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Either Kempton’s Charisma Gold Cup [as was!] meeting or the Free Handicap Hurdle meeting at Chepstow. Once the Charlie Hall comes around the proper racing has well and truly kicked in – bring it on!
It starts with the first Grade 1 of the season – at Auteuil in June and ends on French Gold Cup day at the end of May.
The fun never ends – kinda like Pringle’s, once you pop the fun don’t stop. Oh and for the hardcore jumps fans Saratoga staged the New York Turf Writers Hurdle (or something similar) a Grade 1 last weekend
Chepstow for me as well & look at 2 of the winners from last year:
Massini’s Maguire & Katchit
…Katchit’s incredible season having started with a defeat of the hitherto unbeaten Is It Me at Market Rasen in September.
I’m sure there’s the germ of a quiz question in there somewhere – which Cheltenham Festival winner has had the longest campaign (judged either by date of first run of season and / or first win of the season) leading up to his or her win? I can’t think of anything off the top of my head just now that was out more than Katchit’s six months before Chelters, ran frequently until the Festival, and then scored there, but doubtless there’ll be a few examples.
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Fair Along didn’t win at the Festival in his juvenile season obviously, but he was running in some of the very early juvenile hurdles for J. Flint.
Gc,
Butlers Cabin (NH Chase winner) started off at Worcester on Sept 3rd and ran seven times prior to Cheltenham. I remember telling people that this level of activity ruled him out as a possible winner!
AP
Oh crap, yes, I’d forgotten about him, Alan!
(((Cue frantic dash to pile of Sportsmans by Mr Column to check he didn’t write anything similar in his post-race analyses…)))
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
For me its the 1st October and has been for last 7 years ive been keeping a book of my bets only something like 25 sleeps till the start of the season for me!!!!
chetenham have a new saturday meeting on champion stakes day next month so will be interesting if that kick starts the season
The Chepstow meeting used to be the first televised meeting of the season.
Now that it definitely was – Timeform Hurdle, Mercedes-Benz Chase et al. Could be a narrow squeak between that and Kempton’s Charisma Chase meeting some years, though.
gc
I hate to quibble with The Grazer on matters nostalgic but the Charisma Gold Cup/Captain Quist hurdle meeting NEVER came before the Mercedes Benz Chase meeting in my lifetime – Chepstow was always on the Sat before the Arc and Kempton on Cesarewitch day, usually two weeks later.
Never said it did, Nick, cos I know it never did – I said it could be a narrow squeak ‘twixt the two some years.
(((pats Nick on head and passes him a strawberry in time-honoured fashion)))
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Chepstow (Saturday 13 October) for me, first terrestrial (BBC) NH coverage of the season (except C4’s odd summer jumps thing they do on a Saturday).
To be honest I can’t wait getting bored of this flat season now. Has been a poor flat season in my opinion probably due to a summer of relatively soft ground.
As soon as Authorized got beat in the Eclipse the shine started to wear off, the season hasn’t really recovered and neither have I, I still think Dettori gave him a shocker of a ride.
Some decent performances by some good horses but there’s been no romance and nothing special to the season.
re nothing special about this years flat – not a great fan of the flat and never have been, but usually get a soft spot for the odd horse and this year it has to be Peeping Fawn – what a horse and looking forward to seeing her run next season – a replacement in my affection for Ouija Board methinks [and easier to spell]. mo
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