- This topic has 37 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 4 months ago by
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Posts
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What an invidious thread.
Cherish the diversity of courses we have, whilst we still have them all, for heaven’s sake; and if yet another a "kill off a course" thread (for this is hardly the first) really is necessary, then at least make it a completely free choice like the others rather than a presumably subjective list.
None of those listed above are anywhere near the top of my personal least favourite, and there are doubtless champions for all of them out there.
I can almost
hear
Ian Carnaby and David Ashforth twitching at the mere suggestion of Brighton’s destruction, for a start.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
It is topical as the issue is discussed in todays RP graysonscolumn, don’t take it too seriously, it’s only a bit of fun
Without wishing to annoy Jeremy.
Only the one racecouse?
There is too much racing and a reduction in courses would help reduce the number of fixtures.
Do agree it should be a free vote.
Yorkshire has too many, I’ll leave it to Yorkshiremen to decide which two should be axed.
In the South:
Brighton is indeed unique, but with its undulations and downhill nature, would it be passed as a new racecourse today?Bath can’t water and conditions are sometimes rock hard. Drone and others have changed my opinion of the benifit or otherwise of watering. But still, I do believe it is sometimes neccessary. In the past Bath often used to have "Hard" ground. Now the BHA does not like that word in description we never seem to hear it these days. Is the word banned? Despite there being no watering and times suggesting it is as hard / firm as ever.
As far as South West goes:
One of Newton Abbott and Taunton.South East:
one of Plumpton andFolkstone
.
London:
One of Windsor, Epsom and Kempton.Scotland:
Is safe.Wales:
Safe.West :
One of Ludlow, Worcester andHereford
.
Midlands:
One of Warwick, Stratford, Leicester, Nottingham and Towcester.North:
One of Hexham and Sedgefield.Apart from things like I’ve gone in to with Bath, profitability should be a big concern in the cull.
Value Is EverythingPersonally I’d like to see the back of that "dog track" at Chester!
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highwaysCherish the diversity of courses we have, whilst we still have them all,
Indeed: "dog tracks"
, switchbacks, left-handed, right-handed, galloping, sharp, stiff, easy, uphill, downhill, flat, cambered, undulating…: an always fascinating mixIt’s a long time now since an established racecourse closed and I’m too young to have any cherished memories of Stockton, Lanark, Bogside, Hurst Park, Lewes and Alexandra Palace but I’m sure there’s some of the TRF brigade that do
So enjoy the current lot while we still can as it does seem all but inevitable that at least some will be lost to Rules racing in the nearish future
We the racegoers and punters will have no say in which do flounder, so it hardly seems a worthwhile exercise to express a preference, nor one that should be encouraged, as it is really no more savoury a practice than kicking a dying man
- Total Posts 17716
Personally I would get rid of everything in Scotland because everything up there is pretty much needing a lick of paint and a few bob, just put all the money into building a state of the art facility in Edinbrough.
I would build more racecourses in London, affluent people who can bring money to the game and support the arabs like godolphin that pour money into the sport and would want more than just drunks turning up.
Should be more marquee racecourses aswell, one in Edinburgh, five in London, one in Birmingham, one in Cardiff and another in Canteberry or Hastings.
Also think that if your racecourse hasn’t boasted showing at least 130 rated flat horse or 170 rated jumps horse then you should be ashamed.
To get rid list;
Ayr
Hamilton Park
Kelso
Musselburgh
Perth
Carlisle
Cartmel
Catterick Bridge
Hexham
Market Rasen
Newcastle
Pontefract
Redcar
Ripon
Sedgefield
Thirsk
Bangor-on-Dee
Ffos Las
Bath
Newton Abbot
TauntonSo enjoy the current lot while we still can as it does seem all but inevitable that at least some will be lost to Rules racing in the nearish future
We the racegoers and punters will have no say in which do flounder, so it hardly seems a worthwhile exercise to express a preference, nor one that should be encouraged, as it is really no more savoury a practice than kicking a dying man
Amen to all that, sweet Drone. I have to confess there was an element of "get there whilst one still can" to my projected visit to Redcar this Sunday, for as an independent racecourse – and an embattled one with some apparent cash issues, at that – its future may not be as assured as some.
