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A few times in the past I’ve mentioned on this forum about how strange it is to run a grade one chase over trolly fences while a course like newbury that takes time and money to build normal fences doesn’t have one!
But I noticed at cheltenham last weekend that the 4th last on the new course is now a trolly fence and it was parked up on the inside of the course ready to be pulled on for the December meeting.
So perhaps haydock ain’t so bad after all if cheltenham now has one,though I still find it odd that the betfair chase is run on the same day as a more attended meeting at Ascot!’it’s like having football at Wembley while the cup final is at Accrington Stanley.Anyone else missing the old downhill second-last at Cheltenham? Its removal makes the track so much easier to jump round. I think you need a few fearsome fences at the most prestigious track in the country.
Anyone else missing the old downhill second-last at Cheltenham? Its removal makes the track so much easier to jump round. I think you need a few fearsome fences at the most prestigious track in the country.
Nope, not missing the old second-last at all TYF. It was a fence "good jumpers" often fell at, by over-jumping. Fences should be a jumping test, not a lottery. I presume there’s been fewer fatalities too. In my opinion it is better for horses to make mistakes, lose energy and therefore position – than fall/injury/death.
Although a balance must be maintained, if fences are made too easy then speed is increased, leading to more fallers or at least when fallers do occur it leads to more injury/death than a more "difficult" (slower) fence. But I don’t think that’s true in this (second-last) instance.
I was a bit sceptical at first, but imo it seems to have worked well.
Value Is EverythingA few times in the past I’ve mentioned on this forum about how strange it is to run a grade one chase over trolly fences while a course like newbury that takes time and money to build normal fences doesn’t have one!
though I still find it odd that the betfair chase is run on the same day as a more attended meeting at Ascot!’it’s like having football at Wembley while the cup final is at Accrington Stanley.
I believe am right in saying last year Haydock deliberately stiffened their fences at this particular meeting for the exact reason you give R&S.
Value Is EverythingNot just Haydock it is like a different world when you compare some of the obstacles now to days gone by and I am not talking about brick walls.
I’ve a suspicion that many tracks are packing fences less tightly. I noticed even at Cheltenham at the weekend some horses brushing through fairly low without it costing any momentum.
Doubtless someone will have stats on fallers going back a few years. My guess is that those numbers have steadily reduced over the past five years or so. Correlation, as they say, is not causation, but I’d be interested if anyone has figures.
The NEW old course second last is also a trolly-dolly fence and gets removed when not in use.
Indeed the march of the trolley fences continues apace with in recent years Wincanton, Market Rasen, Worcester & Ffos Las recent adopters while Huntingdon, Ayr and Ascot (last two) have partially converted. They are also ubiquitous in Ireland these days.
To follow Joe’s comment, it’s more the way the fences are packed rather then the material of the frame that counts (although there is something aesthetically pleasing about an old school timber framed fence like those at Newbury) and modern day fences seem to my eyes more brush through then they used to appear.
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