Flat or NH – which do you prefer?

[Himself]

Some of my friends are divided over this. Have you a preference? Do you prefer flat to NH racing or vice versa – or maybe you like both equally?

If you do have a preference, what are the main reasons for preferring one over the other?

Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning

[Kingston Town]

Flat for me – I watch NH with one eye closed – I think the jumping in the UK is sensational and the horses are clearly brilliantly educated and fit as fiddles, but it’s way too nerve wracking for me

[sberry]

flat for me, though i enjoy nh as well

flat is faster, more competitive and has less accidents – and you can go all year round because it has AW racing, which, like it or not, will be the future of racing

i couldn’t really decide which code has the best courses (for spectator comfort and facilities) though but i reckon flat edges jumping on the totty front

[MikkyMo73]

Without a shadow of a doubt I prefer NH. The Cheletenham Festival is just one of the sporting events of the whole calendar in my opinion, but then again Royal Ascot is for those who love flat.

You asked for a reason why we prefer what we do. One of the main reasons I prefer NH is because the horses are round a lot longer. You can follow a top class horse from a 4 year old right through to a 14 year old. Just look at horses like Spot The Difference, absolutely remarkable in my opinion.

Then you have horses like Istabraq and Best Mate who win their main even 3 times and could have went on to win a few more if not for injury, fatality, foot and mouth etc. Apart from sprinters on the flat, you very rarely get to see a horse go more than 5 or 6 seasons in that sphere, but as long as they stay injury free, they can be there for what seems forever over the jumps.

Mike

[covminiwrecker]

Definetly prefer NH , Cheltenham is a complete phenomenon, agree with previous comment about following horses over a number of years rather than them just getting whisked of to stud aged 3, also true stars such as kauto star and denman gracing the sport , also jockeys with a bit of metal such as mcoy,ruby and timmy murphy.

[Ugly Mare]

both equally, plus tennis and Big Brother

[Zorro]

Flat no contest.

[dave jay]

I like both .. of decent quality.

[robnorth]

National Hunt, particularly when able to get up close to the hurdles and fences.

[Breath Of Fresh Ayr]

I honestly think I prefer them both just about equally with maybe a slight leaning towards flat.

I get so excited when Ascot or Goodwood and the likes come around but I get equally excited when Cheltenham or Aintree arrives.

I just love every minute of this wonderful sport.

[heffo]

Love them both but the Flat tops it for me. Love going racing so its the weather that swings it. A little picnic before racing at The Curragh in the summer, shirt sleeves, sun in your face (sometimes). Evening racing on a wednesday night at Naas.
Punchestown in the winter, freezing cold, a gale driving the rain straight through you.

[Friggo]

I dabble in a bit of flat, but come November I drop it like a disease-riddled hot potato in favour of the fantastic sport of National Hunt racing.

[Flash]

I love both but prefer the flat of the two though the jumping festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree are better than any flat festivals IMO. Overall though the flat is where all the real class is.

The only thing I can’t abide and refuse to folow in any way, shape or form is all weather racing. Its artificial and to me its not proper racing.

[yeats]

both equally, plus tennis and Big Brother

I too am dual purpose but forget the tennis and BB although I did watch quite a bit when McCririck was on and it was quite entertaining

[GhostofTheFellow]

National Hunt for me especially the northern tracks and Scotland.

I have made a second income in each way punting just on those tracks alone,but i can also enjoy a day at the jumps with a £10 placepot.

I find the flat imho difficult to work out the form,but i did enjoy the Eclypse yesterday

[graysonscolumn]

Low-grade / summer jumps. And point-to-points.

gc
(literally just back this second from Market Rasen)

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.

[ClintM]

The flat by miles for me. I do enjoy Cheltenham immensely, though, but I do feel that the NH game suffers because of the overwhelming importance of the meet, which sort of puts much of the rest of the season into the shade. – well, that is my impression of the winter code.

[Author]

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