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Has all of this been given approval by the European Pattern Committee? Maybe I’m wrong but didn’t the BHA/RFC need their consent before any changes could be made?
I’ve emailed Garry O’Gorman to ask that exact question. He replied to a query of mine over this in June, and his information was accurate, so I’d like to know that myself.
As I’ve put on Rodders (RFC) facebook page, as I deface it minute by minute, do the BHA not care for care for "Group 1" status whilst they live their fantasy dream this will take off in Britain?
Have they even got the money and where did it come from?
A lot to find out, for sure.
http://www.britishhorseracing.com/briti … ooklet.pdf
Latest update.
Terrible echoes of the ill-fated Sovereign Series, methinks. Doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over….
I can’t believe the trainers, for one are allowing this rape of the diversity of British Racing.Late season the going at Ascot can often be testing. Which trainer would risk a top class horse on such ground when the Breeders Cup meeting is imminent?
Exactly what will the British Champions Series achieve? Unless possession of the title proves capable of significantly enhancing the stud value of a horse, the answer is very little.
This ‘initiative’ represents no more than an ill-conceived tinkering with the structure of the race programme, or pattern, and will do little to address the issues that racing in this country faces.
In the context of the BCS and Champions’ Day the requirement, surely, should have been for a thorough review from season start to end of an outdated series of Group races that sits ill at ease with the structure of racing on an international basis. By all means do away with tradition but only if the course of action will benefit the greater good of the sport.
Racing for Change – changing racing for the sake of it.
Only conclusion from today – Karl Oliver is another scary man on the scene from my perspective. Rolled out the line of "British racing is the best in the world." Then said something about how the French should have no pattern concerns. Middle Park and Dewhurst by any chance?
I really wish someone who has a brain could have challenged our new figurehead clown. Then again, when there’s Rishi Persad….
And if anyone really wants to voice their displeasure.
For further information please contact:
Karl Oliver, Chief Executive, British Champions’ Series, 020 7152 0192 / 07785 254 024
Nick Attenborough, Director of Consumer PR, Racing for Change, 020 7152 0193 / 07714 146 528
Scott Bowers, Director of Communications, The Jockey Club, 020 7611 1814 / 07809 665 840
Nick Smith, Head of Communications, Ascot Racecourse, 01344 878 524 / 07771 791 449
Rod Street, Chief Executive, Racing Enterprises Limited, 020 7152 0190 / 07584 171 252Btw the Leger distance of 1m 6f 132yds or if you prefer 1mile 6-and-a-1/2furlongs 1chain is certainly a "peculiarly stupid" trip but quaint nevertheless doncha think
Would you round it down to the dead 1m 6f?
An interesting one. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is 3m 2f 110y, which is at a half furlong distance – maybe the St Leger could do something similar. My real target with this issue are distances like Wolverhampton with their 5f 216y. Incredibly pointless to say the least…
If you’re going to round the Leger distance in furlong units, then it should be to 15f.
A better idea, however, would be to join 90% of the rest of the world and convert to metric.
Terrible echoes of the ill-fated Sovereign Series, methinks. Doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over….
Yeah, on that….
Will Oliver be just champion second time around?
Followers of racing are well used to the marketing-driven initiatives such as Discover Racing, on which £10m was reportedly spent, and jumps racing’s Order Of Merit which – despite their cost – appear to attract little extra interest in the sport. One venture that failed to materialise, perhaps to the relief of many, was the Sovereign Series, where the top international horses would be expected to be like Formula One cars and run every couple of weeks in Britain. But despite the series’ failure, Karl Oliver – who was involved in the marketing team – was last week named as chief executive of the new £3m Champions’ Day venture.
Taken from the Guardian.
Fist,
I can only assume your exile means you’ve not visited Ascot since the new stand was built. It has about as much character as a US shopping mall. Indeed, it looks so much like an airport terminal, that it was transformed into one for the making of this advert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cM4EOeJzHA
AP
My last visit to Ascot was for Drum Taps’ second Cup win in 1993. Even back then it was a place where upper class pissheads congregated to contest the ‘biggest marquee’ competition and to drink as many bottles of Bollinger as they could in four hours flat.
Ascot has no character at all, unless you are part of the fashion set that goes there solely to show off how many designers have a place in their walk-in wardrobe.
Give me a cold day on Newmarket Heath anyday.My last visit to Ascot was for Drum Taps’ second Cup win in 1993. Even back then it was a place where upper class pissheads congregated to contest the ‘biggest marquee’ competition and to drink as many bottles of Bollinger as they could in four hours flat.
Ascot has no character at all, unless you are part of the fashion set that goes there solely to show off how many designers have a place in their walk-in wardrobe.
Give me a cold day on Newmarket Heath anyday.Pretty much the same, except now faux upper class pissheads.
And the worst thing for me – the form just doesn’t seem to work between Ascot and anywhere else.