I’m quite sad in the circumstances, then, that I’ve had to cancel that venture now for reasons extra-curricular. A replacement visit in the autumn is being considered with some urgency.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
It is topical as the issue is discussed in todays RP graysonscolumn, don’t take it too seriously, it’s only a bit of fun
They do say folk get more sensitive to casual, frivolous mentions of death as they get older, although whether "they" had 36-year-olds in mind is another matter. Either way, do forgive me, Eddie, but advocating the elimination of venues many hold dear has long since stopped constituting "fun" to this milquetoast, regardless of what’s actually been discussed in the
Post
today.
In the prevailing climate, I think there’s greater virtue in being a bit more careful what we wish for. And for me, however realistic or not that is, that wish is for all our courses to emerge out the other side of the economic downturn in some recognisable form. Anything less is heartbreak.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
We the racegoers and punters will have no say in which do flounder, so it hardly seems a worthwhile exercise to express a preference, nor one that should be encouraged, as it is really no more savoury a practice than kicking a dying man
On that basis it may be said to be pretty pointless discussing many issues on here such as RFC, The Whip, moving races to Saturdays etc.
As many people believe there is far too much racing, presumably there would have to be racecourse closures to accommodate a substantial reduction in meetings.
In any event the question, which is your least favourite course is a regular in the Racing Post in questionnaires to trainers & jockeys. I liked Darryl Hollands reply, anything beginning with B.
For what it’s worth, I think rather than them all being wonderful a number of tracks could do a lot better.Personally I would get rid of everything in Scotland because everything up there is pretty much needing a lick of paint and a few bob, just put all the money into building a state of the art facility in Edinbrough.
Mr Wilson
I presume this is one your regular wind ups, but you clearly haven’t been to Scotland lately have you? When there are five perfectly good, successful WELL KEPT courses in Scotland why do we want just one ‘in Edinbrough(sic)’?
That nonsense aside, GC communicated thoughts pretty much the same as mine, only a good deal more eloqunetly. I don’t see how discussion on getting rid of a racecourse can be ‘a bit of fun’ as suggested by eddie.
Anyone who’s my comments on racecourses would know I wouldn’t miss Newmarket or Epsom, but that’s only my preference and would be a horror scenario to a goodly proportion of TRForumites. Let and let live!
Rob
Bangor-on-Dee, it’s nowt more than a glorified point-to-point. A hill for a stand and the winning post situated some way away from the paying public. True, facilities have improved a great deal since the management of the course was taken over by Chester Race Company, but it’s a smelly armpit of a place.
Ah! – I can hear its defenders say, but it’s "unique" or gives a true feel of what steeplechasing is all about. Well, one of the reasons it’s unique is because it’s uniquely cr@p. Unique doesn’t always equal worthwhile. As for for giving a true feel of steeplechasing etc., well, if NH racing had aimed no higher than what’s on offer to the public at Bangor, then it would have deservedly died a death many years ago.As for for giving a true feel of steeplechasing etc., well, if NH racing had aimed no higher than what’s on offer to the public at Bangor, then it would have deservedly died a death many years ago.
They’ve held meetings on that site at Bangor since 1859 (1858 if one includes a solitary cross country-style match), and for the greater part of that (and certainly at its creation) first and foremost at the behest of the local hunting fraternity.
That strong link with hunting endures to the present day, with the North West Area Point-to-Point final one of several hunter chases regularly programmed at the course and Sir Watkin Williams Wynn – the hunt which provided the runners for that initial match 153 years ago – the organisers and benefactors of one of two Point-to-Points held there.
Using Bangor as a barometer for National Hunt’s overall aspirations to taking itself to more stellar heights seems a bit odd to me, therefore. It’s far more grounded in the sport’s amateur / traditional / less grandiose (delete as suits best) roots than many other courses out there, and nor will it likely ever be anything but that.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
- Total Posts 17716
After their bald-faced insolence today over the
QE2
and
Champion Stakes
, I’d say let’s be radical.
Let’s get rid of
ASCOT
pour encourager les autres
.
Bangor, for this punter, is a friendly course where the runners from such as Daly, McCain, V Williams are worth ‘keeping an eye on’. I would hate to lose it
Insomniac’s ill-educated rant reminds me of the familiar ill-educated ranting about Southwell AW, which Maxilon5 (where have you gone Max?) rightly defends resolutely.
Max knows Southwell and the trainers and runners it attracts like the back of his hand, and as a result the course provides racing he likes and betting opportunities galore
I am not quite so
au fait
with Bangor but have knowledge enough about the type of horse required, the trainers who like it and the jockeys accomplished on it to have a soft spot for the funny little place
And I daresay someone has a similar soft spot for each of the 60 courses
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
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