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I remember three in a row really good ones in the mid-noughties. The Sarge, Mudawin touching off Glistening & (The Mighty) Young Mick, and Purple Moon.
The only one I remember since was that thing of Joe Tuite’s (Litigation?) absolutely hacking up on his stable debut after a break of about a thousand years.
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I remember leaving an evening meeting over 15 years ago as the final race was being run, and dodging the pathways of hordes of ‘racegoers’ just arriving to see some character called Peter Andre who was the reason why I had been charged an inflated admission price. No doubt these late arrivals would have been classed as attending racegoers.
In general, I think the rot set in with the growth of sports betting which grew relatively unnoticed in the 1980’s before rapidly making ground from the 1990’s. There was a time when you’d only be able to bet on the four majors in both Golf and Tennis, a minimum of five on the ‘ long list’ on the fixed odds, and when GP in the days of Jody Sheckter, or Snooker in the days of Pot Black, were not sports that were priced up. The sports betting growth has resulted in a norm where fathers under 35, who bet mainly on footy, will have brought up children to link betting first and foremost with footy. Thus the link whereby a genuine interest in racing is passed down a generation is severed for good.
Indeed. I went to watch my local team a while ago, and the talk was rife of some tedium called ‘build-a-bet’. “If so-and-so gets a shot on target, and the home team gets 3 corners, and a yellow card, I get £27.50 back from my fiver”.
Absolute load of bollocks and pretty low-brow fare, but it appeared to be all anyone bet on / discussed.
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When I first started going to my local betting shop on a Saturday morning, it was really the only way you could bet away from the racecourse (unless you had a telephone account).
The shop had its core group of old boys who would place their forecasts on Hackney and Crayford dogs, have a bit of banter, then stick a few bets on the horses before going home to watch the racing on television.
Now, on the rare occasions I go to the shops on Saturday mornings, it is just people playing on the roulette machines (and occasionally shouting at them), a few women coming in to play the Irish lottery and a few more people putting on their football accas.
The dog racing might as well not be on. I seldom if ever see anyone bet on it. A few people are putting their bets on the horses but nowhere near as many as before.
I wonder how many shops are viable now that the stakes on the FOBTs have been reduced? Two Hills shops in my neighbourhood did not reopen after the first lockdown. I suppose they were going to close anyway and that just brought it forward but I wonder about the shops which have stayed open. They never look like they have many customers.
Greyhound Racing could never get past being so strongly linked with the cruel and illegal practice Hare Coursing. No surprise it is sinking like a stone, and will carry on sinking.
‘National Hunt’ racing take note and distance yourselves completely.
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Good discussion; and I’m guilty of the ‘rose tinted glasses’. However, late 80s was when I got into the sport properly. We had racing on BBC, Ch4, plenty on Radio 2/5/5Live, The Sporting Life, Racing Post, newspapers taking it seriously with comment, interviews, stories, as well as racecards.
The contrast with now is quite startling – and I’m not sure when it started to change. What is a concern is that when sports start to slide, and fall off the ‘mainstream’ it’s hard to get back. We’re not quite there, yet, but we’ve seen it happen with another equestrian sport; Show jumping. Week day nights after the 9 o’clock news, Horse of the year Show; the Hickstead Derby live on BBC Grandstand, etc household names.
I can recall going to the Grand National meeting’s Friday fixture in the mid 90s to the early 00s; and there was quite a change. It went from quite busy, to uncomfortably packed in a short time. And I stopped going – was not enjoyable – too many there not interested in the sport on offer. I recall a Ted Walsh quote from a Cheltenham Festival of that time, as it had become a massive event: ” most wouldn’t know a horse from a billy goat”.
One final thought, and it regards NH; I do wonder about it’s future. It’s not competitive enough, and rather ‘insular’. What happened to the French (and other overseas) raiders? Doesn’t seem to be much encouragement to get them back – nor any incentive for decent flat horses to go jumping. And why would they when races like the Ebor, Cesarewitch, etc are worth so much. In the last 5-15+ years, it seems horses who win a decent staying race have talk about a possible tilt at a 2m Handicap in Melbourne. I can’t recall the Champion Hurdle ever mentioned…
Talking of Ebor winners – 1995 Ebor winner – Sanmartino, later went hurdling with The Duke.
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NH Racing has nothing to be ashamed of and doesn’t need to distance itself from anything, no matter how often you witter on about it
I’d be younger than almost everyone on here, so I can’t comment on how racing used to be in the past. However, I’ve only met one person my age who is also seriously into racing (he got into it by chance putting ITV on one day). Loads bet on football, constantly doing those build-a-bet accas that have become all the rage. Found going racing on a busy day much better in Ireland (did all of Galway in 2016). People are drinking but there’s a far greater proportion of those who appeared, at least to my eye, to have a genuine interest in the sport.
I got into racing through my dad, who would put Channel 4 on most Saturday’s (although sometimes it was Soccer Saturday instead). Unlikely I’d have been exposed to the sport otherwise although (since I now live in York) perhaps curiosity would have eventually taken over. As my generation become parents over the next 10/20 years racing will find itself increasingly marginalised. Not convinced racing can do anything to arrest this slide though, particularly as moralistic politicians continue to attack gambling with increasingly Victorian fervour.
Show jumping fell out of favour with the modern BBC. It is not the demographic it is interested in.
The Thursday at Aintree is still good. 4 Grade 1s, the hunter chase and a good handicap chase. It only costs about £30 into Tatts – great value by modern standards. One of my favourite race days in the calendar. I have really missed going these last two years.
I gave up going on the Friday about 20 years ago. It makes Aintree plenty of money but it is just an open air nightclub where some horses run around once every 35 minutes.
“NH Racing has nothing to be ashamed of and doesn’t need to distance itself from anything, no matter how often you witter on about it”.
Aye, being associated with an illegal act of animal cruelty is marvellous marketing in todays world.
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Who said anything about using it as a marketing tool?
Maybe you should take up knitting. Be careful of those needles, mind, they are quite sharp and I wouldn’t want you getting a little prick
Tank you are thankfully in a minority, and no decent people find a cruel and illegal pursuit acceptable.
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I am a point-to-point punter and racegoer, as well as a NH one and I would be the first to admit Pointing – never mind NH – should be keeping as quiet as possible about its links with Hunting, which it funds with Point meeting profits.
NH has absolutely nothing to gain – and potentially plenty to lose – by aligning itself with Hunting in any shape or form.
It’s smart and pragmatic to be aware in which direction society is heading and keep a step ahead.
It’s a survival thing.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Agree 100% ID. I think I prefer this sensible point of view to accusing anyone who is against fox hunting of enjoying knitting. Whats up with knitting anyway? Hasn’t done Tom Daley any harm.
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Personally I don’t find fox hunting (done correctly) cruel. However – for the sake of our sport – I do think its association with National Hunt should be severed. Call it “Jump Racing” for a start.
That said, people should make up their own minds on what is a “cruel sport”, TTC. Just because it is illegal and called “cruel” does not mean it is cruel.
ie If tomorrow we hear “Jump Racing” has been identified as “cruel” and therefore immediately banned / made illegal; would your opinion of jump racing therefore change overnight?
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