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1’o’clock for the first race has got to be the earliest start to Derby Day for a very long time.
Crazy in my opinion they should have at least started with a handicap.
It was earlier two years ago.
In 2023 the first race was at 12:50, with the Derby at 1:30.
That was in order to accommodate ITV, who had an FA Cup Final to show at 3pm. A Cup Final much later in the year than usual because of the winter World Cup in Qatar that disrupted the domestic season.
I would prefer it if they put it on at a reasonable time on ITV4 or ITV3.
The more I know the less I understand.
I expect there is a contractual obligation to show the race on the main ITV channel.
ITV decide the running order of the races. Worst one has to be when they (not ITV) tried to fit a Guineas in one year at half time during some football match, what a farcical idea.
Yes ap how could I have forgotten that. That really was a crazy start time for the day.
I somehow managed to avoid the FA cup final score in order to watch it ‘live’ when I got home.
Used to be 3.30/3.45 back in the good old days before the meddling started.
On the plus side,at least it’s one less mediocre race for racegoers to watch beforehandI think it was the same last year but two 5 furlong handicaps before the Derby is not particularly appealing.
I realise it is a case of the television and bookmaker tail wagging the racing dog but it would be far better if the 1m 2f handicap was run two races before the Derby and then the Dash. And run the 3yo Dash (if there has to be such a race) on the Friday card.
The 10 furlong handicap was the opening race on Derby Day for many years, so I don’t see why it would be a problem.
The 3yo Dash may not be possible to be run on Friday as it would mean road closure at 5-furlong start on both Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, there will be 40 or 45 minute gap for last 4 races this year. This is because there will be 4 World Pool races in South Africa, which needs a longer gap between those 4 races at Epsom.
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