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Ascot???? Paul.
Wouldn’t you want somewhere with better ground, a comment that might also apply to York.
Colin
I have the occasional small bet but I am very wary of the European challenge on the West Coast.
I like to see how the overseas contenders fare against the home runners – but a "world championship" – don’t make me laugh.
My outlook on the event exactly.
Funnily enough I have very little interest in flat racing full stop – and even less so in AW racing.
I do enjoy the BC though, partly it’s because it’s on television on a Saturday evening, and I deliberately stay at home to watch it with a few beers, partly because it’s extra satisfying to see a European horse overcome the aforementioned obstacles and still prevail and partly because historically I’ve won more money on the event than I have the majority of flat races over here.
The fact that British bookmakers price up our horses often shorter than they are on the U.S P.M normally means you can also get bigger prices about the U.S runners (overrounds can be harsh though) and European success in the West hasn’t been overly proficient.
I’d imagine Zenyatta will be odds on on the night (and rightly so IMO) but she is freely available at levels over here.
Lee
The surface at Santa Anita is Pro-ride, not Polytrack. The general opinion seems to be it’s a little closer to dirt than Poly is.
As for the lack of interest in the Breeders’ Cup in the UK, I despair at the parochial attitude of Dennis, and many other racing fans here.
It’s the same with the Hong Kong festival, the Melbourne Cup and the big November bash at Auteuil.
It sickens me that every year, European horses have to trek across the Atlantic to compete primarily on dirt for what the Americans consider the Olympics of Horse-racing.
It’s a mickey-mouse meeting serving only to pander to the American idea that dirt racing is superior to turf racing.
Then we hear the usual American bullshit about Horse XYZ being the greatest miler etc etc etc.
Let the yanks come over to Britain or Ireland or even Arc weekend every second year and lets see how they compete on turf without drugs.
Yep the Americans always seem to have "the best horse in the world". Yeah right, in the US on their favoured surfaces. Bring them to Ascot / Newmarket / Longchamp to take on our best then we’ll see how incredible they are.
With you one hundred per cent. Bring Curlin to Europe on our surface on our terms with no dope (for that is what it is) and a hill to climb. If he then wins, then and only then can he be called a great horse. In the meantime call him a Great North American Horse but nothing else.
I cannot get excited about the Melbourne Cup either despite all the news from Down Under I have to put up with in the Telegraph (I wonder why?)
Give me Towcester in the rain any day or a crisp day at Huntingdon, proper racing with proper people.
The surface at Santa Anita is Pro-ride, not Polytrack. The general opinion seems to be it’s a little closer to dirt than Poly is.
As for the lack of interest in the Breeders’ Cup in the UK, I despair at the parochial attitude of Dennis, and many other racing fans here.
It’s the same with the Hong Kong festival, the Melbourne Cup and the big November bash at Auteuil.
To an extent I agree. I’m always amazed at the relative lack of interest when top class horses race in Dubai, HK, US, France etc, but it doesn’t alter the fact that punters just don’t seem to get turned on by this stuff.
As for the Breeders Cup specifically, I think it has been watered down far too much now. The card now just resembles a decent American card with a few random euros thrown in. There is very little sense that we are seeing anything like a "World Championship" on Saturday.
If I read phrases like "Crisp winters day at Towcester" in the same context as a holistic spiritual epiphany one more time I’m going to skewer my eyeballs with a kebab stick.
The Breeders Cup is one of the world’s great racing festivals and some of my favourite memories come from there. There ought to be a thread for those memories instead of this rather dismal effort.
For once I agree with BD. International racing is more about marketing and bloodstock business than racing. Give me a run-of-the-mill meeting at Cheltenham or Kelso any day to what they call racing in the US, Dubai or any other international festival.
The surface at Santa Anita is Pro-ride, not Polytrack. The general opinion seems to be it’s a little closer to dirt than Poly is.
Thanks for that – a little bit of laziness on my part. I do remember reading a while back (I think it was an article by Andy Beyer) about how the US was embracing Polytrack – there were a number of tracks considering it or a similar surface as I recall.
cup fever starts here, claim racing post, doesn’t have any interest imo to the majority of betting public,
years in the game, I have never noticed any betting interest or massive turnover from general public, take more bets on strictly dancing and x factor in betting shops.
