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Does anyone know if newbury is now run by ARC ?
Tonight’s flat meeting has less prize money than the summer jumps card at Newton abbot!
Well done to the abbot but I think it’s more a reflection of where newbury is nowadaysDoes anyone know if newbury is now run by ARC ?
Tonight’s flat meeting has less prize money than the summer jumps card at Newton abbot!
Well done to the abbot but I think it’s more a reflection of where newbury is nowadaysNot ARC R&R, but I get the impression Newbury are trying to get back money lost from the Lionel Richie non-concert and/or putting only the minimum outlay in to help pay for building/refurbishment. Hopefully they’ll up their game afterwards; it is worrying.
I am a member at "The Racecourse Newbury" and am contemplating not going, in favour of paying to get in to Salisbury tomorrow.
Value Is EverythingI tend to agree. However, Newbury maidens are always quite good and competitive. I would say Newbury hosts some of the best 3yr+ maidens in the country behind Newmarket, I was there for Eagle Top’s debut. I would say you still get decent racing with good field sizes, although I have found down the years that it is as much a favourite’s track as you will find. In fairness to Newbury it is a much better National Hunt course, absolutely perfect for it, and I just adore Hennessy day all round. I do dislike quite a bit about the course though. For one, the main grandstand is an eyesore, I mean take the Dubai Duty Free banner away and it’s just plain ugly. I am also not fond of how it comes across as a drinking course. Too often scores of about 20-30 year old men just stand in the heart of the grandstand drinking until they are completely out of control and then begin to cause not only trouble for the stewards but help to drag down the reputation of the course. I can remember police horses having to get involved to stop a fight right in the middle of a mile handicap towards the end of last year. And for what more, drinking is all the course likes to promote. Just look at the questionnaires they include in the racecards. There isn’t one question about the racing (ie, would you like more races on the round course, which I would) and more about: did you find it easy enough to get food and alcohol. The parking could do with some seeing to. Recently, I parked down by the furlong pole and had to drive 4 times further to get out of the course because the stewards were prioritising members. I now park on the other side of the green, about a 10 minute walk from the course.
But if Newbury could do just one thing that I asked: please knock down the silver ring stand. That part of the course is only ever used for parking these days and the top of it means that when you stand towards the far end of the grandstand (which I like to do) then you cannot see beyond the 5 furlong marker.
It is still my nearest racecourse after Salisbury though and so I continue to support it to that end.
Lockinge? It will never leave Newbury, and I am happy about that. And if it were to leave, then I would say it might be nice to have a mile Group One at Haydock instead, maybe Doncaster?
Some good news from Newbury, ensuring at least one day of good prize money.
"Newbury Racecourse received a huge shot in the arm on Wednesday when it was announced that Al Shaqab’s first venture into sponsorship in Britain will be to back the whole card on Lockinge day, with the Group One mile increasing 64 per cent in value from £214,000 to £350,000.
The card will also be strengthened by taking the Fillies Trial Stakes and Carnarvon Stakes from the Friday, where they clash with the last day of York’s May meeting, as well as creating a £50,000 six furlong juvenile event and a £40,000 mile handicap. All in all prize-money on the day will worth £750,000, an increase of 125 per cent.
“It is just what Newbury needed,” said the course’s chief executive Julian Thick. “The course is going to be a work in progress for some while but the crowds are up, we’ve invested £1.25 in new stables, there’s massive investment going on and we’re very positive about the future. What it needed was a really high profile Flat day. It’s great for us, it’s great for British racing.”
That £1.25 will make all the difference to the stables!
That £1.25 will make all the difference to the stables!
Don’t be ridiculous Alan, that is clearly a typo.
It should read "£12.50".
Mike
The Friday of the Lockinge meeting has long been one of my favourite day’s racing, so disappointed to hear the best two races are to be switched to the Saturday. Sadly yet another case of Saturday meetings being overly endowed at the expense of days that appeal to those seeking quality cards on days which are not overcrowded.
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