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I’m very familiar with plenty of news/current affairs blogs through my job, but what are the best racing blogs to read at the moment?
I’m sure there are a few of you on here with some good blogs!
Modesty prevents me mentioning mine – but having said that it hasn’t been updated for a few weeks because of some family issues.
Very sorry to hear of your family issues. I like your blog but sad to hear that you have decided to quit writing about racing at the end of the year.
A similar thing happened to me six or seven years ago – I turned my back on racing for various reasons although I didn’t really make a conscious effort to. Yet fast forward the clock and I am returning to it because I’ve missed it so much and Frankel in particular re-ignited the spark during difficult times personally. I am still as fascinated as I was when I got hooked on it 20 years ago. That said I share much of your angst about the way the sport is run and marketed.
I follow plenty of the stables, jockey’s, etc on Twitter which can be pretty revealing. Plus all the normal website sources. It often prompts me to look at races, horses, form, stables, etc and sometimes a tweet can be revealing. I tend to stumble across blogs rather than save them and read them religiously.
On the same subject I stumbled across a twitter account in the name of Pat Hiscox who is a spoof sports agent. It’s absolutely hilarious. If you use Twitter it’s well worth a look and a read through some old tweets. Looking at his connections I suspect someone in the racing world is behind it.
Thanks Maruco, I’ll have a look. I’ve been on Twitter a year now and have found it better than I thought – it’s most useful for knowing what’s happening, as it’s happening.
I’ve kicked off my own blog. It’s not how I want it to look just yet – I want to get a bit soap boxy in time – but it’s a start considering I’ve not blogged for an age!
I’ve just taken a look, and you it was almost as though you’d written an introduction for me. Uncanny.
The very best of luck with the blog. I’ll keep reading!
Modesty prevents me mentioning mine – but having said that it hasn’t been updated for a few weeks because of some family issues.
…as it does me mine – that and the fact it went two years without an update before splurging back into life earlier this year.
So sorry to have heard of everything that’s happened in recent weeks, Paul, but the piece on your family site was genuinely moving and a splendid tribute.
Glad you’re at peace with your decision to jack in the course reporting etc. as well. It’s going to seem odd not getting the battery of
ORSRacing
Tweets from wherever you’ve ended up at four or five times a week from next year on, but I hope our paths will still cross trackside when circumstances permit. Get thee to Mollington or Whitfield, sir…
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.
Heard you on Timeform Radio t’other day gc. Do you go there often?? What with Steve on WH Radio I’m always shouting downstairs to Mike ‘one of our lads is on the radio’!
Paul – Just read your blog. What about scaling down rather than ‘retiring’ completely? Ascot just won’t be the same…
Don’t know if it counts as a blog or not but for years I’ve enjoyed reading Nick Mordin’s weekly update on his website
Unfortunately it seems to have now become a two monthly update which means it’s lost all topicality
There’s not a lot of point in reading an analysis of a race that took place two months ago………….you want to read it before the horses all come out and run again
Paul – Just read your blog. What about scaling down rather than ‘retiring’ completely? Ascot just won’t be the same…
Thanks David, I did briefly think of doing that but considering my strident criticism of the "glory boy / girl" journos who only ever show their faces at the big meetings, it would be more than a tad hypocritical if I did the same.
I will be "scaling down" for the remainder of this year – I didn’t miss the racing at all during the month I had the family issues to deal with (and that included the King George, Glorious Goodwood and Shergar Cup meetings).
I did wonder / hope my return to racing last Wednesday would re-kindle some interest but I came away feeling indifferent. Indeed instead of going to Cartmel today I went and watched some sheepdog trials and I didn’t miss the Cumbrian treat at all. I’m NH racing on Monday, so that may inspire me – who knows.
I’m definitely still doing my Hexham / Kelso swansong visit in early November, so I hope to catch up with you one of those two days.
Heard you on Timeform Radio t’other day gc. Do you go there often??
Was that the Leicester or Pontefract paddockside stint? I get to each probably once a year on average either in a work or play capacity, though the Leicester gig this time was my first ever Flat one at that venue – it’s usually one of the all-chase days for me (including, with any luck, the ceaselessly wonderful "Mallard" hunter chase
).Haven’t happened across Steven Powell for a few months now, though I know he inherited the Easter Monday Point-to-Point call at Lockinge from Gareth Topham just for this season and did a superb job. One of the next additions to the Racetech roster in a couple of years’ time, I hope!
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’m NH racing on Monday, so that may inspire me – who knows.
How was it for you then, sir? Glad Tommo proved his worth for y’all as a summoner of teas and coffees.
About even on the day for me punting-wise, with She Is A Cracker’s late wobble cancelling out the gains on Balinroab. Suspect I might scribble down a few words about it all this afternoon whilst the library office continues to do a passable impersonation of the Marie Celeste…
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’m NH racing on Monday, so that may inspire me – who knows.
How was it for you then, sir? Glad Tommo proved his worth for y’all as a summoner of teas and coffees.
About even on the day for me punting-wise, with She Is A Cracker’s late wobble cancelling out the gains on Balinroab. Suspect I might scribble down a few words about it all this afternoon whilst the library office continues to do a passable impersonation of the Marie Celeste…
gc
It was a good afternoon Jezza, nice weather, reasonable racing, a good – well behaved – crowd and fantasyic company – but not enough to make me change my mind.
