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On the point of the pundits: the RTV team last night were severely critical of a ride from one of the American jockeys.
Maybe they had a point but it seems to me it is very easy for them to criticise a ride from a jockey they are very unlikely to ever encounter.
Do McNae, Stanley, Baker and Mangan ever criticise rides by Dettori or Moore? I must have been out when that ever happened.
I agree with this 100%.
The UK racing media are serial sycophants and only put the boot in when it’s safe to do so.
Yutaka Take on White Muzzle in the Arc was the first such example I remember back in the day and same principle here.
If they’re not offering seats on the UK gravy train, they’re fair game.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I haven’t read the full thread on this so apologies if this has already been mentioned but I don’t like the American tracks – it feels like you are running a Premier race meeting at Chester. Take Golden Pal yesterday – ping the lids, get into the lead, job done. I’d have fancied Kachy to win a Breeders Cup Sprint granted a good draw. Its boring to watch for me and it wasn’t just the sprint the mile was pretty much the same two horses up there all the way as well.
I made the same Chester comment on page 1 of the thread, TTM. Great minds think alike.
Championships not decided on ability but draw and pace. Pace can be important everywhere, it’s absolutely vital here.Value Is EverythingI also am critical of Breeders Cup not following in the footsteps of Churchill Downs and banning Bob Baffert from participating. But, his days are numbered. His winner (Corniche) in the BC Juvenile, unfortunately, will not qualify to earn points for next year’s Kentucky Derby. So, what do you think the ownership group will do? Move him to another trainer. This horse is already an early favorite. Probably, other owners will follow suit. Unlike the family-owned Santa Anita where Baffert dictates the terms and gets a free pass at everything that he does, Churchill Downs is a 8-9 billion-dollar corporation whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. They will not allow the likes of Baffert (or anyone else) to tarnish the brand and image of the Kentucky Derby. That’s their meal ticket…
As to the dilution of the meet, initially I was also a staunch opponent of doubling the number of races from 7 to 14. But, over time I came to embrace it and now fully support it. If one looks at the big picture, all these additional races provide opportunities for small racing yards and breeding operations to compete for multi-million dollar purse money which otherwise would not be available to them if the event was only limited to the original 7 races (5 dirt, 2 turf). As an example, take Friday’s $1 million BC Juvenile Sprint where David Loughnane’s Go Bears Go finished a close 2nd and the connections received $170k for the effort. I’m so impressed with this young man who was so genuinely happy and gracious in defeat. In the post-race interview he held himself with such class and dignity on such a world stage. Moreover, look at a couple more examples from last year. One of my all-time favorite images from the BC was when Audarya won the $2 million F&M Turf and the cameras shifted on James Fanshawe and his wife where they were standing alone and away from others and started hugging and kissing from sheer joy despite COVID and the world inflicted with misery. A few races before that one, Kevin Ryan’s Glass Slippers won the $1 million Turf Sprint and a brief footage showed people from a small town where the winner is based celebrating her victory. Where else could these small operations get such an opportunity? Let’s ask them how they feel? If the event was limited to 7 races, they would never get a chance. Instead, they got an economic shot in the arm…
The meeting needs another 7 Grade 1’s on an tapeta. Unfair on the AW horses.
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Are You serious, Turkoman?
Let’s have a week long Cheltenham Festival. We could have a 2m Champion Hurdle, a 2m2f ChampRyan Hurdlr, a 2m4f Ryanair Hurdle, a 2m6f Ryanstay Hurdle, a 3m Stayers Hurdle and a 3m2f Out And Out Stayers Hurdle.,,
…And a 2m Champion Chase, a 2m4f ChampRyan Chase, a 2m6f InterRyan Chase, a 3m Almost Stayers Chase, a 3m2f Cheltenhan Gold Cup, and a 3m4f Out And Out Stayers Chase. Not forgetting the 4m Out And Out Out And Out Stayers Chase.
If one looks at the big picture, all these additional races provide opportunities for small racing yards and breeding operations to compete for a big purse; money which otherwise would not be available to them if the event was only limited to the original 4 days.
I know it will reduce the quality of racing and horses that win won’t actually deserve to win “championship” events… But as long as the small trainers get some good prize money.
Value Is EverythingI’m not sure I see how supporting a switch to two days and 14 Grade 1s, instead of one day and seven, automatically equates to being in favour a week-long Cheltenham Festival.
I thought it was a very good posting from Turkoman (whose namesake I saw dead heat in the November Handicap), actually.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Just tongue in cheek, Ian; just tongue in cheek.
Just an exaggeration of what happens when meetings are expanded – less quality and less competitive racing.
Value Is EverythingYou disguise it well – almost as well as me.
Are either of us being entirely serious?
I guess neither of us will ever know for sure.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"May be I was a little hard on Turkoman. Although I don’t agree with expanding these meetings for the reasons given, it was a well argued piece. Sorry Turkoman.
Value Is EverythingIt was well argued but I am still not convinced that more equals better.
To be fair, the expansion of Grade 1s is not just an American problem. There are far more Group 1 races in Britain and Ireland now. Arguably too many.
I have a book entitled “The Sporting Life Guide to the Pattern” from 1988, around about the time I was getting properly interested in racing. Looking at it recently, it is noticeable how there were not many Group 1 races back then.
A lot of races we just take for granted as Group 1s today – Lockinge, Queen Anne, Kings Stand, Prince of Wales, Diamond Jubilee – did not have top level status. And there was no Commonwealth Cup, Filly and Mare etc.
When Aiden O’Brien was winning all those Group 1s a few seasons ago, I found it difficult to care because it is clearly much easier to win a Group 1 now.
I agree CAS. When I started following racing I think there were 26 Group 1 races in the UK and now it’s 36, this expansion surely makes for less competitive races at the very top level?
I dislike the fact there is a Group 1 for 3yo’s at Ascot, along with two open-age Sprint Group 1’s over 5f & 6f too. Its overkill. Yet Beverleys Hilary Needler gets stripped of its precious Listed status! Makes me angry.
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To be fair, the number of racehorses in training has increased enormously since those races you mention were Group 2s…
In my formative racing years in the mid and late eighties big handicaps regularly had weights from 10 stone down to the minimum 7 st 7 lbs.. And many of those were out of the handicap. Nowadays the handicap has a more restricted weight range and yet seldom get the full weight range; let alone runners out of the handicap. Indeed sometimes there’s so many horses of similar standard the weight range of big handicaps doesn’t go anywhere near minimum weight.
…And in the same way, numbers of top class racehorses have also increased enormously. Therefore despite the number of Group 1’s going up from 26 to 36, Group 1’s are actually more competitive now than they were 30+ years ago.
Value Is Everythingtbh I was against the Commonwealth Cup when it first appeared. However, I now believe it has helped in transitioning top class three year old sprinters into the all aged division… In the same way as 3 year old milers, middle distance and stayers largely transition through their 3 year old Group 1’s.
Value Is Everything
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