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All that racing today. Far too much to get a sensible grip on, even Matt Chapman said it was ridiculous. (Though I managed to to have a good lump on Masamah, then of course i lost all of it)
And look at the clinker tomorrow. And this evening and during the week. One suddenly realises this is exactly what the bookies want. All crap all the time, then a flurry of good stuff that goes past too quickly to extract value from.
Tedious and insulting, like so much in racing.
As crazy as it might sound, tomorrow’s cards appeal far more to me than today’s.
True, I’m a NH love at heart so I might be classed as bias but in defence of today, how can anyone argue with the planning? Newmarket’s gates are up 10%, York, Ascot and Chester are unaffected by the scheduling etc… and all this in poor weather for this time of the year.
Stop whinging for crying out loud. You can only ever attend one meeting at a time in any day and age, and you can Sky plus the others so what’s the fuss?
And if you’re not happy about the quality of cards tomorrow then take a day off… it’s not rocket science.
Who is the driving force behind the killing of Sunday flat racing?
Certainly couldn’t be horsemen, since their stated aim is to maximise revenue streams for British racing.
Couldn’t agree more, too many top races now held on a Saturday and although I wouldn’t have denied Hayley Turner her first Group 1 success on Dream Ahead, a brilliant piece of riding by her, in reality it should have been William Buick leading him in yesterday. But because the powers that be RFC wish to fill their racecourses with Champagne guzzling, lobster eating ‘hooray Henrys and Henriettas’ on a Saturday afternoon this is the way racing has gone.
I went to Newmarket yesterday for July Cup Day on its first Saturday spot and the turnout was good although they hadn’t sold out in the Premier Enclosure like they did on the Thursday for ‘Ladies Day’, which brings me to think why oh why did they move the July Cup to a Saturday. Those who wish to go racing mid week will make every effort to do so and I seriously think that the July Cup should be moved back to its Friday slot for 2012, the clash with the John Smith’s Magnet Cup at York should not see jockeys denied a ride in the big Group 1 at Newmarket. I think RFC in trying to promote race days to the general public has forgotten that jockeys need to earn a living too and by tunneling all the top races to be run at weekends they are denying the jockeys much needed rides and possibly causing some hardship in the process.
The strangest thing was that after booking my raceday tickets on line I received an email today asking me to rate my day by ticking boxes in certain categories. I duly completed the survey but was surprised that all the questions were about coorporate entertaining, quality of food, access to bar areas etc etc….I don’t know about you but when I go racing I actually want to see the horses and watch the action on the racecourse, there was not one question about accessibility to the viewing areas, queues at the tote…when you get stuck behind someone putting on their bets for 7 races at the start of the day so they can slope off to the bar and watch the action on the Monitors.
Isn’t it about time that a panel of ‘Real Racegoers’ was set up to advise RFC what is really wanted and expected from a day at the races, starting with moving some of the fixtures back to their righful mid week slots…rant over..Jac
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...- Total Posts 17716
Sunday is a holy day, there should be no work and everyone resting just like our saviour lord jesus christ did, gave up his soul so we could spend the holy Sunday with our friends and family.
There should be no Racing on a Sunday at all, it’s a tragic scene that people should be working on that day and that jockey’s have to be forced to scrounge the depths of the worst man made racecourses riding the word bred horses man could have made for pittents.
Mr Wilson Sir , I would give serious serious consideration to upping the strength of your daily medication , as its clearly not having the desired effect
perhaps a visit to the betfair forum will make you feel better , as to be fair your posts here are at best cringe worthy , and at worst downright stupid
take a day off chap …..
Ricky
I think RFC in trying to promote race days to the general public has forgotten that jockeys need to earn a living too and by tunneling all the top races to be run at weekends they are denying the jockeys much needed rides and possibly causing some hardship in the process.
I’m not sure I agree with that. I’ve not looked at it particularly closely but with the top jocks unable to be in 3 places at once surely it was beneficial to those journeymen/youngsters who would not otherwise have been given a chance?
Well, Mr W, either I haven’t drunk quite enough (unlikely) or your posts have now reached the point of total unintelligibility (alright, I know it’s not a word but you get my drift) having hovered on the edge for so long.
British Racing is dying day by day.
Y’know what? Why don’t you just french connection off?
I’m sick of this constant negative miserable garbage.
Bollocks to this forum, I don’t know what racing most of you are watching but you all need to take off your **** tinted spectacles & actually try & enjoy yourselves.