Re She Is A Cracker, Steve’s comments in running are a toned down version of how we described the run in the press room.
Took keen hold early, held up in touch, 4th and going well 9th, bumped along and effort to chase winner 2 out, led, jumped right and hit last, pricked ears in front, hung badly left and headed flat, immediately beaten and slowed badly after
The version that should have been used was "dogged it on run-in, with no help from a cr@p rider"
Have to say that even in their toned-down versions, the comments in running for Cracker’s two recent defeats have surprised me a little, but maybe that’s just on account of having encountered her more often in recent years than most who would have been at either Worcester or Huntingdon.
She’s not exhibited anything close to a doggy trait in 23 Points (nine wins, six further places), and the Gormans have generally been proven right in their placement and riding of what is a short-runner over too stern a 3m trip.
I’ve seen a number of Cracker’s wins in the flesh, including the most recent at Dingley (not the hardest stamina test by any means)in early June. Although the official going was good to soft that day, George had been smart enough to walk the course beforehand and observe that the watering had been performed in a very uneven manner. There was a "magic strip" all the way round which had been missed by the bowsers completely and was definitely riding good to firm. Cracker was kept to that, and Cracker won.
That aside, all of her other victories between the flags have been on good or (usually) much faster, and all gained under George’s handling.
Presumably the hope yesterday was that the ground had dried out sufficiently for the step up to 3m2f, which wouldn’t have been the Gormans’ first choice of trip for the mare, not to place too great a strain on her reserves. Alas, it hadn’t, so it did.
Whether anything could have helped her sustain her impetus for longer is far more the issue for me going forward, rather than deciding if and why she pigged it. I suggested either headgear or being held on to for even longer, though thinking about it further now maybe the answer could equally prove as simple as a drop to 2m5f-2m6f.
The one "solution" we’re least likely to see is a change of rider, as Cracker is practically George’s pet and not even father Marcus has ridden her competitively since her Pointing debut two and a half years back.
And nor should there be a change. Rory suggested on Timeform Radio before the Worcester outing that George’s past unfairly precedes him to an extent, with a number of pundits (not necessarily all of the armchair variety) more critical of his ability than maybe they would be had the well-known Merry Vic fence-missing incident at Newbury 18 months ago never occurred. There are far plenty of far less able pilots in Pointing than George, many of whom no longer in their teens, unlike him.
Little would please me more if compensation was gained on Cracker some time before the end of summer. And if it isn’t, there are still plenty of Opens to be had next winter if she continues to be placed to advantage. It’s still heads they win, tails they don’t lose, really.
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.
Have to say that even in their toned-down versions, the comments in running for Cracker’s two recent defeats have surprised me a little, but maybe that’s just on account of having encountered her more often in recent years than most who would have been at either Worcester or Huntingdon.
She’s not exhibited anything close to a doggy trait in 23 Points (nine wins, six further places), and the Gormans have generally been proven right in their placement and riding of what is a short-runner over too stern a 3m trip.
I’ve seen a number of Cracker’s wins in the flesh, including the most recent at Dingley (not the hardest stamina test by any means)in early June. Although the official going was good to soft that day, George had been smart enough to walk the course beforehand and observe that the watering had been performed in a very uneven manner. There was a "magic strip" all the way round which had been missed by the bowsers completely and was definitely riding good to firm. Cracker was kept to that, and Cracker won.
That aside, all of her other victories between the flags have been on good or (usually) much faster, and all gained under George’s handling.
Presumably the hope yesterday was that the ground had dried out sufficiently for the step up to 3m2f, which wouldn’t have been the Gormans’ first choice of trip for the mare, not to place too great a strain on her reserves. Alas, it hadn’t, so it did.
Whether anything could have helped her sustain her impetus for longer is far more the issue for me going forward, rather than deciding if and why she pigged it. I suggested either headgear or being held on to for even longer, though thinking about it further now maybe the answer could equally prove as simple as a drop to 2m5f-2m6f.
The one "solution" we’re least likely to see is a change of rider, as Cracker is practically George’s pet and not even father Marcus has ridden her competitively since her Pointing debut two and a half years back.
And nor should there be a change. Rory suggested on Timeform Radio before the Worcester outing that George’s past unfairly precedes him to an extent, with a number of pundits (not necessarily all of the armchair variety) more critical of his ability than maybe they would be had the well-known Merry Vic fence-missing incident at Newbury 18 months ago never occurred. There are far plenty of far less able pilots in Pointing than George, many of whom no longer in their teens, unlike him.
Little would please me more if compensation was gained on Cracker some time before the end of summer. And if it isn’t, there are still plenty of Opens to be had next winter if she continues to be placed to advantage. It’s still heads they win, tails they don’t lose, really.
gc
Another example of Jeremy’s "half full" approach to life (not that I’m knocking an optimistic approach)
I agree there are plenty worse riders in the pointing scene but if he elects to ride against professional jockeys that is what he will invariably be measured against and I don’t think he measures up.
It would be interesting to have seen a MacKenzie analysis of the run.
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