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If anybody here can tell me that all the Musselburgh, Hexham, Worcester and Doncaster racegoers would either have traipsed down to Epsom, or would have watched the Derby on TV then fine. Quite frankly I’m not sure they would, and perhaps a fair few would have been down the garden centre or in town centres.
RobI agree with much of what you say in your posts and certainly if the race tracks are doing well on the day then there is no reason not to hold meetings.
What i would say though is that the overall planning of a days racing in terms of race times across all tracks could be done in a more efficient manner to ensure maximum exposure of each event.
I am not suggesting everyone should bow down and stop just because Epsom have a big day, what i am saying is why not schedule race times and races so that the best of the day are given exposure by those in bookmakers, watching on tv etc. Its not crazy to suggest the attendance figures may even go up.
bagnallc
I think you make some valid points and I can see that sensible adjustments to the programme could make a difference. My point was an overall one on pulling power of the day rather than the organisation therein, but I agree that some adjustments would benefit the sport.
eddie
If you don’t measure the success of a sport by it’s equivalent of ‘bums on seats’ then how do you measure it?
France in particular has plenty of fancy prize money for their Group races but bar a few high profile events many of their key races are run in front of two men and a dog. If that’s your idea of succesful meetings then fine, but to me it suggests that it might be you rather than me who are the cuckoo amongst the clouds.
Rob
Given that Musselburgh have had their best crowd of the season on the corresponding day for the past few years then it’s no surprise to me. I’m not sure of the crowd figure yesterday, and it’s been marketed as Ladies’ Day in previous years, but it was a packed house once again, so who is going to tell them they’ve got things wrong?
As mentioned I didn’t doubt the card would attract a voluminous crowd
This thread has developed into the juxtaposed views of two – equally valid – camps: GC and Rob who are putting the case for the benefit racecourses garner from large Saturday attendances, and others who are bemoaning both overload for the stay-at-home punter/fan and the distraction too many meetings on Derby Day has from the big event itself
And me who in addition believes that it isn’t in the best of interests of Musselburgh to run its premier fixture on the same day, despite the sell-out happy throng on-course
Rob,
Do you not think Musselburgh’s card would have been equally well attended today, and from the point of view of we stay-at-homers it would have attracted much more attention having the day ‘to itself’, and as a result all those outwith the Lothians would remember the First Sunday in June as ‘Edinburgh Cup’ day rather than it being forgotten as no more than an away meeting on Derby Day?
I quite understand racecourses’ wish to race on high days and holidays. Rather than overwhelm us (IMO) on Saturday, spread the good weekend racing a little more thinly by moving more of it to Sunday
Everyone would be a winner today – racegoer, on and off course punter, bookmaker, levy, couch potato
The usual rubbish from Glenn. A great day’s racing yesterday. Full stop.
There was always the test match at Old Trafford if you didn’t fancy it…
Nobody’s denying that these minor fixtures will get a few thousand through the gates or that this course or that set of people might profit from them.
Every meeting will get some racegoers, every race will generate some levy and make some owners etc happy. It’s a question of weighing that against what they take away from elsewhere and not just pandering to every single sectional interest and giving them what they want all the time. I think the ancients called it the art of leadership.
Racing doesn’t get many chances to promote itself to the wider public. Here’s a race that used to stop the nation, that used to close Parliament for the day. Now it doesn’t even stop the wall-to-wall racing for five minutes. How is racing supposed to sell it as a marquee event when they themselves show it such disdain?
Was wasting column inches on the Worcester and Hexham cards really good for the sport? Was running a handicap at Doncaster when they could have been building up the Blue Riband on the big screen really the way to go?
What a ridiculous argument it is to suggest that courses shouldn’t hold meetings because of the Derby or any other ‘big race’.
Epsom is more than big enough to take care of itself & as I mentioned elsewhere, it must’ve been a very nice day out for racegoers at every other meeting.
Epsom had a big crowds, every single one of the other meetings had a big crowd. That is a good day for those courses & it’s a good day for racing.
Some people in the bookies were put out by a clash or two? I couldn’t care less.
