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Polytrack has got the better of Dave Nevison too it seems.
On RUK tonight he mentioned that after two losing winters at his once-beloved Lingfield he’s packing it in and returning to NH.
Like the majority on this forum he too is cheesed off with the surfeit of Flat racing.
Welcome back to the land of Cockaigne.
yep , its true , pople are becoming  dead bored zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzwith aw dross , and yes I am heading back to my roots , nh good old fashioned  jumping
have fun all
Ricky
The people that dislike the AW racing are those that find it difficult to find winners in my opinion, I love it and it gives me a great interest in the winter months, I can still remember the days before AW where we had virtually no racing atall during the winter months…
<br>Some people just like to moan for moans sake :(
Jim JTS  —  All weather racing is ok in the winter months and not many racegoers object to it as it provides an alternative when N/Hunt meetings are postponed. I find the form works out excellently in Jan/Feb because the same horses are running at the same courses a lot of the time. the problem is with all weather racing being used as a substitute to turf racing in the summer. I don’t see the need for so much of it or that it’s any better. Why have group races or classic trials on this surface. I also think that the majority of racegoers find it boring to watch as a spectacle.
Hi there SwallowCottage – welcome to the forum.
I think you are right about the ‘spectacle’ aspect. For some reason watching horses racing, even high class ones, on any of the artificial surfaces fails to uplift me in teh way that turf racing does. Quite why that is I don’t know. Perhaps we’re all conditioned to it by endless (in my case) years of having turf only.
I wonder what the views of the younger members of the forum are on this.
Am we dinosaurs, afraid of accepting change, or are we right in asserting that All Weather racing is, relative to turf racing, comparatively dull? ÂÂÂ
Agree with you Swallow Cottage and Cormack, <br>As a spectacle AW racing is dull. When "mixed" summer turf and AW meetings were introduced at my local track many members complained. The explanation from the management was that it was necessary to save the wear and tear on the turf given the number of meetings.<br>I don’t think it helps that the AW tracks at Kempton and Lingfield are laid inside the turf tracks which hinders viewing and destroys the atmosphere. I’m a traditionalist and love the pounding hooves, snorting horses and jockey’s efforts on the turf a few yards away from me. Some of those racegoers who bother to go to Kempton have made the same observations to the management who said they sympathised but hadn’t wanted to dig the NH turf track up.<br>As regards Group races on the AW , I suppose that horses who go on the AW should have their chances of group success. Kempton’s 2 group races last Saturday were uninspiring, but then they were similarly uninspiring held on turf.<br>Those simply interested in betting won’t care what racegoers think but I always find the downhill turn and short run in at Lingfield generates lots of scrimmaging.
Quote: from SwallowCottage on 4:23 pm on Sep. 5, 2006[br]  All weather racing is ok in the winter months and not many racegoers object to it as it provides an alternative when N/Hunt meetings are postponed. <br>
<br>That’s exactly the way I see it. All weather has its place and that is it thats how it should be of use.
I will never be a fan of all weather and I’ll never pay it any attention regardless of what class of horse they run on it. That said the thought of the UK going like America having top group races on dirt is something I don’t want to even have to contemplate.
Turf racing from 5f to 21/2 miles, from Sellers to Classics, from firm down to heavy – that’s what I call proper racing.
(Edited by The Market Man at 8:14 pm on Sep. 5, 2006)
Quote: from cormack15 on 5:21 pm on Sep. 5, 2006[br]Hi there SwallowCottage – welcome to the forum.
I think you are right about the ‘spectacle’ aspect. For some reason watching horses racing, even high class ones, on any of the artificial surfaces fails to uplift me in teh way that turf racing does. Quite why that is I don’t know. Perhaps we’re all conditioned to it by endless (in my case) years of having turf only.
I wonder what the views of the younger members of the forum are on this.
Am we dinosaurs, afraid of accepting change, or are we right in asserting that All Weather racing is, relative to turf racing, comparatively dull?  <br>
Cormack i’m relatively young (26? Am I gettin old?!) and agree with your views on this one.. Although I will say is that when I went to Lingfield I was surprised at how nice it was.. Sun was out at an evening meeting and I really enjoyed it. On the tv however it seems to lose something..
Jumping is still my favourite
Cant agree with much of this…
Kempton under lights is, to my eyes anyway, a great spectacle, but those knocking the viewing seem to have forgotten that at least one (usualy two or even three) races on any flat card were run miles from the stands on that awful straight sprint track. Certainly prefer the way it is now<br>
The reason that many people find AW racing boring as a spectacle might be because it does not look natural for horses to be running on sand. I remember watching a camel race run on grass and thought how strange it looked! Maybe the same thing applies to horses running on sand?<br>I’ve heard people state that every race on the all weather looks the same and when they watch AW racing , it seems like they are watching the same race over and over again.<br>I’m not too concerned about the low standard of races on AW tracks because the same happens at turf tracks. I enjoy betting on AW in the winter but I just hope that it is left as it is – no more summer fixtures, no more AW tracks as we have enough and please Newbury- don’t build one and ruin your wonderful racecourse.  <br> ÂÂÂ
(Edited by SwallowCottage at 2:29 pm on Sep. 6, 2006)
I think there is an aesthetic problem. Part of the pleasure of watching cricket is the green background, football looks nasty on Astroturf and lawn tennis looks far better than the ugly orange clay courts; even clay is nicer with the green surface. Maybe if the artificial surface could be green instead of dirt-coloured?
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