Watering at Cheltenham

[Gerald]

I am gutted.

I have totally wasted my money having a bet on Blue Bajan.

They are going to start watering next Sunday, if there is no sign of rain, and aim to start the meeting on the easy side of Good.

I suppose it is the price I have to pay in terms of a "learning curve", having concentrated on the Flat for the last decade or so.

[Grasshopper]

I suppose it is the price I have to pay in terms of a "learning curve", having concentrated on the Flat for the last decade or so.

No, Gerald…………………for that, you will be required to eat nought but hot coals for all eternity, whilst being rodgered up the ronson 24-hours a day by the members of an endless stream of failed ’90’s ‘Boy Bands’. Such is the price of Flatulent tendencies.

Personally, I consider it fair and equitable punishment.

[The Ante-Post King]

I am gutted.

I have totally wasted my money having a bet on Blue Bajan.

They are going to start watering next Sunday, if there is no sign of rain, and aim to start the meeting on the easy side of Good.

I suppose it is the price I have to pay in terms of a "learning curve", having concentrated on the Flat for the last decade or so.

Gerald, you have totally wasted your money anyway, your Flat horse Blue
Bajan just aint good enough for such a race! he could easily win on the flat
again though so stick with him and recoup your losses!

[Gerald]

No, he’ll win over the jumps in the next couple of months – just not at Cheltenham. (Not sure he likes an undulating course.)

I am very good at backing horses in the wrong races. There were four horses I had quite a bit on for the GN, who weren’t even entered. Church Island and Merigo both won this week. Operation Houdini I think came second on Monday but I still hold out hope for my 170 in the NH Chase. That leaves Ponmeoath, once he returns to Chases (Irish National?)

[NeroWolfe]

Unfortunately there seems little prospect of any Cheltenham races being won by a horse preferring fast ground ever again. Their dream scenario seems to involve starting the week at Good to Soft and perhaps, if it can’t be avoided, finishing the week with Good going.

Anyone in a position to buy a horse to be aimed at the Champion Hurdle, for example, must surely steer clear of fast ground performers.

I think this approach is a shame – why can’t fast ground horses have their day in the sun when conditions suit them?

It seems unfair to apply the power we have to soften the going from Good to Firm or even Good when we don’t have the corresponding power to "firm up" Heavy or Soft ground.

[Goldikova]

Do they water it for the good of the track, or for there to be more in contention to win, thus making sure the punters back less favs ?

[stilvi]

I have trouble with the idea that they unable to start the Festival on good ground and then if needed water to maintain. Those who argue for watering seemingly do so on the basis of safety. I think their argument is that softening the ground is the only way to check speed and reduce potential fatalities. It seems strange to me that it is accepted that genuine good is considered to be too dangerous.

[Anonymous]

I wonder how many Gold Cups Best Mate would have won under Cheltenham’s current watering policy, or if Rooster Booster would have ever won a Champion Hurdle?
If good ground is unsafe for the festival, then it is unsafe all season round, otherwise no course should be allowed to deliberately alter the ground down to the debacle of the mud bath we had in last year’s Gold Cup, which owed much more to liberal use of the hosepipe than it did to the weather.

[Ian]

I despise this current watering trend. FFS please leave it alone, it is ruining the sport and is a total predjudice against sound surface horses.

I was dreading reading this "soft side of good" nonsense and yet again it emerges to take something away from the festival before its even begun.

Thanks Cheltenham!!

[graysonscolumn]

I have trouble with the idea that they unable to start the Festival on good ground and then if needed water to maintain.

I trust someone on here can give chapter and verse on the matter, but I don’t think it’s actually been practice to water during the course of a Festival meeting for a while now, has it?

I suppose that might explain watering to attain something closer to good to soft than good on day one, on the pretext that any drying-out over the following three days (if the overall forecast is indeed dry) would still not be able to render the going any faster than good.

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.

[graysonscolumn]

I suppose it is the price I have to pay in terms of a "learning curve", having concentrated on the Flat for the last decade or so.

No, Gerald…………………for that, you will be required to eat nought but hot coals for all eternity, whilst being rodgered up the ronson 24-hours a day by the members of an endless stream of failed ’90’s ‘Boy Bands’. Such is the price of Flatulent tendencies.

