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Pardon my ignorance but I’ve never noticed the Longchamp style winning posts at Sandown until this afternoon.
Has it been like that for a long time or is it a recent addition?
Secondly, why 2 winning posts?
Thks.
No, they have been there for quite a few years……………no idea why.
AP, will probably know.
Colin
Certainly for the last 30 years and probably forever.
One is for the hurdles course, the other for the steeplechase course.
It is so that the winning line in parallel with the last obstacle on the respective tracks
Lyphard has it spot on – just to clarify for anyone that hasn’t seen the layout, there’s a single post on the stand side of the track, but separate ones on the far side to ensure the winning line is at right angles to the last obstacle.
A few riders have been caught out on the hurdle course over the years by stopping riding at the first far side post, which only applies in chases. But one of the most famous occurences went unnoticed by the stewards and the press, but had a profound effect on the career of a star.
Desert Orchid ran at Sandown in his first season in a 2M novice hurdle – I think it was the third run of his career. I’d had a horse with Elsworth just prior to Desert Orchid’s arrival in the yard, so knew everyone involved.
DO was held up in those days to try to get him to settle (!), but he made steady ground from the home turn and headed the leader at the last. But Colin Brown relaxed at the first post and he was done in a photo by something of Nick Gaselees that was never heard of again. Had DO won that day, he wouldn’t have been qualified to run up the sequence in novice hurdles the following season that got his career off to such a good start.
Topically, that sequence included a win in the Kingwell Hurdle.
AP
I would say over the years the negatives of having 2 winning posts has far outweighed the positives of having it at right angles to the last obstacle. Apart from the instances apracing mentions I’m sure there have even been some on the flat.
Watching on tv if you can’t see the post on the nearside you may not know which post is being used, you will see quite often the cameraman still cover both posts to be on the safe side.
For me it is total unnecessary and unsatisfactory, whats the problem as long the winning line is a straight line?Hurdlers and chasers at Leicester approach the "winning post line" from two quite different angles, like at Sandown. I haven’t stood on the course at Leicester to check it in person, but it looks to me that if two chasers approached the winning post line neck and neck, the one on the near side would have a slight advantage because of the odd angle of the chase course to that line.
Hurdlers and chasers at Leicester approach the "winning post line" from two quite different angles, like at Sandown. I haven’t stood on the course at Leicester to check it in person, but it looks to me that if two chasers approached the winning post line neck and neck, the one on the near side would have a slight advantage because of the odd angle of the chase course to that line.
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