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Some farcical racing at Exeter today with 3 matches, what is the point seeing a 1/25 hack round and collect the prize money ?
Similar fields tomorrow at Taunton too, just too NH much racing at this time of year and Wincanton, Exeter and Taunton all competing for the same runners in the last few days.
Hexham raced yesterday and their smallest field was 8, five double figure fields and 18 for the Class 5 Handicap Chase. Prize money was generally low bar one race, so they don’t travel to Hexham to get rich, but soembody is clearly doing something right.
Similarly decent sized fields at Perth tomorrow. From a personal point of view just a pity there was nothing suitable over fences for The Village.
I’m old enough to remember the days when small fields in late spring/late summer at West Country tracks were pretty much common. It’s not a modern phenomenon.
Rob
Hexham’s going description was Good (G-S in places, watered)
Wincanton, Exeter and Taunton all have Good/Firm in their going descriptions. No mention of watering? Maybe that’s what they are doing right
Exeter did water evidently to make the going good/firm.
Sounds like a combo of dry conditions and too many meetings too close together in the same part of the country.
Only a fool will run on any ground with the description ‘firm’ in it (Nat Hunt). This is a very dry spring. I noticed Triumph Davis running in the Million in Mind colours being knocked about and eventually pulled up, that will do well at the sales! Some easy prize money around for very small fields so ‘greed’ takes over.
Anyone else remember ‘Hard’ going descriptions at Devon & Exeter?
Clerks of courses more honest in those days?
Pine Lodge, Carrigeen Hill, Low Profile….awwww. =D
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Just a thought but are some trainers worried about running horses that may lose their novice status when it’s so close to another season?
Yes Ian, I remember ‘hard’ going at Devon, N Abbot etc, but also at Bath and Brighton. I remember Carrigeen Hill too. Wasn’t he pretty decent? Think he won round Ascot a few times.
Was 70’s firm ground that much different to firm ground these days? In the 70’s it was the norm for top class horses to actually run on firm ground. Were they just that much tougher than today’s equivalent? As an example the 1972 Whitbread was run on firm ground. The field reads like a who’s who of National Hunt racing. Saturday’s renewal will be light years away, whatever the ground.
Stilvi, I think they just made ’em tougher in those days! The Whitbread was routinely run on ground which would be considered unacceptably firm nowadays, yet the fields were generally top notch. Of course, there are more options in the Spring now (Aintree ‘festival’, Punchestown, etc) but any resemblance between the Whitbread Gold Cup and The Betfair Blimp Haveabetonusmate Handicap is purely coincidental.
Should NH be cancelled if firm going? What’s the difference between running on firm and frozen ground? The slightest bit of frost because the sun has not got on to part of the course can cause an abandonment or missing of fences at least, yet firm ground over the whole course and they carry on as normal
If I was a jump jockey the risks of serious injury must be far greater on firm going, hitting the turf at speed must be horrifying for them and no wonder McCoy has sat this week out before the big Sandown meeting.
Worse possible conditions this week, loads of sunshine and drying winds with too many courses trying to race in the same area.
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