Personally, I consider it fair and equitable punishment.

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.

[Bulwark]

I am gutted.

I have totally wasted my money having a bet on Blue Bajan…

I would be 100% convinced that Blue Bajan is a good ground horse per se. I think that there is a fair chance that he is a fast pace horse, who happens to handle good ground, on good ground horses tendto travel faster and this is probably why his better efforts tend to be on good ground, however he didnt run badly at all to finish sixth in last years supreme novice where (from the racing post-

BLUE BAJAN – Hit 1st, held up in rear, headway after 3 out, kept on approaching last and stayed on run-in but no chance with leaders.

Now bear in mind that the race should either be set up by or for celestial halo, meaning it should be a far faster pace than last years supreme novice (as last years triumph was). The main worry is that they may slightly overwater it as they done last year, but if I was on Blue Bajan I wouldnt be throwing my slip away just yet. If I was on binocular for a clean fortune though I would be very worried.

Was initially a bit worried about Followtheplan in the arkle as he should generally prefer the better side of good-soft, but the accordion had first and third in R+SA last year aswell as An Accordion winning the william hill trophy. On slightly worse ground than he had at christmas he may just have everything to suit if they water the track.

[Gingertipster]

It will be officially good-soft at Cheltenham on the first day, that is a certainty. But that does not mean it will be truly good-soft. It might be genuinely good or it might be genuinely soft. For years I have made my going assessment on the times of the first two races. When MWDS won the Arkle, judging by times it was "good going". Nothing like the official. So don’t give up yet Gerald. I don’t see good-soft going being against Blue Bajan anyway, but do wonder if he’s best on a sharp flat track.

As to is it right to water for good-soft, I’d say yes. But whether it is right to water so soon I’d say not.

I believe the theory is when watering takes place on ground already raced on, it gets in the ground easier. Therefore the parts with unraced ground can be faster. I can understand them wanting it good-soft the first day so that they do not need to water again, for no worse than good by friday.

We can not risk it being on the firm side. If they water to produce good going it could be genuinely good-firm on the day. They can’t be that accurate. A firm surface would mean wholesale non-runners and a much bigger risk of injury and death. The firmer the going the harder the surface, the faster they go, the more likely a fall ends up with injury or fatality. Cheltenham has the most competitive racing all year round, more horses in each race too. So, all the jockeys have to go for everything. If it is on the firm side it will inevitabley result in more deaths than would occur on an ordinary Perth afternoon on good-firm.

It is unfortunate sound surface horses may not get the ground they like, but I just think the risk would be too great for horse and jockey.

I do, however believe to start watering so soon could result in too soft ground.

Mark

Value Is Everything

[placemat2]

the going at Cheltenham has been a joke for some time.they will water it but even if they do you may get quick ground.Over the past few years the going has been anything from firm to soft but they always claim its good.I don’t know if you remember before xmas cheltenham was water logged.I cant ever remember that happening.my guess is that they over watered then a large rainfall caused the flooding.all you can do is time the first race.

[Gingertipster]

the going at Cheltenham has been a joke for some time.they will water it but even if they do you mat get quick ground.Over the past few years the going has been anything from firm to soft but they always claim its good.I dont know if you remember before xmas cheltenham was water logged.I cant ever remember that happening.my guess is that they over watered then a large rainfall caused the flooding.all you can do is time the first race.

Welcome Placemat.

It was water-logged before Christmas because they had so much rain. It has been so wet this season. Can’t see there is any evidence of them over watering.

With the so called "improvements" in their drainage system, it does come back to good ground far quicker these days.

You are right about how to judge the going, timing the races is key, I’d do more than one race as the first can be slowly run. As happened when Sauselito Bay won.

Mark

Value Is Everything

[placemat2]

hi,
yes there was loads of rain but normally the course can handle rain.I was wondering if the new watering policy tipped the scales.

[Anonymous]

Ginger

If you’d care to check, the RP has the time-based ground as

soft

for the Supreme Novices on the first day;

heavy

for the remaining hurdles, and

soft

for all the chases; all of which owed more to injudicious watering than it did to the weather.

[Author]

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