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.
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There was an article in
The Times
today (can’t give link as it’s a pay site), bemoaning the size of the crowd at Newmarket compared to the crowd at York for a much inferior card. What the author didn’t point out as to why the crowd at HQ was poor is ‘cos Newmarket is, for most people , in the middle of ******** nowhere, and at the fag end of a cr@ppy journey on the dire A14 .
Only the dedicated who aren’t local can be bothered to go there. It’s rather like arranging to play the Brazil World Cup final half way up the Andes or the Breeders Cup in the middle of the Nevada desert.
If you want the racing public to see the sports’ crown jewels, move it somewhere away from the armpit of East Anglia. Better still, like the Yanks with the Breeders Cup, move it around venues so all 4 corners (and the middle
) get a chance to see it.
Yes, yes, I know there is "tradition" to think of and Newmarket is the sports’ HQ, but it already has plenty of top classs races throughout the season.Not to mention the poor viewing when you get there – half of the big handicap unviewable from the stands and the rest of the races watched head-on, apart from (depending where you are located) the final half furlong or so.
I agree with moving some the big meetings around. Much as I love Ascot I have argued from day one that Champions Day should be shared geographically, alternating between southern and northern venues.
It’s rather like arranging to play the Brazil World Cup final half way up the Andes
Or in Qatar?
Mike
RUK seemed to dedicate a large proportion of last night’s programme to Mellish moaning about this fixture. It would have been nice to have seen a little balance but it seems par for the course that RUK’s pundits witter on unchecked.
If you entered the discussion blind you might have been forgiven for thinking every race was confined to 2yo’s but it was actually 4/7 or 57%. This was a one-off card and that figures pales into insignificance compared to Saturday cards which for a considerable time have featured around 70-80% handicaps. Massively detrimental to punters this trend has seemingly received no reaction whatsoever – in fact the media are quite happy to encourage punters to ‘waste’ their money.
Personally, I couldn’t give two hoots if any pundit’s freebies don’t come up to scratch but if Mellish really was so horrified at the prospect of a succession of 2yo races then perhaps he should have stayed at home.
On a separate note in today’s Post I noticed David Redver’s quoting Down as three-time racing journalist of year. When you think about that it is hardly the equivalent of Sea Bird beating off Mill Reef and Nijinsky is it? Let’s face it even Mottershead won it a couple of years ago. Similarly Nick Luck appears to have won broadcaster of year for the last 56 years. There is just not enough fresh blood coming through to provide any competition.
It’s a pity the industry is so money mad. Scandalous that trainers and their staff should have to work Sunday and now, Good Friday.
No wonder there’s more actual slavery in the world now than ever before. Too many of the very rich don’t know the meaning of the term, ‘ample sufficiency’, not that they would be into slavery today, other than imposing wage-slavery.
) get a chance to see it.
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