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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
gc
It was the ‘off week’ when we visited Jersey so I could only have a wander around the course while we were there. I jogged around part of the course. The hurdles were set up on the course as the first race is always the hurdle race. There was evidence of a couple of overgrown steeplechase fences in the middle of the course, though I can’t imagine they have ever run chases there. Hurdles races were in danger a couple of years back due to lack of entrants, but seemed to perk up in 2007. The course is a delightful setting in the NW corner of the island, glorious on a sunny day though I suspect not so clever if the rain sweeps in from the Atlantic.
Rob
Is 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
It might well be – if it’s only 5 years old though it’s probably not. I remember there’s a stream to cross a couple of times etc. and farmers fields but short of finding the article again I know not a lot else lol
Now there’s a good research question for someone, Rob – when did they last run a chase at Les Landes, if ever?
I wouldn’t presume it has archived the Jersey and Guernsey results exhaustively, but anecdotally I will mention that a search of the Post‘s results facility (one of few things to have survived the redevelopment intact, thank goodness) for “chase” and Les Landes since January 1988 returned only those Flat handicaps sponsored by Chase Prosser 15 years ago.
I’m not aware of either Channel Islands course having been used for point-to-points, team chasing, hunter trials or anything like that, so the mystery remains just that for the time being!
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.
- Total Posts 438
Can’t be bothered to read the entire thread (apologies, but it’s late and I’ve had a few)…. anyone else been to Champs de Mars in Mauritius?
Anyone been to the Hipodromo in La Cala, Spain? Where in July and August the last race is at 1.30am.
By then you dont really care who wins.
Great night though.
Ayr, Hamilton, Musselburgh before they built the Jumps track, Kelso, Carlisle, Cartmel, Nottingham (when it had jumping) Towcester, Huntingdon, Worcester, Plumpton, Folkestone, Newbury jumps, Sandown jumps, Southwell Jumps, Lingfield Jumps, windsor Jumps, Ascot Jumps, Doncaster Jumps, Fontwell, Leicester, Uttoxeter, Stratford, Cheltenham, Brghton. Punchestown, Pheonix Park – my only racing abroad.
Point to points at: Dalston, Lockerbie, Friars haugh (Kelso), Bogside, Oatridge, Mosshouses, Brocklesby Park, Carholme (Lincoln), thorpe, Dingley, Brafield on the Green, Clifton upon Dunsmore, Garthorpe, Woodford, Cottenham, Charing, Ampton, Higham, Detling, Parham, Northaw, Larkhill.
flapping at Langholm, Hawick, Selkirk, Irvine ( all meetings still in existence) and the defunct Galashiels and Penton Show.
Also part of a harness race meeting at the end of the Cumberland show, had to leave early to catch the last bus to Langholm.
Can now add the point to points at Horseheath, Godstone, Kingston Blount and Aldington, forgot I had been to Kimble at Easter 2007 and all being well will be at Penshurst for the first time on Saturday. It has been a busy and very enjoyable point to point season and still Northaw, the June meeting at Kingston blount and possibly the May fixture at Parham (though no more than that) to come
As it’s silly season (i.e. between Chelters & Aintree) time to revive this thread as there are a few of us Newbies knocking about.
I think I got into racing approx 1979/80 – I was about 5 at the time – and my theory (as my memory is patchy) is that while stuck in a fifth storey council maisonette on a winters Saturday focused on the colourful pictures from the telly. Bearing in mind Racing was shown on 2 out of 3 available TV channels in those days it was hard to miss.
Got a vague memory of Scot Lane finishing alone at Towcester – did this really happen? Also have a vague memory of watching the 1980 National (Ben Nevis – 4 finished)
Whatever it was, that was me hooked and an obsession had begun.
Anyway, enough rambling, over the interim years been to the following courses:-
England:-
Aintree (2006 National – great to walk the course, terrible viewing on Tatts Mound – might well have watched it on telly)
Ascot – Took my then girlfriend (unsuprisingly bearing in mind my username, called Katie) on an early date to a summer flat meeting. We’re now married with a little girl (second on the way)
Bath
Cheltenham – Every festival + other meets (not every day) 1995 – 2005
Fontwell – Cracking little track
Haydock Park – Before the portable fences (General Wolfe won the Peter Marsh)
Hereford
Ludlow
Newbury – Gold Trophy day
Newmarket (July)
Newton Abbot
Kempton Park – b4 the polytrack (jumping)
Salisbury
Sandown Park – "Whitbread" day (in its ATR incarnation)
Stratford
Towcester
Uttoxeter
Windsor – Jumping (temp home for Long Walk hurdle – Baracouda won)
Wolverhampton – Including first Floodlit race
Worcester – my first racemeeting (1985)Ireland:-
Fairyhouse
NaasHong Kong:-
Happy Valley
Sha TinNot done a point-to-point despite growing up approx 15mins drive from Chaddersley Corbett (GC will kill me!) – recommend a pint of Bathams at the Swan in the village
Also done a few dog tracks:-
Cradley Heath (now a housing estate), bring back memories of a few pints before catching the last four races for free after they opened the gates!
Monmore Green
Hall Green
Swindon
Portsmouth
WalthamstowHope to add one more this year as family commitments have halted my progress. Hope to one day complete the UK set
As a fellow newbie, I’ve tried to read all of the thread and may be able to offer a new one – apologies if it’s already there and I’ve missed it. El Comandante in Puerto Rico – I’ve even got the photo of me with horse and connections in the winners enclosure. Nearest I’ve ever been or likely to be!
