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As the limit of RFC powers is to move Group 1 races from one track to another, I would like to place my request to move the Haydock Sprint Cup from Haydock to Doncaster.
There’s a great OTT letter in today’s Post from Mike Deasy of London in support of the move. Ascot is, apparently,"an iconic venue that not only attracts the aficionado but also the occasional spectator – in short, it is a ‘must attend’ sporting location. Newmarket cannot match this – it does not have the same resonance that an end-of-season, crowd-pulling finale demands….If there is merit in establishing a British end-of-season last hurrah on the Flat – and that’s unquestionable – then only Ascot will do."
For those who don’t pay for the RP members club (myself), what does the "French threat to champions day plans" story involve?
Jose,
To precis it, they’ve told the European Pattern Committee that they want a three week gap between the Arc weekend and the proposed new meeting. They say they are willing to move the Arc forward by a week, but cannot do so in time to rearrange it in 2011.
AP
Jose,
To precis it, they’ve told the European Pattern Committee that they want a three week gap between the Arc weekend and the proposed new meeting. They say they are willing to move the Arc forward by a week, but cannot do so in time to rearrange it in 2011.
AP
If I’ve understood that correctly, the Arc might not be run on the first Sunday in October from 2012 then? Interesting…
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If I’ve understood that correctly, the Arc might not be run on the first Sunday in October from 2012 then? Interesting…
I see the RP site has a business article entitled
French threat to new Champions Day plans
, which suggests that
la résistance
is going to be a little firmer than that.
After all, our French friends are not going to be quite so
fou
as to move their most prestigious race weekend to a less desirable spot (a weekend too close to the trials weekend), are they?
Mais non!
Certainly not to gratify the whim of a few half-baked marketing suits in
Londres
.
Can somebody please tell RFC to go and take a running jump (preferably a water jump). Talk about selling your soul. As everybody else has said, the great thing about British racing is the diversity – 10f straight course Champion stakes, moving it to Ascot make it just another 10f contest. Absolutely brainless. Leave racing as it is – forget all these gimmicks, what next? Move the Derby to a flat right handed track, or the Champion chase over the Rowley mile, or what about the Sussex stakes at Fontwell????
Some of our biggest races have been around for 100-200 years, and this mob want to move them lock, stock and barrel……NOOOOO!!!http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-ra … 70268/top/
Anyone who can want to help me with what this story contains?
Please tell me Roy, Coward etc think they are now above the whole European Pattern system.
Can somebody please tell RFC to go and take a running jump (preferably a water jump). Talk about selling your soul. As everybody else has said, the great thing about British racing is the diversity – 10f straight course Champion stakes, moving it to Ascot make it just another 10f contest. Absolutely brainless. Leave racing as it is – forget all these gimmicks, what next? Move the Derby to a flat right handed track, or the Champion chase over the Rowley mile, or what about the Sussex stakes at Fontwell????
Some of our biggest races have been around for 100-200 years, and this mob want to move them lock, stock and barrel……NOOOOO!!!Couldn’t have put it better myself. RFC are a bunch of parasites. They aren’t needed and they sure as hell aren’t wanted but their arrogance will ensure they carry on regardless of what damage they do to the sport that we all love.
If the people involved had any decency at all they’d give it up. There’s one change I’d be delighted to see happen.
Get the message RFC – get the hell out of our sport.
It seems like a sensible suggestion from the French to me, the BHA really do beggar belief.
What do they want 3 weeks for? There’s no mile or 10f Group 1’s at Longchamp that weekend and the rest of it is for sprinters, plodders, fillies, mares, 2yo’s and a few Group 2’s. How many champions has the Lagardere produced recently?
There’s no fear of the Arc. The Al-Thani’s will see to that.
Anyone who can want to help me with what this story contains?
Please tell me Roy, Coward etc think they are now above the whole European Pattern system.
I too don’t have access to the nitty-gritty but presumably the BHA are "outraged" that France-Galop won’t play ball and move the Arc next year (or any other year if I were them). Why the outrage, surely they can’t be surprised?