Pretty much the same, except now faux upper class pissheads.
And the worst thing for me – the form just doesn’t seem to work between Ascot and anywhere else.
Yeah, just take Makfi as a prime example. Is a class act everywhere other than Ascot, where he has now twice run like a drain.
Being a RH course might be part of the reason. But Ascot is not conducive with form holding up.Ok, I’m not aiming to use this thread as the "jose1993" discussion thread for any topic I feel like it, but I think Chapman made an interesting point about this new meeting today on The Sunday Forum.
Firstly, and thankfully, he was completely dismissive of the merit of the whole thing, which at the moment even seems to lack a purposeful meaning. I’ve covered all that – everyone just about acknowledges that.
Chapman recommended Ascot move the QEII to the straight course to in some way distinguish between the QEII and Champion Stakes. Personally, I don’t see much point in it.
The QEII Stakes since 2006 – on the new round course has had field sizes of 8, 7, 7, 4 and 8. Some of those races included the obligatory Ballydoyle pacemakers.
The Champion Stakes since 2005 has had fields of 15, 8, 12, 11, 14.
Interesting to say the least.
Anyone in favour of the QEII being moved to the straight course as a result of this movement everywhere? If Ascot do listen to Chapman, (unlikely) there is one thing
THEY
must do. They must place the stalls on the stand-side. Putting the stalls in the middle causes more harm than good unless they race up the middle, which is completely in the hands of the jockeys. As we have seen in recent Queen Anne’s, that is nowhere near guaranteed, and they often elect to come stand-side.
I wonder if Matt Chapman actually believes in some of the nonsense he spouts. He doesn’t see a problem in running the Champion Stakes over the round course at Ascot as the race doesn’t usually have a big field, yet hopes the move to Ascot would lead to more horses from around the world being tempted to run
You would have a situation similar to the sprint course at Beverley where horses having a bad draw might as well stay at home. He also said that he hopes the "new" Champions Day would appeal to the new racegoer, yet advocates there being a strict dress code along the lines of Royal Ascot
Yes I’m sure that will appeal to Mr and Mrs Joe Public. Thank god I can go to Cheltenham on the same day to watch some genuine action and not get ripped off in having to pay an extortionate admission fee.
And just who is this ‘new racegoer’? How many sports which aren’t football try this ‘re-branding’? And how often does it work?
It’s a waste of time and money.
Another sport I follow – namely World Rallying, tried this about 10 years ago. Try and make it popular to the media, TV, Radio, and Joe Public. And what happened? It’s fallen down a black hole, with very little interest from media and Joe Public.The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. But RFC obviously know more……
And just who is this ‘new racegoer’? How many sports which aren’t football try this ‘re-branding’? And how often does it work?
It’s a waste of time and money.
Another sport I follow – namely World Rallying, tried this about 10 years ago. Try and make it popular to the media, TV, Radio, and Joe Public. And what happened? It’s fallen down a black hole, with very little interest from media and Joe Public.The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. But RFC obviously know more……
I would’ve thought Richard Burns & Colin McRae dying might have had more to do with WRC falling down a black hole. There doesn’t seem to be many British rally stars for us to pin our hats on. The rebranding was quite a success if the number of popular ‘tie in’ computer games was anything to go by.
Rugby League had quite a succesful rebranding, cricket too has introduced better ways of selling itself.
And you ask who this ‘new racegoer’ is, well three years ago it was me & it took an ‘event’ to get me interested.I actually don’t think Champions Day is a very good idea because, as Matt Chapman pointed out, it isn’t at the end of the season & the horses competing won’t actually be ‘champions’ of anything using the same context of that word as other sports. But, I certainly wouldn’t be quick to dismiss it, the proof will be in a year or two’s time.
All this boils down to in the end is having it on a London based racecourse nothing more and nothing else.
Newmarket are more conserned about getting next years Friday night meetings sorted out than history of this beautiful sport.
So as regarding the top middle distance events Ascot will have the Prince of Wales,Hardwicke,King George and the Champion Stakes while Sandown has the Eclipse and York will have the only big Northern based middle distance event.
Why not run this new meeting at a different course every year so it can be taken to the public instead of centralizing it which is what the RFC idiots want because if that is their line of thinking then why not run the Champion Hurdle,QM Chase,World Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup at Ascot aswell.
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Why not run this new meeting at a different course every year so it can be taken to the public instead of centralizing it which is what the RFC idiots want
You know, that’s a very good suggestion – but you also highlight the reason it won’t be happening. RFC want a centralised, standardised model which runs in quite the opposite direction to the imaginative idea you propose.
Pinza, the political wishful thinking over the pond is to supply the Breeders Cup at a fixed venue each year. Churchill Downs and Belmont are the current favourites, so as you say, R4C is running with the pack on this one.
Heard over the weekend that R4C actively discussed the Derby in the early days – both location and distance. Luckily common sense prevailed.
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