I’ve never visited any racetracks. The closest I get is watching the Grand National on TV here. There are not much races on TV here, and the only ones I see are the ones on the BBC. I would love to visit Cheltenham or the Grand National one day though. It seems that there is a racetrack in Paris too. Maybe I can visit that one day too.
I went to York for my 30th which was great, had a bet every race, doubled my money and got very drunk, it was a crackin’ day out.
……………. got very drunk, it was a crackin’ day out.
Something to be proud of then?
For those who have never visited York that comment just about sums the place up.
Something to be proud of then?
For those who have never visited York that comment just about sums the place up.It was a celebration!
So how exactly do people find time to get drunk
…by not doing any of those things you mention and remaining in the front row of that 6-deep barging match going on at the bar for the duration of the afternoon.
Overpriced fart-inducing fizz and you’re down a score before the first pint has slipped south
Not my idea of a fulfilling day at the races…but hand on heart, who when living those few daft carefree years in wild, wild youthdom hasn’t succumbed to peer pressure or the temptation created by a fistful of ‘bookies money’ and downed a skinful on-course, made a prat of themselves, and – somewhat pleasingly – annoyed the look-down-your-nose "I go racing to watch the horses" pomposity of the tight-arsed tweedy turfiste. I know I did, though admittedly did promote myself to the ranks of the tight-arsed and tweedy rather quickly: around the same time I became eligible to exercise my franchise.
Once upon a time we were all young men (and women) prone to the occasional bout of innocent bad behaviour, weren’t we?
I don’t know, young people today zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….
I put all bets on first thing, then went to the bar and then watched all the races…that’s how it’s done
As it’s silly season (i.e. between Chelters & Aintree) time to revive this thread as there are a few of us Newbies knocking about.
I think I got into racing approx 1979/80 – I was about 5 at the time – and my theory (as my memory is patchy) is that while stuck in a fifth storey council maisonette on a winters Saturday focused on the colourful pictures from the telly. Bearing in mind Racing was shown on 2 out of 3 available TV channels in those days it was hard to miss.
Got a vague memory of Scot Lane finishing alone at Towcester – did this really happen? Also have a vague memory of watching the 1980 National (Ben Nevis – 4 finished)
Whatever it was, that was me hooked and an obsession had begun.
Anyway, enough rambling, over the interim years been to the following courses:-
England:-
Aintree (2006 National – great to walk the course, terrible viewing on Tatts Mound – might well have watched it on telly)
Ascot – Took my then girlfriend (unsuprisingly bearing in mind my username, called Katie) on an early date to a summer flat meeting. We’re now married with a little girl (second on the way)
Bath
Cheltenham – Every festival + other meets (not every day) 1995 – 2005
Fontwell – Cracking little track
Haydock Park – Before the portable fences (General Wolfe won the Peter Marsh)
Hereford
Ludlow
Newbury – Gold Trophy day
Newmarket (July)
Newton Abbot
Kempton Park – b4 the polytrack (jumping)
Salisbury
Sandown Park – "Whitbread" day (in its ATR incarnation)
Stratford
Towcester
Uttoxeter
Windsor – Jumping (temp home for Long Walk hurdle – Baracouda won)
Wolverhampton – Including first Floodlit race
Worcester – my first racemeeting (1985)Ireland:-
Fairyhouse
NaasHong Kong:-
Happy Valley
Sha TinNot done a point-to-point despite growing up approx 15mins drive from Chaddersley Corbett (GC will kill me!) – recommend a pint of Bathams at the Swan in the village
Also done a few dog tracks:-
Cradley Heath (now a housing estate), bring back memories of a few pints before catching the last four races for free after they opened the gates!
Monmore Green
Hall Green
Swindon
Portsmouth
WalthamstowHope to add one more this year as family commitments have halted my progress. Hope to one day complete the UK set
Still time to rectify the point to point situation mate as there are meetings at Chaddesley Corbett on Sunday 10th May and Bank Holiday Monday 25th May. they are good fun, but don’t take the betting too seriously.
Now there’s a good research question for someone, Rob – when did they last run a chase at Les Landes, if ever?
I wouldn’t presume it has archived the Jersey and Guernsey results exhaustively, but anecdotally I will mention that a search of the
Post
‘s results facility (one of few things to have survived the redevelopment intact, thank goodness) for "chase" and Les Landes since January 1988 returned only those Flat handicaps sponsored by Chase Prosser 15 years ago.
I’m not aware of either Channel Islands course having been used for point-to-points, team chasing, hunter trials or anything like that, so the mystery remains just that for the time being!
gc
You can of course now say that you have done a south east point to point at Charing in February where we had the pleasure of meeting up for the first time. I know that Northaw clashes with Hackwood Park, but are you planning to go to that rearranged meeting at Kingston Blount on June 6th. Beats that flat meeting in Surrey, forget what its called. Also there is a heavy horse show just up the road from me on the Sunday so I’ve got a nice double header planned.
Indeed we did, Bob, and a fine afternoon it was, too!
Haven’t finalied my plans for June 6th yet, Bob, but it’s most likely to be Trecoed point-to-point in very, very west Wales for me, followed by Worcester the day after. I was going to do that double-header last year, but got asked to cover a sickness absence on the radio at very short notice.
Trecoed is, of course, absolutely nowhere near my bolt-hole in Hertfordshire, but then I’m an idiot.
Further courses visited by me for the first time since my last update on this thread: Black Forest Lodge, North Carlton, the aforementioned Charing, Marks Tey, Garnons, Badbury Rings (excellent afternoon spent with Kingston Town), Larkhill. Should be able to fit in three or four more new courses before the end of this pointing season, all being well!
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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