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Fakenham and Southwell on a Derby weekend? When glamorous racing was all over the media yesterday?
Let’s be quite clear: for me, the essence of British racing takes place on gaff jumps tracks throughout the winter months. The utter joy of the "Fred Bloggs Is 80 Today NH Flat Race" at Plumpton on a Monday in January is patently superior to anything Ascot, Newmarket or Goodwood is likely to throw up in the next few months.
Until now, I thought that this was basically an insane minority view held only by me. But I can joyfully report that it’s also held by the BHA’s fixture-list organisers!
Even I can see how ridiculous this is. Sundays are a great way to introduce the young and those with families to racing. We need big events on big tracks dovetailed into a day-out experience. Charming though Fakenham and Southwell (jumps) are, they do not fit that bill in any way.
This really has to change. The BHA needs to look at incentivising courses on Sundays.
Mike
Sha Tin, Yasuda Kinen and Prix du Jockey Club:
http://racing.hkjc.com/racing/overseas/ … 30602/S2/2
what’s the matter with you, man ?
Fakenham and Southwell on a Derby weekend? When glamorous racing was all over the media yesterday?
Let’s be quite clear: for me, the essence of British racing takes place on gaff jumps tracks throughout the winter months. The utter joy of the "Fred Bloggs Is 80 Today NH Flat Race" at Plumpton on a Monday in January is patently superior to anything Ascot, Newmarket or Goodwood is likely to throw up in the next few months.
Until now, I thought that this was basically an insane minority view held only by me. But I can joyfully report that it’s also held by the BHA’s fixture-list organisers!
An insane minority of three actually as I and Graysonscolumn (where are you Jeb?) have been detained indefinitely in that same asylum too
Though I too agree that considering today is a high-summer sunny Sunday and not a halcyonic dark, damp January Monday the fare is dire; infact it would be pretty dire for said dark, damp day
Yes, Sundays particularly those during the height of the Flat are long overdue a revamp, though as I believe the fixture list is generated these days by and large by a ‘bidding’ process from the courses, one can only assume they believe there’s little call for half-decent Flat racing on summer Sundays
edit:
Wit’s point about the quality of foreign racing may have something to do with it. Winter Gaff lovers are by definition Little Englanders
Sha Tin, Yasuda Kinen and Prix du Jockey Club:
oh how exciting….. I most definitely agree today’s racing is dire and a total embarrassment, particularly on the back of the Derby meeting.
Musselburgh yesterday would have seemed an ideal candidate to have been staged today to me.
What? The little courses aren’t allowed to have their big Sunday days. The likes of Ascot, Newmarket, Goodwood, Epsom, etc, can survive very well without Sunday racing, they earn big money from their meetings with big races plus generous backing from the BHA, Jockey Club, etc. Sunday racing for the little tracks brings in much needed funds which they don’t get from the bigwigs. Leave them alone.
Why can’t you enjoy low-grade racing as much as a more ‘glamorous’ card? Flat, jumps, sellers, Group 1s – it’s all good!
Being snobbish about this smacks of the same logic as football ‘fans’ who only go to watch their team in cup finals.
I cant wait for Royal Ascot I need group 1 racing now, I want it now, I want it now, I want it now. I want it now do you hear me. Yes I know the Derby was yesterday and so was the Coronation Cup but that was ages ago I want Royal Ascot
NOW, NOW NOW
……..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TRTkCHE1sS4
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4778835024807231&pid=1.7&w=158&h=154&c=7&rs=1
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Even holding Group 1 racing on a Sunday wouldn’t necessarily widen the appeal if you take the Coronation Cup as an example.
Who would be encouraged to bring along the family for the first time to watch a 3/10 favourite easily beat its only real rival, with the others duly following home in order at 10s, 50s and then the pacemaker for the winner.
The cup of excitement hardly runneth over.Even holding Group 1 racing on a Sunday wouldn’t necessarily widen the appeal if you take the Coronation Cup as an example.
Who would be encouraged to bring along the family for the first time to watch a 3/10 favourite easily beat its only real rival, with the others duly following home in order at 10s, 50s and then the pacemaker for the winner.
The cup of excitement hardly runneth over.That’s it then, no point in upgrading Sunday racing because the Coronation Cup had 5 runners and a 3/10 fav.
Even holding Group 1 racing on a Sunday wouldn’t necessarily widen the appeal if you take the Coronation Cup as an example.
Who would be encouraged to bring along the family for the first time to watch a 3/10 favourite easily beat its only real rival, with the others duly following home in order at 10s, 50s and then the pacemaker for the winner.
The cup of excitement hardly runneth over.That’s it then, no point in upgrading Sunday racing because the Coronation Cup had 5 runners and a 3/10 fav.
I never said or even implied that. A Group 1 race in itself is not the answer – that is too simplistic.
The product has to be designed to be more appealing to novice racegoers, and thereafter to be marketed effectively.
