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Far too many meetings with far too many races all on Saturday afternoon, 8 including Dubai.
Races clashing, split screens and races missed aplenty.Amongst it all was some quality racing, unfortunately it was near impossible to appreciate much of it as we were drowned in racing.
Wonder how many folk will remember in a few weeks time what won this years Lincoln? Maybe my failing memory but I couldn’t remember today what had won it yesterday, used to remember the Lincoln winner for years.
Obviously the Lincoln meeting was put back and added to coverage of overseas meetings at Cork and Meydan. There were only five scheduled UK meetings which doesn’t seem too bad.
Tomorrow there are ‘only’ seven meetings in the UK. I say ‘only’ as for a long time Easter Monday was the big raceday (volume-wise) of the year with a standard sixteen meetings going off.
In the good ole days of course, Britain’s Bank Holiday plethora of meetings has historically encouraged no end of attempted ‘coups’ at the minor meetings which weren’t covered live by Extel. Sadly, my attempts at trying to get the Post to print cards from Trodmore Hunt in recent times have so far come to naught…
Mike
Tomorrow there are ‘only’ seven meetings in the UK. I say ‘only’ as for a long time Easter Monday was the big raceday (volume-wise) of the year with a standard sixteen meetings going off.
Mike
With many of the smaller meetings consisting entirely of four or five runner fields!!!
Tomorrow there are ‘only’ seven meetings in the UK. I say ‘only’ as for a long time Easter Monday was the big raceday (volume-wise) of the year with a standard sixteen meetings going off.
Mike
With many of the smaller meetings consisting entirely of four or five runner races!!!
Well I had an excellent day at Musselburgh. Very good racing, a decent sized crowd and the weather behaved itself relatively well. This meeting is now established as an excellent Scottish flat season.
There was a time, not that long ago, when we didn’t have the luxury of anything more than terrestrial racing coverage. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are these days.
Rob
Have some sympathy with Yeats; prefer top quality racing and yesterday was somewhat diluted. It’s a shame everthing had to be crammed in, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault Doncaster had to be postponed. What are they supposed to do? It wouldn’t be fair on Haydock or Musselburgh to relegate them. Think they made a reasonable stab of a difficult situation.
Love both codes equally, but am still in jumping mode and happy to see Haydock get some preview coverage. Enjoyed flat racing at both Doncaster and Meydan, though missed a couple of races I can see them and Musselburgh on replay.
In the eighties I couldn’t wait for the start of The Flat/Lincoln meeting; with Synthetic Flat all year round – it just is not the same. Probably why (for me) the name of the Lincoln winner is instantly forgetable nowadays.
Value Is EverythingFar too many meetings with far too many races all on Saturday afternoon, 8 including Dubai.
Races clashing, split screens and races missed aplenty.Welcome to racing coverage run by bookmakers.
Walk into any high street bookies’ on any day of the week and you’ll see the same thing- non-stop virtual races and other "gambling opportunities" to fill the gaps in between the real races. Why? So that punters have neither the time to assimilate what has gone before nor to prepare for races to come. An ill-prepared punter is a losing punter, and that’s exactly what those nice bookmaker chaps want us all to be.
The sooner racing distances itself from these leeches, the better.
Welcome to racing coverage run by bookmakers.
I don’t think that’s the case here Galdiateur.
As stated, there were five UK meetings scheduled for yesterday which is pretty much the average throughout the year (6-7 in summer, less in winter).
A lot of the drive for Saturday and Bank Holiday fixtures comes from the courses themselves as they are obviously well-attended compared to most midweeks.
I’m not sure what you mean by racing ‘distancing’ itself from bookmakers. It’s my assertion that with the plethora of alternative betting ‘opportunities’ now available, bookmakers will shortly find it beneficial to distance themselves from racing.
Mike
It’s my assertion that with the plethora of alternative betting ‘opportunities’ now available, bookmakers will shortly find it beneficial to distance themselves from racing.
I concur wholeheartedly, betlarge; in fact, I have been asking all my friends and colleagues to refrain from betting on virtual racing and FOBTs because we can’t be too far from the day when bookies decide that paying to show live racing in their shops isn’t worth their while and stop showing live racing pictures.
