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Good news, Windsor bringing jump racing back in 2024.
Not the old figure of 8 though, a new oval course.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Excellent news. I wonder if the programme will be similar to the old one?
Probably won’t be, but if they bring back the New Year’s Day Hurdle and the Fairlawne Chase, I’ll be happy.
Doesn’t look like an oval. Looks very similar to the old course, anti-clockwise circuit, but without the crossover.
A few races from the past…….
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Good to hear and thanks for the links.
Windsor was a good jumps track. New Year’s Day there was always enjoyable. I hope that fixture returns.
Nice bit of Retro News.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I think the course line they are intending to use is similar to one used in the distant past, pre-war possibly, a ‘squeezed oval’ going left-handed at the far end rather the figure 8. As espmadrid suggests it doesn’t use the cross-over so will save chopping up that part of the course in winter, possibly one of the reasons for dropping jumpnig in hte first place. Paddock bend back in use for racing, clearly safe for jumping if not for flat.
Isn’t it similar to Fontwell?
-ish, but they will bearing right at the ‘cross-over’ and going left handed around the far turn, so it’s a squashed oval rather than a figure-8.
That would make our good retro news day complete, Landafar.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"When Windsor originally gave up NH racing (well before the one season when it replaced Ascot), the then clerk of the course, Hugo Bevan, was quite specific about the reason.
Money.
The crowds for NH racing were much lower than they would get for a Monday evening flat meeting, they spent less money when they were there and the cost of running NH meetings was much higher.
I guess that this time, the Monday evenings will be retained and the NH meetings will replace afternoon meetings currently held in April and October, which ARC can always move to Lingfield or Wolverhampton.
Windsor replaced Ascot for two seasons but only for the November and December fixtures.
I went to one of the Fridays in November and a Saturday in December (the day Baracouda won the Long Walk). There was a reasonable crowd on the Friday and a good sized crowd on the Saturday.
Maybe the novelty of Windsor having the jumps back added to the numbers (and the fact it was clearly just a short term arrangement) but if the track puts on decent quality racing the crowds will go. Windsor got low crowds before because a lot of its jumps racing was moderate.
Great news, really hope this works out well for Windsor.
And a great excuse to post some footage of old races – thanks espmadrid
That novice chase won by No Pain No Gain is quite something – 18 runners, and it wasn’t even a handicap! Different times…
I remember the last time i went jump meeting at Windsor , i used to enjoy an early mid week winter meeting , perks of shift work. March 1990 , backed horse call Mr Fog Patches ex Fred Winter horse i think , was omen bet on misty day , couldnt pick his feet up . Looking it up it was the Freddie Star Challenge Trophy Hurdle .
A few of the Chelsea squad were there that day , sure Kerry Dixon was main man in attendance .
Of note looking back through , huge fields , 16 runners smallest field in 7 race card !!!I remember the last time i went a jump meeting at Windsor , i used to enjoy a Mon or Tues winter meeting , perks of shift work. March 1990 , backed horse call Mr Fog Patches ex Fred Winter horse i think , was omen bet on misty day , couldnt pick his feet up . Looking it up it was the Freddie Star Challenge Trophy Hurdle .
A few of the Chelsea squad were there that day , sure Kerry Dixon was main man in attendance .
Of note looking back through , huge fields , 16 runners smallest field in 7 race card !!!What it might look like: https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.activeboard.com/2573401?AWSAccessKeyId=1XXJBWHKN0QBQS6TGPG2&Expires=1691625600&Signature=3gAH7zNsAkpajs4Q4gx88%2F24iDs%3D
Some worrying rumours flying about regarding what this might mean for Fontwell Park in the same ownership.
I hope the rumours are untrue – as if that once idyllic West Sussex track hadn’t been ruined enough already by overuse and turning sections of it on home bends into AW.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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