV, (although that may well be as much to do with my ageing eyes as than anything else).
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A better question is why wasn’t this, the best race of the day on Channel 4? The cross country bores me and I can’t see why an amateur riders race is supposed to be more important/exciting.
Excellent point.
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