- This topic has 47 replies, 20 voices, and was last updated 16 years ago by
.
- Posts
After a few days without any racing I was looking forward to the Boxing Day meetings. But it got off to a bad start when the bet I’d earmarked the night before – Plein Pouvoir – won at 10/1: I’d forgotten to back it.
I had a monster hangover and, having put a few bets on, I settled down to watch it on the telly. I found the Kempton Park meeting deeply usual in the sense that I look forward to it each year and each year I find it a bit of a bore. I can’t remember the results for last year but this year’s collection of titchy-priced favourites winning was very yawn provoking. Even Kauto Star’s win didn’t really excite me. It wasn’t much of a *race*, was it?If you can’t get excited about the best chaser of the past 20 years, perhaps you need to find another pastime.
- Total Posts 17716
I agree Pagwell, topic starter sounds like an lonely sad old man who could do with a stiff drink and let his greasy hair down.
Sounds like ‘BettingBoy’ is quite appropriate. Sounds like you are more bothered about the betting opportunities than the sport itself
The original poster must have been 1.01 to collect with that topic title, but he’s plumped for the one day of the year where a gubbing awaits.
I can sort of see where bettingboy is coming from; after the runners turned for home, I took one look at Kauto Star & went to make a cup of tea. I’d be exaggerating if I said I returned with my steamy beverage just in time to see Madison Du Berlais pick up some place money for me… but not by much.
Sounds like ‘BettingBoy’ is quite appropriate. Sounds like you are more bothered about the betting opportunities than the sport itself
Not fair that – I’ve read people have a little moan about far less in these parts, with regard to the OP "missing a 10-1 winner". Who are we kidding here?
I agree Pagwell, topic starter sounds like an lonely sad old man who could do with a stiff drink and let his greasy hair down.
That’s not very nice, is it? What prompted a reply so full of personal insults, Mr Wilson? Just makes you sound exactly like the sort of person you describe IMVHO.
Fair point OP. Don’t quite know why, but the card did lack a certain something. Maybe it was the absence of Doumen runners as Gerald pointed out. Strange one.
Strange that Kauto romping home bored me to tears, but Go Native was a massive thrill, was it not? Not just because Ive backed him since last March for the Champion, but his style, being so reminiscent to his former stablemate Harchibald? Yes, he nearly gave me a heart attack by pulling up when he did, but isn’t that the thrill of racing? I do agree, the overall meeting is a wee bit dull and over-hyped, but even seeing the likes of Kauto run, and then a quirky, but brilliant horse like Go Native terrorise his trainer, jockey and punters alike, is just the tonic after what seems like 6 months of AW tripe!!!!
I got far more enjoyment from watching Chepstow the other day [a course that I have only been to once and have no desire to return to]. I used to be so excited and nervous at Christmas that I could barely eat my dinner on the day itself, and would wake up on Boxing Day full of anticipation for the afternoons racing that lay ahead. To me, racing has always been about stories of people and horses..even Dessie, for all the affluence of his owners, was bred out of a mad mare after a succession of useless animals [Ragged Robin being the possible exception]. I become more and more in awe of Paul Nicholls achievments as a trainer, combined with Ruby’s natural talent as a jockey and Kauto Star’s sheer brilliance. But, for some reason, the thrill that I used to get from watching a horse of this calibre just isn’t there. I can’t explain it and I don’t want to feel this way. Dream Alliance and Me Voici had me in tears on Monday. There were no tears on Saturday, although I felt almost numb with admiration watching what had become a perfect racehorse.
I can also see the OP’s point. The whole meeting seems to encapsulate the lack of competition inherent at the core of NH racing before March and April.
Moving the debate on, it takes a certain kind of person to thoroughly enjoy complete domination in sport.
For example, Man Utd, Woods, Taylor, Schumacher, Davis in the eighties, Pipe in the nineties, Coolmore two years ago and, of course, Paul Nicholls and Kauto Star the past three seasons. But there are also as many sports mad people who walk away flat at the predictability of it all, which is the OP’s point I think.
Competition, unpredictability, change, sharing prizes, win-wins, sustainability and challenges to the established order are the fundamental aspects of any sport which keep me interested.
Some disappointing responses on here and another new AW basher too. Sigh.
I used to love Formula One and looked forward to Sundays when it was on; when Schumaker started winning every year I lost interest and have been unable to find it interesting again, even with British champions, and a return to the BBC. The only person who made the Schumaker years interesting was that South American driver [whose name escapes me] who was so unpredictable.
This is a tough one. Top level UK National Hunt racing is now largely a carve up between 2 stables and has become utterly predictable, at times tedious imo. However you cant but admire both trainers approach to the game and applaud their success, the pair of them are seriously good at what they do.
- Total Posts 17716
Can not believe people are seriously complaining, if you want this sport to become the best it can be then having stars like Denman and Kauto is imperative.
22,000 people went to Kempton saturday, a dross low grade AW track its been said to be, not bad eh? all them people coming to see a 1 dimensional sport, just one horse who always wins, one trainer who always wins.
Maybe we should transfer Denman to Jamie Snowden for £20,000,000 and Kauto Star to Ron Hodges for £35,000,000 how about we give Master Minded to Colin Tizzard for £18,000,000.
Would even things out
I find it an odd opinion but each to their own…
Surely if we want nothing but close races, then handicaps are the answer. And there are quite a few of those ive noticed….
Watching the best chaser in my lifetime put in his best ever round of jumping and achieve his best ever performance is something i will treasure
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.