What a pile of crap.
It is dying…and its a complete disgrace it is.
The has been no solution to the levy, no leadership in the BHA. Nothing has happened to improved the sport other than a load of hot air. The prize money situation is a complete and utter joke. The race planning is even worse??…3 NH on a Sunday in mid summer.
The funny thing is the the major british race courses are fully equipped with the best equipment.
The Bookmakers have decided that a high volume low grade product is what they want without any doubt and even worse nobody to challenge them.
If Prize Money keeps going the way it is, the Owners will move.
Ruby …take a bow , you are spot on
nobody gives a hot chocolate ….and Mr Roy is still in situ !!!!
best to ignore it ,
Ricky
I think RFC in trying to promote race days to the general public has forgotten that jockeys need to earn a living too and by tunneling all the top races to be run at weekends they are denying the jockeys much needed rides and possibly causing some hardship in the process.
I’m not sure I agree with that. I’ve not looked at it particularly closely but with the top jocks unable to be in 3 places at once surely it was beneficial to those journeymen/youngsters who would not otherwise have been given a chance?
Good point Roseblossom I’m all for the younger jockeys being giving the chance to ride good horses and on reflection that is the plus side.
Just as a follow up to RFC and their quest to attract more people to go racing, an interesting quote from Richard Hughes in his article in the Racing Post on Saturday 9th July:-
‘Those who love racing will watch a race like the July Cup whatever day of the week it’s on. And these are the people that, first and foremost, racing has to look after. It’s great to be thinking of ways of bringing new people into racing but some of the changes being carried out are annoying the valuable people who have followed the sport for so long. It’s not right to tear down racing as they know it in the pursuit of a different audience. By doing that, racing could end up with no-one.(unquote)
Hopefully it won’t have as dramatic effect as that, but there are regular racegoers who are staying away from the Saturday meetings now because of rowdy crowds and drunken behaviour after racing.
I would hope Newmarket may reconsider for 2012 and run the July Cup on a Friday once more, but for my part nothing will put me off a day at the races…what other top sporting venue can you attend and see the best thoroughbreds in the world at close quarters and…(hopefully) come out with more money than you went in with.
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...- Total Posts 17716
Ha ha at Cutts: *negative*? Of course I’m ******** negative! It’s either all dross all the time or too much good stuff to get a handle on.
It is also far too hard to win. There are too many animals in these races, Class 4 and 5 (I don’t bet on Class 6 for obvious reasons), that shouldn’t be there and their presence simply makes it harder to find winners and lines the bookies’ pockets. It is a joke how hard it is to get anywhere, horses don’t run to form, trainers muck about between all-weather and turf, it is impossible to evaluate half of it. And yet the RFC wonder why it isn’t growing in popularity!!! Why do 95 per cent of the British public call it a mugs’ game?
Go on, you tell me.- Total Posts 17716
I’ve picked two winners today. Neither could be backed with confidence and the horses that almost beat them were running against their form and the one’s which had the form to win did nothing. The two winners represented little value and only just managed to do the job. It is all a bloody insult if you ask me.
Sunday is a holy day, there should be no work and everyone resting just like our saviour lord jesus christ did, gave up his soul so we could spend the holy Sunday with our friends and family.
An increasingly specious argument in an increasingly secular society. It’s interesting to note how massively frontloaded the Point-to-Point calendar is now towards Sunday racing, and one suspects there are many Sundays where far more Rules courses would like to race than available slots currently allow (though not necessarily this Sunday just gone, perhaps – see next post).
It’s also folly to presume the working day wouldn’t continue for the majority of employees at a goodly number of training operations around the country even on a blank day of racing. Preps for target races on the Monday still need to be performed, animals still need to be fed.
It’s doubtful that this was ever a six-days-a-week sport even pre-Sunday racing, and it sure ain’t now.
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.
The race planning is even worse??…3 NH on a Sunday in mid summer.
Once more with feeling…
Those three jumps courses bid for three available slots. They got them. They got them either because no other courses, Flat or jumps, bid for them, or else pledged insufficient funds to swing the balance their way.
This is the third year running all three courses have operated on the corresponding raceday, and fourth in the case of Perth and Stratford (Southwell got the third slot after Haydock either lost or relinquished it post-2008).
Vent your spleen not at these courses for providing what you may regard as either unseasonal or qualitatively inadequate fare, but rather at the 57 other tracks in the country (more than half of which are operational during the summer) for letting them.
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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