Surely you mean Melbourne Cup fever Barry, started in my house at 6 am last Saturday morning and is bubbling up nicely…..
Racing seems to be the only sport in which international competition doesn’t matter much to any except the most committed fans.
Racing seems to be the only sport in which international competition doesn’t matter much to any except the most committed fans.
Agreed. Since when has something not appealing to ‘betting-shop punters’ been a bad thing?
I’m sure any real horse-racing fan will be excited by the prospect of Duke Of Marmalade, Henrythenavigator, Raven’s Pass and Curlin taking each other on – how can anyone who has had an interest in this flat-season not be intrigued?
To me, it seems like a ready-made narrative which is similar to that which was proposed with The Soveriegn Series – this year’s stars taking on the best from The USA. The problem is the time and the TV rights.
I have to confess to being one of those whose pulse isn’t sent racing by international events.
I will admit to being parochial in such matters but how can one have a strong opinion about a race when one knows almost nothing about the non-British participants?
I can get involved in the European events because I feel there is context in which you can interpret form lines.
The only interest I can generate for races in Australia, America and Asia is a sort of faux-patriotism.
I have made the choice over the years to find out as much about British racing and racehorses as I can. Having made that decision I find that there is very little time left for the International scene.
That’s not to say I won’t be watching the Breeders’ Cup but I’ll be watching it with detachment, having no thoughts on what I think will win.
I wouldn’t describe myself as a "betting-shop punter" and I certainly don’t have to have a ber in a race to have an interest in that race. But events such as the B.C and Melbourne Cup almost fall into the same category as Shergar Cup day. A curiosity, if you like.
I hope I haven’t offended to many sensibilities with this post, it’s just an attempt to explain my "lack of interest".
Colin
Zorro, I feel you have to admit that people are likely to have a very different to international racing than you.
You have, after all, devoted the recent part of your career to covering the international scene.
I can understand if you feel a sense of frustration at a perceived "lack of interest".
Colin
I don’t see the Breeders’ Cup as an outstanding betting prospect, which was I suppose the initial point, but it’s a terrific international racing event which I look forward to every year.
Would make the pilgrimage if I could – BC day in New York in 2001 was something really special.
Even those without knowledge of international racing should get something out of this meeting – how can you appreciate what we have at home if you don’t experience what happens elsewhere?
Just to clarify:
I’m not saying I won’t watch the meeting because I will with interest, on both days.
I just dislike the way the meeting has been built up over the years to be America vs Europe, almost like racing’s Ryder Cup, except always in America and always predominantly on all-weather.
It’s hard enough being able to keep track of all the Group horses run in Ireland & UK without maintaining an interest in foreign racing as well.
To translate a similar scenario to soccer, I couldn’t name 5 players who play for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Milan etc and most people, apart from die-hard football fans, would be the same.
Greetings from Sunny Santa Anita where as I speak John Gosden is just taking Ravens Pass to the track to exercise.
I’m astonished by this thread and, whilst I understand the contributions may make up the majority of British opinion, I cannot grasp why.
I love my British racing – jump racing and point to pointing in particular – but how can you say that ordinary meetings at home are more interesting than this spectacular.
In the barn facing me we have Duke of Marmalade, Henrythenavigator, Soldier of Fortune, Halfway to Heaven, Goldikova, Eagle Mountain, Conduit etc. Next door we have Ravens Pass and the Godolphin team – 26 Europeans in total going into battle with the best of Americana including Curlin of course.
Yes half the races are on Pro-Ride but that should give us an even chance with the locals. Yes it has stretched to 14 races over 2 days but at least now most of the categories are covered.
Some of the names may be unusual, particularly the ill named Marathon, but you can’t tell me that lots of racing at home have names which aren’t ideal ie World Hurdle and races with outlandish sponsors names,
I think it will make for an outstandingly interesting challenge and I hope you all enjoy watching it on TV and reading about it – even if you decide not to have a punt.
Colin (seabird),
What I can’t understand is the general assumption that it must be very difficult to win money on the Breeders’ Cup. If I could stick to betting on the big international meetings, including this one of course, I would be a rich man now. All the horses, except in the juvenile races maybe, are exposed. All you have to do is study.
And use the exchanges, obviously, the banning of which in America is one of the big reasons why I’ll be watching this year’s from the South Manchester Riviera again.
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