As someone who isn’t an owner or trainer, the prize money is irrelevant to me. To use a football analogy, the best players play at the best venues & get paid millions. The lesser players play in the Conference or somewhere & get paid hundreds or less. And the punters that pay to get in don’t enjoy one any less because of the other.
Racing doesn’t get many chances to promote itself to the wider public. Here’s a race that used to stop the nation, that used to close Parliament for the day. Now it doesn’t even stop the wall-to-wall racing for five minutes. How is racing supposed to sell it as a marquee event when they themselves show it such disdain?
Was wasting column inches on the Worcester and Hexham cards really good for the sport? Was running a handicap at Doncaster when they could have been building up the Blue Riband on the big screen really the way to go?
Totally agree Glenn.
Australia’s Melbourne Cup stops the nation, the same used to happen to the Derby but not anymore which is big shame as the Derby is one of the most famous races in the sport if not all sports.
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Anthonycutt
How many other matches are played when football has its own showpiece – the Cup Final?
If due attention were given to the Derby (and other big races), then people might be more inclined to see when the next meeting at their local track was being held.
Those who attended Hexham & Musselburgh on Saturday would arguably still go if the meetings were held on the Sunday while the freshness (and success) of Derby Day might encourage more (casual) punters to join them.
If a casual racegoer is watching the Derby and decides he (or she) wouldn’t mind trying out their local track, it’s a bit late when your local track’s meeting is on at the same time as you are watching the Derby and the next available meeting (evening or weekend) is:
Musselburgh: Mon 28-Jun (4 weeks later)
Hexham: Sat 12-Jun (England’s 1st WC match is on this day)
Doncaster: Sun 13-Jun (no issues here with Sunday racing anyway so why not the day after Derby Day)
Worchester: Wed 07-Jul (6 weeks later)It will be interesting to see how many meetings are scheduled for next years Derby Day and whether the BHA have learnt anything from this gross error.
It will be interesting to see how many meetings are scheduled for next years Derby Day and whether the BHA have learnt anything from this gross error.
One more time, this time with feeling:
What gross error?
Anthonycutt
How many other matches are played when football has its own showpiece – the Cup Final?
This year? There were League One & League Two play off semi finals.
That’s cos the FA Cup isn’t as big a deal as it once was
What about the Champions League final, World Cup final, Wimbledon finals, Monaco Grand Prix, etc etc
Two to three meetings used to be the norm.
but with the increased difficulty of assessing form
and keeping some structured semblance
of what is actually going on in the world horse
the average form student is now forced to consider
taking it on as a full time job.
This kills the pleasure.
Wall to wall racing and the extra meet has ruined the sport
in exactly the same way that extra women can kill off a marriage.I speak as a full-time form student
I speak as a full-time form student
I speak …(sorry)
flatcapgamble…
I thought you strutted your double duck egg form
down pig alley
I really want to agree with Glen as his idea is noble and does have a load of merit
Strangely though I dont think that it would work , we live in a different world now , and if the truth be known the Derby has become diluted in its form of being the Best race in the land for flat racing , instead its become a massive social day out for Londoners and home counties folk
The plain unpalatable truth is that Juimp racing is now the purists favourite and even small meetings like Hexham will attract a good few supporters
In terms of reaffirming the Derby as our finest summer racing event , I am afraid the bird has flown and its way too late
Sir I believe your bat phone is ringing …….
Ricky
even as late as the 1980s flat racing still ruled the roost but theres no doubt its jumping that most prefer but why?
the top level of flat racing still seems the same as it ever was but theres now twice as much flat racing now and all of the extra meetings seem to be betting shop fodder.
i can remember those that said that all-weather racing would be a serious threat to jumping but its turned out to be a more of a problem for flat racing as a whole by dragging it down.
as for the amount of racing on derby day,nothing will change untill newspapers stop printing cards for the gaff meetings.as for the amount of racing on derby day,nothing will change untill newspapers stop printing cards for the gaff meetings.
So your plan is to let the media decide which meetings are important along with deciding who we’re going to vote for, what we’re supposed to think & which no mark celebrity we’re supposed to worship?
Good plan. Will the stewards start using a Britain’s Got Talent style buzzer too?
The mind boggles sometimes.
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