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I’ve done
Flat – Ascot, Bath, Beverley, Brighton, Epsom, Goodwood, Haydock, Kempton (Turf + AW), Lingfield(AW), Musselburgh, Newbury, Newmarket(July), Redcar, Salisbury, Sandown, Windsor, Wolverhampton(AW)
Jumps – Ascot, Cheltenham(Old, New + Park!), Fontwell, Hereford, Huntingdon, Kelso, Kempton, Leicester, Ludlow, Perth, Plumpton, Sandown, Stratford, Taunton, Towcester, Uttoxeter, Warwick, Windsor, Wincanton, Worcester
Ireland – Bellewstown, Curragh
USA – Laurel Park
Since the thread has come to the top I can add
Flat – Newcastle, Ayr, Hamilton Park(well I do work not far from the six furlong start!)
Jumps – Musselburgh(numerous times!), Hexham
Sweden – Taby
We hope to take a trip down to tick off Sedgefield and Catterick in the spring, and I should fit Carlisle in before the jumps season is out.
After that it’s a case linking ‘nice places to stay’ with the remainder of the courses.
Rob
Failing that, you’ll just have to crash over at mine overnight en route to Stansted
You want THAT in your house?
Tsk tsk, clivex…….such unwarranted rudeness.
Hints at a lack of class and decorum, don’t you know.
Im sure he has a post and chain outside if you havent become fully house trained yet
I will, hopefully, have Ffos Las added to the equation.
Yep, thee and me both! I’ve already cleared the June date on which the first Ffos Las meeting will take place. It does require us both to get an invite, I presume, with it being effectively a preview meeting, but I’ll worry about that minor detail a little nearer the time…
gc
the only fly in the ointment from my perspective is the opening day is slap bang in the middle of Royal Ascot –
featuring the French XC race who’s name escapes me that too
That’s the longer-than-4m4f contest at Le Lion D’Angers, isn’t it?
Angers is a 157,000-strong (i.e. moderately sized) city that Oldham used to have as its school exchange town when I was still living there. Fairly unexceptional, I’m told, but then none of the kids went to the racecourse!
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.
I will, hopefully, have Ffos Las added to the equation.
Yep, thee and me both! I’ve already cleared the June date on which the first Ffos Las meeting will take place. It does require us both to get an invite, I presume, with it being effectively a preview meeting, but I’ll worry about that minor detail a little nearer the time…
gc
the only fly in the ointment from my perspective is the opening day is slap bang in the middle of Royal Ascot –
Pshaw. The reasons for going to Ffos Las just keep adding up, then!
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.
featuring the French XC race who’s name escapes me that too
That’s the longer-than-4m4f contest at Le Lion D’Angers, isn’t it?
Angers is a 157,000-strong (i.e. moderately sized) city that Oldham used to have as its school exchange town when I was still living there. Fairly unexceptional, I’m told, but then none of the kids went to the racecourse!
gc
It isn’t that bad a place – possibly not much for kids though – I would grant you that one.
It has a nice Chateau and some excellent markets and plenty of Caves for tasting the local liquid produce!!!
It might be Jeremy – sounds about right to be honest. Like a French version of the Velka.
Fingers crossed I can:
a) find it on a map
b) convince OH that there’s shops in a 157,000 strong town
c) get time off workIs this it, sir?
http://www.coursesdulion.com/en/historique.php
Certainly “the longest Steeplechase Cross-country race in the World: ANJOU-LOIRE CHALLENGE, along the distance of 7,300 metres (8,000 yards)” was the race I was thinking of, at any rate.
…And that’s not an idle boast, by the way – 8,000 yards works out at four miles, four furlongs and 36 yards. Unlucky, Aintree!
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.
At the moment i am on 34 UK racecourses.
New ones this year are Ayr,Musselburgh,Sandown and Huntingdon.
Not sure which ones i will do next year but i will continue to try and pick a few off.
One question though, Does Les Landes and L’Ancresse count as they are in the Channel Islands or are they seperate?
Ah, the ALC as they call it – only been going for about 5 years I think. 48 fences, including the Piano – the steepest descent in racing!
Might be one on my radar for next year, but my diary is getting fuller by the minute, and Le Lion d’Angers isn’t too easy to get too either – it’s about 25 km north of Angers, and quite a small place. Anyway, to continue this excellent thread, here’s where I’ve been so far:
England: Aintree, Cheltenham, Chester, Doncaster, Fakenham, Huntingdon, Leicester, Market Rasen, Newmarket, Newbury, Nottingham, Sandown, Southwell, Stratford, Uttoxeter.
Add to this Ludlow (as from Thursday) and Kempton (December 27th).Germany: Baden-Baden, Cologne, Dortmund, Duesseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Krefeld, Mannheim, Muelheim, Neuss, Saarbruecken.
France: Chantilly
Belgium: Waregem
Quite a few on my hit list for next year though, so this could be a bit different in 12 months!
Darren – AngloGerman
________________________________________‘The Hungarian’s going hell for leather’ – Jim McGrath
One question though, Does Les Landes and L’Ancresse count as they are in the Channel Islands or are they seperate?
They don’t count as part of the "61 club" (or 60, if you’re not already including Ffos Las) of UK courses.
I think I’d mooted going to L’Ancresse and Les Landes myself on this thread a year ago, but they only race at the former on the first of the two May Bank Holiday weekends and I’m very likely to be working at point-to-points on two of the three days thereof if 2008 is any guide.
No matter – I’m sure RUK will record it for posterity again.
Les Landes is operative throughout the summer, though, so let’s see if I can’t steal myself away for one long weekend come June or July.
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.
Ah, the ALC as they call it – only been going for about 5 years I think. 48 fences, including the Piano – the steepest descent in racing!
That’s the fella! Run since 2005, according to the website.
And which Von der Recke inmate is going to land it in 2009, then?
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.
Ah, the ALC as they call it – only been going for about 5 years I think. 48 fences, including the Piano – the steepest descent in racing!
That’s the fella! Run since 2005, according to the website.
And which Von der Recke inmate is going to land it in 2009, then?
gc
Watch this space!!!!
With the prize money of 112,000 Euros, I think it’s the richest cross country chase in Europe, and it would be daft to ignore that kind of cash. Personally, I’m surprised Enda Bolger hasn’t gone there.
Darren – AngloGerman
________________________________________‘The Hungarian’s going hell for leather’ – Jim McGrath
Watching brief from the Irish so far, I think, Darren.
Bear in mind it took a good few renewals of the Cheltenham race before the Irish trainers started to come over in appreciable quantity. It’s simplifying matters slightly – but not by much – to say, for example, that the first such race in November 1995 was contested by McGregor the Third, Docklands Express, Fiddlers Pike, a good few complete yaks and a smattering of Czech raiders. And not a lot else.
Give it another year or so, but if Enda finally decides the race is a) safe, and b) not so far removed from the Cheltenham and Punchestown equivalents that his horses won’t act around the track, he’ll be hot-footing it over there with all speed!
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.
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