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Able to do my pre-meeting hike around Kelso on Saturday having not managed it since March 2020. I had a poke and a prod at the fences on the way round the chase course and Kelso’s fences seem a good deal softer this year. Although fences are very neatly trimmed and presented the birch used seems to be thinner sticks, is less evenly packed than it has been in the past. It wouldn’t surprise me if the fences prove easier to get over (or through) than in previous seasons.
I presume the change has something to do with a change in personnel. Long time groundsman Brian Meikle retired in the summer following complications caused by diabetes. He lost part of a leg and I am told his life was threatened for a while, but pleased to say he was at the meeting on Saturday looking cheerful and well.
There was a race at Ayr today where the favourite barely took off, ploughed through the middle of the fence, stayed upright and hardly lost any momentum at all.
No one likes to see horses fall but should they really get away with such poor jumping?
You start a chaser off at the smaller tracks where they find out they can get away with only getting halfway up a fence when jumping it but then you take said horse to one of the bigger tracks where the fences have a lot more guts to them but the horse isn’t to know that and will just apply the same technique and could end up going arse over face and risk injury because it has learnt bad habits.
I don’t know if it is at all feasible but I would like to see more uniformity into how fences are prepared across all NH courses so at least the jumping technique horses have learned is not compromised depending on what course they happen to race at.
Are Kelso’s fences still proper ones or are they the portable fences which so many tracks use these days Rob?
The two courses where you can practically run through the fences are Musselburgh and Ludlow.
Sign of the times I’m afraid, racecourses, even the “big” ones don’t want fallers. They don’t mind horses getting away with poor jumping. Plenty of moderate jumpers get around the National fences these days, one or two have even won the big race itself.
tbh I’d rather they didn’t fall.
Jumping well is still an asset, just not quite so much of one.
Do horses that “make mistakes” really “get away with it”?
It must surely take more energy and therefore – although some might still win because of having so much in hand – their chance of winning is lessened by making mistakes?
Even those who don’t appear to lose momentum at all when ploughing through a fence surely have less energy in a finish because of that mistake?
Good jumpers technique is more energy efficient too.
Albeit the stiffer the fences the greater advantage a good jumper will have.That said, not sure making fences easier is the answer. I’d have thought making fences easier can sometimes be more dangerous. Easier fences mean horses can jump them faster – with less respect – and the more speed the worse injury if they do fall… And as LD rightly says, those “getting away” with errors over easier fences are more inclined to fall when jumping stiffer obstacles. Probably a contributing factor why Irish trained horses do better at Cheltenham these days.
Value Is Everythingpatriot1
The fences at Kelso are nominally portable and constructed in sections, but in practice they are quite solid construction in terms of base and aren’t moved during the season. In fact I don’t remember the positions of the fences changing since the rearrangement of the course a few seasons back.
Musselburgh’s fences appeared to ride like upturned brooms yesterday. Will try to get a closer look when I go on Wednesday.
If Shan Blue has made that mistake at Cheltenham instead of Wetherby,he may well have got away with it
The idea that a horse can plough through a fence half demolishing it in some cases makes a mockery of NH racing.I know I don’t follow the NH side of racing anything like as close as many here but for me it takes away a vital advantage for the better jumpers.
Many many years ago when Dunstall Park was a dual purpose turf course one thing you could rely on was the fences needed to be jumped,very often I would back against a warm but dodgy jumping favourite to collect with a much more solid all round performer.
Nobody wants to see horses injured but seeing a horse jump a fence at pace is truly a spectacular sight and one we shouldn’t lose.
good luck to allAnyone notice Becher’s Brook during the Grand Sefton today? They should be done under the Trade Description Act and the pictures of the race on ITV were awful.
I agree, Yeats, about the coverage of the race. It was pretty dreadful. As for not noticing Becher’s well, it looked just as insignificant as it has been for the last seven years.
This must be seen in context of the current BHA directives and communications to racecourses. Please see below:
Mission Statement:
Equine safety is our number one priority and we must limit the opportunity for any additional negative publicity, which we are so adept at generating on a regular basis.Racecourses should explore all possible options to reduce falls, which could potentially lead to injury and fatalities.
We would encourage all courses to assess the necessity of obstacles on their tracks. If an excuse can be found for the permanent removal of any hurdle or fence, this would be considered favourably by the Authority.
Please look at your race distances. The minimum number of obstacles to be jumped per mile is only there for guidance and we will be happy to approve a reduction if you can provide a trivial reason to the racecourse inspectorate. Congratulations to Ascot (hurdle) and Worcester (fence) for successfully getting away with this in recent years (no one seems to have noticed, so let’s press ahead with this effective strategy!)
The height and stiffness of fences is another area where we must improve. Statistical analysis will be rigorously applied to highlight any obstacle that has a faller rate in excess of 0.001%. If the complete removal of these fences (preferable) would be too obvious, it is strongly recommended that the density of the packed birch is substantially reduced to enable horses to plough through them without incident.
Well done to Musselburgh, who continue to excel in this regard.
Ascot have made huge strides and have followed the examples of Lingfield and Plumpton with the introduction of the amazing wobbling fences. Keep up the good work.Catterick and Wetherby – We are disappointed to see you seem to have missed our emails on this subject and recommend your fence builders attend our re-education course.
Remember, the notion that good jumping should be rewarded is now outdated. We must actively encourage the participation of all equine competitors and give them every opportunity to be successful as part of our drive for inclusivity and diversity within our sport. Poor jumping ability should not be a barrier (pun intended) to winning a “jumps” race.
Another effective measure to be implemented as often as possible is the “temporary” omission of obstacles during the season. Again, you may put forward various reasons to our course inspectors who will be only too happy to rubber stamp your proposals. Some suggestions – Drainage work, ground under repair etc. (you know the drill!). As you are aware, we will not require any guarantee of a particular date to reinstate these obstacles, take as long as you like.
Particular accolades must go to Uttoxeter and Hexham for their commitment to this in recent seasons. We must also agree with Chepstow that seven hurdles is more than enough for a 2 mile race and fully endorse their view that they couldn’t possibly squeeze another one in on their long home and back straights.
Special mention to Wetherby for the regular omission of their open ditch at the end of the back straight. This raises the question – do you really need it?
This brings us neatly on to our next initiative……details to follow.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
I was at Aintree yesterday. A race over the National fences used to be a highlight. But seeing them skip over the once mighty Bechers Brook like it was a hurdle reminded me that the National course does not really exist any more.
Sign of the times CAS. National course “does not really exist any more”… Not how you and I remember it (I am going back to Red Rum)… Good I say.
Truth is the animals were thought of as much more expendable in the 1970’s. Public never really bothered whether a horse lost its life. Nowadays public perception is a lot different… And tbh mine is too. Although Red Rum was the horse that first got me interested in Racing…If fences were as difficult as in the 1970’s I’d now be very much anti-Aintree Grand National.
Remember saying in the 1980’s – after dead or injured horses were unceremoniously pulled out of Bechers so the field could jump it on the second circuit – if National fences didn’t change I wouldn’t bet… And have said that a time or two since too!
So it is not really a case of whether we have easyish OR difficult Grand National fences / course.
Rather a case of do we have an easyish Grand National fences / course OR nothing at all?Can understand those thinking “nothing”, but the Grand National currently still attracts public interest and while that continues the Grand National (with easyish fences) will continue.
Value Is Everything
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