Mixed cards

[thewexfordman]

What are people’s views on the common Irish occurrence of having mixed cards. Usually 4 flat races followed by three jumps races. Galway have theirs all over the place. Sligo, roscommon, listowel, killarney, Tipperary, Galway all regularly hold mixed cards. Personally I think a card should be dedicated fully to one or the other.

[CarryOnKatie]

Personally think there should be more of them – especially as it is a chance to showcase different aspects of racing – possibly working best on Sunday’s which would attract a more family crowd.

However, I am in a minority in the UK as the general trend has been to keep codes separate which probably suits the majority of stakeholders (trainers who concentrate on one code, jockeys who want as many opportunities to earn in a given day as possible and also costs of administration (stalls handlers (flat), jumps maintainence persons (NH) etc…). Likewise the potential issues with course husbandry means that only a few courses could realistically stage mixed cards.

Indeed in the UK I believe that the only true mixed meeting left is Haydock’s Swinton Hurdle day. Others now confined to the history bin include:-

Whitbread day – Sandown
Ffos Las’ short lived mixed meeting in August
Newbury’s three day Mixed Meeting (Horris Hill/Glynwed International Chase etc…)

Before my time (and someone maybe able to confirm on this) but wasn’t either the Lincoln, November Handicap meetings or both once mixed?

One exception is Aintree’s Grand National meeting which works much better now as a NH festival.

[Richard88]

Something I would, for want of a better word, jump at the chance to attend. Would be better value as a day out in my eyes, a slightly more varied spectacle. Does it happen in France? One of the few other countries that has a good scene in both codes.

But wont be happening any time soon I guess, you’d only really be doing it for the benefit of those on course. Any serious fan off course can pick and choose what they watch and your average shop punter wouldn’t know or care if you threw a cartoon from Portman Park in there.

[patriot1]

The greatest thing about British racing is it’s variety which is unparalleled anywhere in the world. So for me mixed cards would add to that variety.

Having said that I’ve never been to a flat meeting in my life so going to a mixed meeting wouldn’t appeal to me.

[% MAN]

Richard88 wrote:

Something I would, for want of a better word, jump at the chance to attend. Would be better value as a day out in my eyes, a slightly more varied spectacle. Does it happen in France? One of the few other countries that has a good scene in both codes.

I have been to French provincial meetings which have had flat, jump and trotting on the same card

[TimJames]

Yes, been to several meetings in France with trotting, chasing and flat racing on the same card. Enjoyable and would welcome the odd meeting here with the same variety.

[Steeplechasing]

I’d love to see regular mixed meetings, but I doubt they’d be welcomed by jockeys. Enthusiasm among trainers would be limited too imo

[Seasider]

Hereford used to feature a wife-carrying race alongside its November jumps card but I’m not sure if that counts.

[Richard88]

I doubt they’d be welcomed by jockeys. Enthusiasm among trainers would be limited too imo

I totally agree but assuming either 3/4 or 4/4 split of codes, how different is it to now? There must be many meetings at which a given jockey is only eligible for at most 4 or 5 races. And surely most trainers don’t enter more than 3 or 4 races per meeting if that. Unless there’s other reasons, I’m totally ignorant to the logistics of it all.

[robnorth]

First jump race I saw was the Heinz Chase run at Ascot as the only jump race on the card…, on Grand National day 1972! Pretty sure that wouldn’t happen these days!

I’ve got a visit penciled in for Aarau in Switzerland for September, a meeting consisting of jump racing, flat racing, trotting and pony racing.

[BlackGold]

Can’t say I’d be in favour of mixed cards. But then I don’t like flat racing so having a mixed card just annoys me. I would never go to a racecourse if there were only 2 jumps races on the card, just not worth it for me.

[droffats]

I always have thought it a shame that the UK don’t do them. I like them personally.

[Ian]

Mixed cards aren’t for me. I don’t even like flat racing in the winter (AW) or jumps racing in the summer. I like the separate codes and the separate seasons.

[Author]

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