Being a racing fan first and foremost, as opposed to a punter, I would rather see racing find a way of funding itself without the levy; the question, as it has been for the last few decades, is exactly how this can be done.
Welcome to racing coverage run by bookmakers.
Walk into any high street bookies’ on any day of the week and you’ll see the same thing- non-stop virtual races and other "gambling opportunities" to fill the gaps in between the real races. Why? So that punters have neither the time to assimilate what has gone before nor to prepare for races to come. An ill-prepared punter is a losing punter, and that’s exactly what those nice bookmaker chaps want us all to be.
The sooner racing distances itself from these leeches, the better.
There’s no compulsion for punters to bet on every race Gladiateur. Sorry fact is a few punters willing to put in time studying can only make a profit from gambling purely because the vast majority of punters lose. If punters want a "thrill" in every race, then let them have it (as long as they don’t become addicted).
Strange thing is a mug punter gets a bigger thrill at winning a bet than a successful punter does. Because he is not used to winning. However the satisfaction of making a profit more than makes up for it.
Value Is EverythingWhy have the Bank Holidays lost most of the fixtures ? The only one that seems to have held up numbers wise is Boxing Day and that is the one most at risk from the weather.
Well I had an excellent day at Musselburgh. Very good racing, a decent sized crowd and the weather behaved itself relatively well. This meeting is now established as an excellent Scottish flat season.
There was a time, not that long ago, when we didn’t have the luxury of anything more than terrestrial racing coverage. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are these days.
Rob
It’s this obsession with shifting lots of the quality races to a Saturday when they used to be more spread out throughout the week, it’s not good and I don’t like it.
Oddly since it has the best quality racing, Saturday is becoming my least favourite racing day of the week, there is far too much quality racing condensed into too short a time.Races like the Ebor used to be special on the Wednesday now it is more or less just another race on the Saturday conveyor belt, you watch it, sometimes even on a split screen and then move on to the next race.
There were even decent races at Kempton on Saturday, they were shown like dog races then we moved on to the next race, does that benefit racing?
Nevertheless Rob despite you having little interest in the rest of the quality racing last Saturday glad you enjoyed your day at Musselburgh, are you looking forward to Musselburgh racing on Good Friday in the near future? I am.
Why have the Bank Holidays lost most of the fixtures ? The only one that seems to have held up numbers wise is Boxing Day and that is the one most at risk from the weather.
I think it was something to do with the bookmakers saying there were too many meetings
I agree about the split screens. I have just found watching the Irish Grand National on ATR a real trial. In fact I almost switched it off. Why did they bother to show Fakenham & Fairyhouse simultaneously? A recording of one of them would have been better. As it was, it was impossible to read the Fairyhouse race as it was shown mainly in a long shot & reduced. The blue computer animated background behind the live action is irritating & unnecessary.
They are trying to cram too much in on Saturdays & bank holidays & it all ends up being hard to watch.
I agree about the split screens. I have just found watching the Irish Grand National on ATR a real trial. In fact I almost switched it off. Why did they bother to show Fakenham & Fairyhouse simultaneously? A recording of one of them would have been better. As it was, it was impossible to read the Fairyhouse race as it was shown mainly in a long shot & reduced. The blue computer animated background behind the live action is irritating & unnecessary.
They are trying to cram too much in on Saturdays & bank holidays & it all ends up being hard to watch.
I agree it was very difficult. In their defence there would have been no time to show a replay and I guess they are contracted to show all the races if at all possible.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
I think it was something to do with the bookmakers saying there were too many meetings
Any evidence to support that statement?
I agree about the split screens. I have just found watching the Irish Grand National on ATR a real trial. In fact I almost switched it off. Why did they bother to show Fakenham & Fairyhouse simultaneously? A recording of one of them would have been better. As it was, it was impossible to read the Fairyhouse race as it was shown mainly in a long shot & reduced. The blue computer animated background behind the live action is irritating & unnecessary.
They are trying to cram too much in on Saturdays & bank holidays & it all ends up being hard to watch.
…and no doubt that ATR will show only the last mile or so of the race on the Racing Review tomorrow morning.
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