- This topic has 39 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 8 months ago by
.
- Posts
I went passed Doncaster Racecourse on Tuesday and have to say it doesnt look near to being finished theres a lot of scaffolding and unfinished buildings according to the website it will open on the 17th August perhaps it looks worse than it is .
Great Leighs delayed see post below
Its ridiculous and embarrassing for the industry I hope Manchester (Salford) learn from it.
Another court case for ATR to recoup the money of the five year deal they’ve got for the rights Maybe?
Who owns Great Leighs is it Arena
Can’t remember if it owns Great Leighs as well, but even without it this is turning into a year to forget for Arena, isn’t it! Increasing delays at Donny, the not uncommon flooding problems at Worcester (now with added dead fish), and poor old Southwell laid waste. There were already a profit warning issued before the last-named incident, and that is sure to realised in spades before too long.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Arena Leisure has no involvement in the Great Leighs project – it’s a separate consortium with no previous racecourse experience, and it shows.
All their fixtures up to the end of the current quarter have been reoffered and most have been taken up by other tracks. This will result in oddities like a program at Warwick on Sept 15th with all the races named after places in Essex – anyone for the Epping Forest Claiming Stakes?
AP
Great Leighs emailed me today to say the start date has been put back to 18 Oct subject to HRA approval
Wonder what the bookmakers are offering for 18 Oct 2007 to be the opening day any bookmakers want to give us some odds
Can’t remember if it owns Great Leighs as well, but even without it this is turning into a year to forget for Arena, isn’t it! Increasing delays at Donny, the not uncommon flooding problems at Worcester (now with added dead fish), and poor old Southwell laid waste. There were already a profit warning issued before the last-named incident, and that is sure to realised in spades before too long.
gc
I didnt realise the situation at Southwell was that bad I thought it was stand damage that was delaying it, well Arena have problems now dont they they will probably have to let Kempton have some races (ATR bosses will love that) Great Leighs cant take any. It’s a sham really. I hope the bosses at Sedgefield take note if they get the go ahead is all weather falling apart. Arena cant afford to lose Southwell as it has a majority of the tv fixtures being all weather.
Increasing delays at Donny
Is there any actual evidence for this apart from what Steve saw when he went past the other day?
Thats what Im asking IS IT going to be ready I didnt say it was going to be delayed I have heard nothing about it being delayed but it doesnt look very near finished but im not a building expert so if anyone from Doncaster Racecourse reads this please let us know if eveything is on schedule.
I asked a few people today if they had seen Doncaster Racecourse recently and they said they had and they didnt think it looked nearly finished. Most of it i assume will still be under construction during St Leger as it is being done in phases The offical website last updated construction news on 20 Apr.
GREAT LEIGHS will stage its opening meeting as Britain’s first new racecourse for 80 years on Thursday evening, August 16, writes Howard Wright.
“And that’s a promise,” said Essex entrepreneur and track owner John Holmes.Well if Mr Holmes is reading this perhaps you’d like to explain why it isn’t
I wouldn’t have a clue how to post a link to it but there was an article on Donny by Greg Wood in today’s Guardian and it’s sure to be on the paper’s website. The gist of it is that the place will be fully ready by the Leger meeting but ready enough by 17th August. There’s been drainage work done on the track as well.
Heres the link
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/horseracing … 88,00.html
Note the fact C4 are only televising two of the four days of the St Leger festival as a result some of the races have swopped daysPersonally I thought that the meeting was a lot more exciting as a 2-day fixture when it was held @ York last year so maybe Donny should consider making it a permanent 2 days.
Was quality racing all the way….
I think it was 2 days because of the transfer a lot of the minor races were just not run but now its just reverting back to normal, but St Leger four day is "bread and butter" for local businesses so i doubt it will be reduced. I remember last year being at Doncaster Railway Station on the St Leger Saturday and it was strangly quiet so it will be good for the town to have racing back.
Personally I thought that the meeting was a lot more exciting as a 2-day fixture when it was held @ York last year so maybe Donny should consider making it a permanent 2 days.
There probably is too much nondescript filler over the four days but…
…must admit to being somewhat cheesed orf about the changes to the meeting as one of the joys of the Leger meeting – from an attendance point of view – was quality racing on the first two days without the madding crowds, particularly ParkHill/Portland day.
Though I realise that the humble turfiste is of no importance in the great scheme of things.
Channel 4: fircombe
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.