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Can’t be much less than one can it? it would be none.
I don’t understand your point here
The following is from interview re Ruby Walsh incident at Stratford tonight. I don’t follow this explanation re the reinstatement of the water jump there:
But clerk of the course Stephen Lambert told At The Races: “You have to set it against the background that we’d had a problem with the fences in the home straight which weren’t jumping properly and we had a lot of horses falling who shouldn’t have fallen.
“That is why we took the decision to put a water jump in. Some people don’t like water jumps, but we did take consultation on it.
“What has happened is bad for racing, it is bad for Stratford and it is bad for the owner. We clearly need to go away and think about this and think whether we need to move the water jump or whatever. But I must emphasise safety is the whole reason we redesigned the home straight.
….“But at the end of the day my job is to get as many horses and jockeys back in one piece. The water jump has helped us achieve that object. The question is, is it in the wrong position?
“I’ve just talked to Paul Nicholls and he thinks it is definitely in the wrong position. He is very upset about it.
“As clerk of the course I shall certainly learn from what has happened and I shall certainly go away and think how we might do it better.”
Amazing that because Ruby’s been disqualified and Paul Nicholls is annoyed and punters have lost some £’s that the CofC is going to look into it – pity Ludlow didn’t respond with looking into their water jump following the death of East Tycoon …
I wonder if what he was mostly driving at was that having a fence pretty much in the shadow of the posts, rather than 100 yards or so up the track as previously, was the only way that the Stratford executive could accommodate three fences in the straight at regular and far enough apart intervals for them not to be too trappy.
Remember that there wasn’t much of a gap between the two fences in the home straight before the run-in previously, and Mr Lambert is right that there had been some appalling falls at the former last fence prior to its removal.
However, that in and of itself doesn’t explain why they chose to put a water jump by the post rather than another plain fence that could be as easily cordoned off on the last circuit. Unless anyone else can think of a better reason, I think the reinstating of a water jump specifically was predicated on the belief it would create a greater visual spectacle.
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
So are some people saying that if jump racing had no fences but water-jumps, it would be safer ?
I don’t have figures to hand, but statistically, it’s true.
I’d bet the jocks would prefer it!
So, if we are to be governed by statistical fact, all those with genuine concerns about safety in NH racing should be calling for the replacement of all regulations with water-jumps, as these are safer, and the safety of the horse is paramount, etc, etc?
Those on the other side of the " debate": consistent, staunch supporters of the status quo in racing, like, yeats, johnjdonoghue, underscore, and n. watson , should be happy with such an arrangement too, as they have told us already how spectacular water-jump jumping is.
So, if we are to be governed by statistical fact, all those with genuine concerns about safety in NH racing should be calling for the replacement of all regulations with water-jumps, as these are safer, and the safety of the horse is paramount, etc, etc?
Those on the other side of the " debate": consistent, staunch supporters of the status quo in racing, like, yeats, johnjdonoghue, underscore, and n. watson , should be happy with such an arrangement too, as they have told us already how spectacular water-jump jumping is.
A variety of fences is the spice of life Sean, it is well known fact waters are safer that’s why the RSPCA spokesman is a supporter of them. What you should be doing if you’re based in Ireland is getting all your tracks to re-instate them.
The trouble here is that if you are a long time member it seems to give you the right to over rule everyboby elses opinion! there is know need to be sarcastic in replying to somebodys post when they are simply stating a fact. this response is to all who use this site!
Do water jumps have to be a certain width? Do they vary? The one at Cartmel looks very narrow …
I always walk the entire course at Cartmel and have a look at absolutely everything – partly just to take in the wonderment of it all, and partly because it’s one of few courses where you still can. A close inspection of the water yesterday, however, suggested that the plastic sheeting for the pit of water has been replaced but the pit itself remains little more than a metre wide at the very most.
I’d be amazed if it’s more than about 20cm deep, too. It’s certainly not got a tapered base, that’s for sure.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Huntingdon are building a new "water jump" which in reality is not a water jump.
The new jump is being built in consultation with Richard Lindley and the RSPCA.
The water is being replaced by blue astroturf and it will eliminate having a lip on the landing side.
Thanks for that info gc – so there is no "regulations" about water jumps – size/edge?? I thought at least lips were not to be – so even though Cartmel’s is not wide if a horse did land right at the edge an "East Tycoon" type injury could occur? A water "splash" would seem to be the safest …
Yes, an East Tycoon-type injury could occur, Ten Plus – it’s still a water jump with a pronounced enough lip. The fence is barely six metres long, so it wouldn’t constitute a huge feat of earthmoving to widen the water pit element by a small margin in order to incorporate a tapered exit from it.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
In reality the Water jump in athletics in far more dangerous as regards size,drop and water depth but they dont get calls to be outlawed.
The Water is an integral part of jump racing and should be in jumps for ever and ever.
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