It’s France-Galop who have every right to feel outraged – how dare they (BHA) come up with a unilateral hare-brained idea and then have the temerity to ask us to alter our calendar to suit them.
Give them the Gallic two-fingers if I were you Messieurs
Berks at the BHA and RFC: this is what happens when you attempt to fiddle with a Pattern that’s the culmination of 200 years gentle, thoughtful evolution and worked simply splendidly until you decided to stick your poisoned leprous marketeering fingers into the sweet mix
I too don’t have access to the nitty-gritty but presumably the BHA are "outraged" that France-Galop won’t play ball and move the Arc next year (or any other year if I were them). Why the outrage, surely they can’t be surprised?
It’s France-Galop who have every right to feel outraged – how dare they (BHA) come up with a unilateral hare-brained idea and then have the temerity to ask us to alter our calendar to suit them.
Give them the Gallic two-fingers if I were you Messieurs
Berks at the BHA and RFC: this is what happens when you attempt to fiddle with a Pattern that’s the culmination of 200 years gentle, thoughtful evolution and worked simply splendidly until you decided to stick your poisoned leprous marketeering fingers into the sweet mix
It does seem to revolve around France Galop requesting a 3 week gap between the Arc and Champion Stakes reading through a few other sites. I do find that somewhat strange for a few reasons but it is what is. If the BHA want to move this race then they should play "ball" with the rules laid out to them with the European Pattern. They have already broke one rule about a million times from my small understanding.
If I felt for one second this change could in some-way enhance the Champion Stakes, or flat racing in Britain, I wouldn’t voice any disgruntlement at all. But it can’t…. and the race has its history at Newmarket. The race has a "3 year rating," which is what all pattern races are judged on, of 121.08. In other words – it is not exactly struggling.
As someone who has watched this sport since 2005, I can’t believe this. Of all the small and idealistic changes I would be look to make (given the power) moving the Champion Stakes never crossed my mind, rather unsurprisingly.
And when I say "small and idealistic changes," I think everyone has to accept some things change and evolve. Running races over peculiarly stupid distances with odd yardage, restricting geldings from running in classic races; they are some of the things I’ve thought about. Not moving the only 10f G1 to be run on a straight course in Britain, and likely in the world from one "premier" course to another.
If Newmarket is no longer fit to host the Champion Stakes, it is not fit to host the 2000 Guineas, 1000 Guineas etc.
What does Newmarket get out of this deal?
An uncontested BHA decision to move the July Cup to the Saturday?
Newmarket gains what the sport of horse racing gains in this country – nothing.
And one point that needs making is – if this is supposed to be the end-of-season championship race/s for "British Horse Racing" – what restrictions will be placed on overseas runners and runners who haven’t participated in Group 1 races up until the Champion Stakes?
Without doing the above those new viewers won’t get the story or the narrative, will they? Because, if they could of, they would have watched the Arc 3 weeks earlier, or am I both manipulating and totally missing the point?
I can’t believe that an arch-marketeer like Stephen Wallis is giving away an established Group One for nothing, Jose.
When the translocation of the July Cup from the Friday to the Saturday of the July meeting was mooted this summer, the MD of Chester racecourse, who is seriously affected by the decision, wrote Wallis (and the RP) a scathing and sarcastic letter. Wallis replied dismissively and quite dispassionately that "…he has to do what is best for Newmarket".
Wallis also sold the cultural landmark race title "The Bunbury Cup" to an offshore bookmaker and online casino operator. This man is not Gerald Ratner, nor St Francis of Assisi. He must be getting
something
in return.
(Being serious) There will be a shake up of other races as well from memory. I’m sure Newmarket are to get something. The Fillies Mile or something similar? The Dewhurst, Cesarewitch were going to stay at Newmarket. Maybe they are confident they can get the Challenge Stakes up to Group 1 status? I’m speculating….
At the moment this is a mess. No one can offer one benefit – not one. The French are revolting (like I hoped they would). Any history of the Champion Stakes is about to go. I could give RFC 100 sensible ideas before recommending the Champion Stakes is moved to Ascot…………
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