TIGHT TRACK

[conundrum]

If you think the likes of Chester and Cartmel are tight tracks, wait until you see the videos of jumps races recently run at this American course…Aiken Spring http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/exp … o-library/
After one of the races there’s a jockey interview and he has a strong Irish accent. Does anyone know anything about him?
Also it seems that you can get subscription-free live streaming racing, so for any afficianados you might want to tune in for their next meeting.
K

[Irish Stamp]

Not watched the vid but imagine the Irish jockey is Multiple Champion US Steeplechase jockey Paddy Young.

[phil walker]

Good jockey Paddy Young well deserved, I know him and his wife though haven’t chatted to them for a while.

[Miss Woodford]

Almost all of the steeplechase jockeys here-and a good portion of the trainers, and about 10% of the jumpers- is an Anglo-Irish refugee. You’ll likely recognize many of the names on the leaderboard http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/wp- … ndings.pdf. There is a very strong contingent of amateur riders (Maryland Hunt Cup is amateur-only), but that is primarily focused on timber racing, a uniquely American sport.

As for the tracks, Aiken is one of the tightest steeplechase courses in the country. Most of them are just huge fields with some cones to mark the course and some rails to delineate the "stretch". Timber races are run over "good hunting country" on the manors and estates of the Mid-Atlantic, so they typically go along longer courses. In the summer we run our races at flat tracks like Philadelphia Park, Penn National (that’s a 7-furlong turf course, I believe), and Saratoga, so they can go three or four laps, but it’s only hurdles. A true hunt meet isn’t all that different than one in the UK, except for the type of liquor involved.

I love the new NSA site. A few must-watch races:
Middleburg Spring-race 3-Slip Away at his best
My Lady’s Manor-race 1-Bubble Economy’s first race of the year, and he’s amazing even in losing
Virginia Gold Cup-race 3-Bubble Economy comes back 3 weeks later, wins on heart alone
Iroquois-race 6-One week later, Bubble Economy proves he is still the champion

[conundrum]

Now there was a name that seemed familiar…Carl Rafter. Could it possibly be the same one from days gone by?
Thanks for the insight Miss W.

[bbobbell]

Try the Border flapping tracks. The Castleholm at Langholm is just on 5 furlongs round.

[graysonscolumn]

Now there was a name that seemed familiar…Carl Rafter. Could it possibly be the same one from days gone by?

Certainly is. Former Charlie Mann inmate whose career lost a degree of impetus by popping his collarbone twice during 2001 (once schooling, then on his second ride back). Glad to see he’s one of several from these shores to have found their niche in the US jumps sphere.

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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