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Yet another great evening at Nottingham. Not only did we manage to get a ticket into the posh bit, but also got a winner and a couple of seconds between us. Thankfully, I didn’t know that The Tatling was going to run in one of the races, but had been withdrawn at some stage . It was good to see Les Arcs back on a racetrack even if he did finish way down the field. Had never noticed that they gave the foaling date of horses running in the two year old race [is that normal practice in racecards..I don’t see many races for two year olds?].Great crowd and atmosphere, as usual, and can I give a mention to Steven Powell from William Hill radio [and Midlands Racing Club] who was Raceday Presenter, and did a great job. Watch out for him in the future.
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What is the course like, moehat?
I live just outside of Coventry and Warwick and Worcester are perhaps the only Midlands venues I’ve taken the time to visit in the last few years.
I really should make more of an effort.
What is the course like, moehat?
I live just outside of Coventry and Warwick and Worcester are perhaps the only Midlands venues I’ve taken the time to visit in the last few years.
I really should make more of an effort.
The fairest course in the country AJ and you really should make the effort,none of that Draw bias S**T here!
Apart fromMasta Plasta
doing what he is more than capable of doing and doing it without his usual tantrum,
Forjatt
is the horse to take from the meeting,he was a bit temperamental in the paddock and at the start but he showed he is a Group horse in the making during the race,a fine imposing and progressive 2yo!
Nottingham’s not a bad little course.
We pulled Frank out of The Tatling’s race as well preferring to run him on Friday (will be either at Notts or Kempton).Shouty was very complimentary about the ground there tonight so hopefully we should be ok if he does run there on Friday.
Not sure about the draw bias,you would want to be bagging the near side rail if the performances of Masta Plasta,Forjaat & Divertimenti are anything to go by.
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I thought Graham Gibbons gave Noble Storm a very strange ride in Masta Plasta’s race, TAPK, and have to say that I wasn’t at all taken by Forjatt in the novice event. He may well be better suited to a strongly run five furlongs, but I don’t think it was a particularly good race and he clearly has his fair share of temperament.
Things may have come across differently ‘in the flesh’ however (though there was no mistaking the potential of King Of Reason at Ffos Las).
But Nottingham is definitely worth a vist then? How do the facilities compare with other racecourses?
I thought Graham Gibbons gave Noble Storm a very strange ride in Masta Plasta’s race, TAPK,
Funnily enough i was discussing Trotters ride on
Galpin Junior
tonight and he says the horse caught him a pearler in the stalls,right in the face and he was lucky to ride a race at all!Galpin Junior will win in the poorest grade again though AJ,but dont second guess!
Forjatt needs to grow up a bit, first! I liked Katell, but for some stupid reason backed it to win [didn’t make the same mistake with Magic Cross]. Mike backed Masta Plasta when he realised it was Dandy Nicholls only runner. We might actually go into the posh bit again…the view from the balcony is fantastic, but, for the first time ever I hadn’t bothered to take my bins with me. Pity the dog racing isn’t on the same night, as I could go racing and then go to the dogs. Chris Pitt [A Long Time Gone]was there, and he was telling me about when he saw Crisp win a 3 horse race at Nottingham by half the track.The fish, chips and mushy peas looked rather tempting as well
. Did Adrian Nicholls get a ban for getting Masta Plasta to the rail a bit too quickly? It must be a fair track, because Henry Cecil seems to like it for his youngsters.
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That’s interesting, TAPK, as I highlighted – well, questioned in all honesty – Galpin Junior’s performance at Pontefract on Boycie’s blog the other day.
The ambience of the evening was first class, with a jazz combo (a good one), a balmy August night, "Mr Midas" Bobby George playing all and sundry in the Grandstand Bar and a mellow crowd enjoying the racing.
Sadly, as with most midsummer racing, the action on course was just a sideshow to all this.
The reason Nottingham is so popular with the top boys is the round course (1m plus – there are no 7f races at Nottingham), the fairest circular track in the country – but this particular "social" card concentrated on sprint racing (the executive dumped/moved the 2 mile Class 3 this year),and sadly, on fast ground, Nottingham is as biased as any of the other famous biased racecourses.
Generally, on good to firm ground you want to be drawn high (or at least, be part of an implicit weighing room consensus over who is going to lead, a la Divertimenti) and generally, be a handy, prominent runner. If you didn’t meet those criteria – that would be eighty percent of the runners tonight – you may as well have stayed for evening stables.
But Nottingham is definitely worth a vist then? How do the facilities compare with other racecourses?
Nightmare getting in and out when busy! aren"t they all though? Restaurants are well up to scratch,particularly the balcony Seafood and champagne bar on a night like tonight! Viewing the whole course is 2nd to none,wether its from the stands or the balcony in members or even from the lawn,pre-parade ring is easy to access and the parade ring itself is superb! Nottingham has always been my local course and i have seen some great horses there over the years! I never did find out who the idiot was that stopped the National Hunt meetings from taking place!Bad decision!!
We were pondering tonight on who has to trim those leylandi at the back of the parade ring; not a job I’d like.
Agree totally TAPK
Getting rid of the jumps was a really retrograde step.
Beyond belief mateNumerous TRFers (including Jeremy Grayson, who very nearly pulled off a major 10/1 punt tonight at Fozzy), have commented on the decision to sack the jumping at Nottingham, Coggy. Its universally panned.
Windsor NH went more or less the same time – and Wolverhampton too – a movement which suggested that some chinless chap down Newmarket way was proposing an organisational schism between rurally-based National Hunt and urban-focused Flat racing. Or something.
Moe, don’t forget the Select Stakes at the Greyhound Stadium on the 26th. Betfred usually blast Notts with free tickets – I can get you and him indoors one – and its a top quality night, a real buzzer.
Rats; I’ve offered to do a long cover shift at work on 27th followed by the Girl Who Played With Fire at the cinema in the evening and Toy Story 3 with my grandson on the Saturday morning. Just one of those [at my age] is enough to floor me and we’re going on holiday on the 29th! If they don’t want me to go into work [possibly won’t as I don’t really know what I’m doing when I cover for people, and they only use me when they’re desperate] I’ll take you up on that offer. Love ‘the dogs’.
Best of luck with getting out of that, Moe. Drop me a message on this thread of you can make it. Same goes for anyone who needs a ticket. Mind you, its usually only a fivespot to get in so its no massive saving – unlike the racecourse tonight which was up 30% for some reason.
Select Stakes night sees some of the country’s fastest dogs and best trainers go head-to-head on (perhaps) the fairest track in the country. Can’t wait.
Very glad you enjoyed your evening at Nottingham. I would agree entirely that Steven is a sure talent of the future and a thoroughly nice lad as well. A lot of people commented on how impressed they were with him. Although that is the only meeting he will cover at Nottingham this year, he will be appearing at Market Rasen on the 21st August…
I was very pleased with the racing last night – a good quality Novice race and the Conditions race was also of a high standard (Wi Dud is a personal favourite of mine so I always enjoy it when he runs here). Despite almost 8mm of totally unexpected rain on Monday night the ground came up beautifully and everyone seemed pleased with it.
The lads are out there right now putting the course back ready to race again on Friday and the decs are coming in now so hopefully we will have as good a day.
We have already seen a handful of promising 2yos here this season (Dream Ahead and Warm Breeze are the ones that intially spring to mind) and hopefully there are more to come. Nottingham is a popular place for trainers to start their 2yos and that is something we have tried to build on over the years.
Hope to welcome you back here again soon and also welcome those who have never been before!
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