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Now that we have all year round Flat & Jumping, the start of a season has been pretty much reduced to a point in time when we reset the numbers to Zero so it is no big deal anymore.
s –
From Rod Street – Racing For Change (first published here http://therfcblog.blog.co.uk/)
But none of this should be a cause for concern, because, as fans, we understand it and in some cases love the sport for its quirks.
And we should credit people with intelligence – if we give them reason to become further interested in our sport, they’ll start to work it out for themselves – that’s part of the fun.
Rod Street
Maybe the BHA should read Rod’s blog before they do something like simplifying the draw numbers for the benefit of (new) punters …
Or he could give them his phone number.
Just a thought.
More rubbish from Mr Street , I am astounded that he is given a platform on this site, but as the old saying goes , you can fool some of the people some of the time , but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time
Resign sir , the start the flat season is as always shambolic, this year is no different , and I for one do not wish to hear your spin
This is my opinion of course
Ricky
Or he could give them his phone number.
Just a thought.
If he’s right handed would he now have to give them his phone number in reverse order ?
AP
Or he could give them his phone number.
Just a thought.
If he’s right handed would he now have to give them his phone number in reverse order ?
AP
Of course! … unless he’s a jumper … and not a suit.
Now that we have all year round Flat & Jumping, the start of a season has been pretty much reduced to a point in time when we reset the numbers to Zero so it is no big deal anymore.
I’m quite content for the new season to start quietly.
Where’s the need for any fanfares?
Let it start the way it’s always done … and build to the Arc.
January and February are always dire.
Barring horses having final Cheltenham tune-ups the racing is hopeless.
Time to get the garden tidied, look at last year’s two year old form in some detail and try to figure out the TRF clock.
Sadly it’s the price we have to pay for having the worlds greatest meeting in march.when you think that the gold cup is worth 550,000 and the Denman chase just 40,000 you can’t blame connections for going streight to cheltenham
January and February are always dire.
You mean apart from the Musselburgh Cheltenham Trials Meeting, one of my favourite days of the season up here, and the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso which normally attracts a decent entry or two….
Musselburgh Trials meeting is liable to be better class than ever this year. The course opened with a decent meeting on New Year’s Day and Ayr’s meeting the following two days may well have yielded a decent performer or two, Tap Night in particular.
Ayr’s three February are normally reasonable quality, and then there’s the Eider Chase meeting at Newcastle in late February.
But, apart from that, what have the Romans ever done for us?
Rob
Wouldn’t say Jan and Feb are too bad, but you don’t get as many top horses running. This season might be different, trainer anxious to get a run in on better ground.
It’s all the fault of Henrietta Knight.
So "successful" was she with Best Mate by giving him a long break that trainers thought every horse is going to benifit. Yet it wasn’t just with Best Mate, Hen had a low average number of runs per season with all her horses.
When trainers started copying they too were "successful", so even more trainers followed. We always hear of horses who supposedly didn’t win at the Festival because of a "hard season/race" beforehand, not thinking it just might be the trainer/horse is not in as good form. Is it really born out by statistics? Aren’t there an equal amount who could’ve done with a run to bring their form on further? Especially novices where experience often counts. Haven’t checked, but I believe horses with a break before the RSA do poorly.
Sometimes second season chasers arrive at the Champion Chase/Ryanair/Gold Cup with the same number of runs as others have in just one season… Asking a a horse who’s basically a novice to beat established chasers. A few are capable of doing so, but not that many.
Horses improve WITH RACING just as much as with TIME. So a second season chaser is MORE likely to be good enough to win a big conditions race with a FULL campaign.
Trainers are winning fewer races with their best horses than they could, (imo) due to a fad.
It is usually not the "protecting a mark" that wins a Cheltenham handicap, it’s the "progression" shown. Progression that would’ve (in all probability) have equally come with another run. So instead of:
Wins race in December, gets upped 5 lbs, waits until Cheltenham and wins handicap…
It Wins a race in December, gets upped the 5 lbs, wins handicap in January, gets upped 6 lbs, and because of that extra experience is able to win again at Cheltenham off a higher mark.There’s also the possibility or even probability of those he beat in December doing well in the interim; resulting in the horse going up in the handicap while stood in his box!
Value Is EverythingGood to see you’re being as provocative as ever David
I’m not biting!!!
Happy New Year to you.
Yes, it’s a complete waste of time running the Victor Chandler Chase this year anyhow.
We already know the outcome two weeks in advance.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Wouldn’t say Jan and Feb are too bad, but you don’t get as many top horses running. This season might be different, trainer anxious to get a run in on better ground.
It’s all the fault of Henrietta Knight.
So "successful" was she with Best Mate by giving him a long break that trainers thought every horse is going to benifit. Yet it wasn’t just with Best Mate, Hen had a low average number of runs per season with all her horses.
When trainers started copying they too were "successful", so even more trainers followed. We always hear of horses who supposedly didn’t win at the Festival because of a "hard season/race" beforehand, not thinking it just might be the trainer/horse is not in as good form. Is it really born out by statistics? Aren’t there an equal amount who could’ve done with a run to bring their form on further? Especially novices where experience often counts. Haven’t checked, but I believe horses with a break before the RSA do poorly.
The trouble is if they ALL rest their horses where is the advantage?
I would normally agree with Corm – Jan and Feb are mind-numbingly dull to me yet a peak at last year’s Cheltenham winners tells a different story:
21 out of 27 winner’s ran either in Jan or Feb before the festival and of those a surprisingly high 16 out of 27 ran in Feb.
21 out of 27 winner’s ran at least 3 times prior to Cheltenham and 10 of those ran more than 4 times.
So those figures would suggest a) there is no real advantage in resting a horse from pre-Jan (unless your name is Quevega b) Ginge is correct (as usual) that horses improve with racing and c) perhaps Jan and Feb aren’t as dull as we think and maybe it is just us being a bit depressed at a long, cold, wet winter!!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
January and February are always dire…
…and try to figure out the TRF clock.
Isn’t it June anyway according to the TRF clock?
Mike
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