The words "wouldn’t necessarily" give you a clue.Even holding Group 1 racing on a Sunday wouldn’t necessarily widen the appeal if you take the Coronation Cup as an example.
Who would be encouraged to bring along the family for the first time to watch a 3/10 favourite easily beat its only real rival, with the others duly following home in order at 10s, 50s and then the pacemaker for the winner.
The cup of excitement hardly runneth over.That’s it then, no point in upgrading Sunday racing because the Coronation Cup had 5 runners and a 3/10 fav.
I never said or even implied that. A Group 1 race in itself is not the answer – that is too simplistic.
The product has to be designed to be more appealing to novice racegoers, and thereafter to be marketed effectively.
The words "wouldn’t necessarily" give you a clue.To be honest, I don’t know if the racing per se has that much to do with it!
How about a card of decent-sized handicaps plus a couple of stakes races at one or two big tracks every Sunday?
Lots of promotion, entertainment for youngsters, creches for toddlers etc. Good (not top-class) racing encouraging all component parts of a family to come along. The sort of stuff a decent course can do with it’s eyes shut.
Use Sundays as a promotional day for the sport with a more relaxed, user-friendly atmosphere. Attendances would be considerably larger than midweek, though such attendees would certainly drink/bet less per head (would probably scoff more mind!). I remain bemused why so many larger courses seem to prefer racing on a Tuesday afternoon.
Mike
I cant wait for Royal Ascot I need group 1 racing now, I want it now, I want it now, I want it now. I want it now do you hear me. Yes I know the Derby was yesterday and so was the Coronation Cup but that was ages ago I want Royal Ascot
NOW, NOW NOW
……..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TRTkCHE1sS4
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4778835024807231&pid=1.7&w=158&h=154&c=7&rs=1
At least you’re dealing with it well Nathan!
Great to see the late Roy Kinnear. Funny character actor and a charming man by all accounts.
Mike
Today is a beautiful summer’s day.
Surely a lost opportunity to put on some decent flat racing instead of centring it purely on Saturday afternoons when the top jockeys can only be at one meeting?
Ireland and France take a different approach and put on decent racing on Sundays.
Why can’t you enjoy low-grade racing as much as a more ‘glamorous’ card? Flat, jumps, sellers, Group 1s – it’s all good!
Being snobbish about this smacks of the same logic as football ‘fans’ who only go to watch their team in cup finals.
I sign in just to like this comment but since I’m here…
The argument seems to rest on enticing newcomers, families to the tracks and getting them into the sport. That being the case then the newcomer isn’t really going to be able to tell the difference between a Group One star bound for stood and a 65 rated handicapper.
My first visit to a track was to Cartmel when I was eight. Whilst I had a good idea that these weren’t "Saturday" horses running, I was still utterly enthralled by the sight of those enormous beasts, the sounds of their hooves thundering the ground and the energy of those guys riding them. Last week, I took my mate to Haydock where he got off on the atmosphere, the bustle of the ring and the attitudes of the horses in the parade ring.
Those are the things that will hook a person onto the sport. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Newmarket Group card or a Fakenham nags card. Once the racegoer finds himself a repeat spectator, then the pattern system will become more important and relevant to him/her. But a bunch of cardboard cut outs carried by spotty teenagers isn’t going make an instant and immediate difference.
If you want to attract new racegoers to the sport then you could do a hell of a lot worse than send them to a course like Fakenham – close to the action, great viewing, fantastic welcoming atmosphere – it’s just a shame it’s miles from civilisation
I abhor the drive there but once I do get there my mood relaxes completely.
Having sung the praises of Fakenham and despite being a die hard NH fan, I do find it incredulous, in June, that all we have is two NH meetings.
As for the general quality of Sunday racing I think my views on that one are well documented. As far as I am concerned Sunday should be the big racing day of the week, with Saturday as the supporting day.
I would move all the "big four" meetings. Derby meeting to Saturday / Sunday, Cheltenham Thursday – Sunday, Aintree Friday – Sunday and Royal Ascot Wednesday – Sunday.
Fakenham and Southwell on a Derby weekend? When glamorous racing was all over the media yesterday?
Let’s be quite clear: for me, the essence of British racing takes place on gaff jumps tracks throughout the winter months. The utter joy of the "Fred Bloggs Is 80 Today NH Flat Race" at Plumpton on a Monday in January is patently superior to anything Ascot, Newmarket or Goodwood is likely to throw up in the next few months.
Until now, I thought that this was basically an insane minority view held only by me. But I can joyfully report that it’s also held by the BHA’s fixture-list organisers!
Even I can see how ridiculous this is. Sundays are a great way to introduce the young and those with families to racing. We need big events on big tracks dovetailed into a day-out experience. Charming though Fakenham and Southwell (jumps) are, they do not fit that bill in any way.
This really has to change. The BHA needs to look at incentivising courses on Sundays.
Mike
You should have been at lingfield last night . . . deary me.
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