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Surely the meeting should be abandoned?
Racing cannot take place on FIRM ground under any circumstances?
Oh wait…
Surely the meeting should be abandoned?
Racing cannot take place on FIRM ground under any circumstances?
Rule 241(b)(i) – The clerk of the course shall NEVER NEVER NEVER have the word FIRM in the going description for racedays which are televised on terrestrial TV. Otherwise we’re not bothered!
"I’ve walked it and in the circumstances the ground isn’t too bad, it’s firm, good to firm in places but not lightening quick and the last furlong is very nearly good."
That’s a quote from the course inspector. We all know in normal circumstances that would have been watered to Good, Good To Firm in places, despite it clearly being acceptable for today.
Thanks tbracing. Just got back. Several people told me that the watering system in the straight had malfunctioned, otherwise, as has been said, they would have used it.
"I’ve walked it and in the circumstances the ground isn’t too bad, it’s firm, good to firm in places but not lightening quick and the last furlong is very nearly good."
That might confirm (if not explain) Askar Tau’s run, Jose, in the Further Flight. A confirmed "road" animal (one of only two in the line up), he was cantering all over the other horses until he hit the final furlong. Then he started to struggle. The Betchworth Kid, conversely, cannot have enough dig and was never travelling better than in the same, softer, final furlong.
What was the grass cover like at Colwick Max?
York’s is looking a bit sparse and patchy, not surprisingly after the brutal chill of December and very dry March. They’ve been busy scarifying, aerating, fertilizing and blowing the air-locks out of the watering system
Those of you planning to attend the Dante Meeting will be presented with lush new lawns to tread in the enclosures: the whole lot is currently being re-turfed
Dunno why anyone is getting their knickers in a twist about firm ground in April on the Flat tracks. Superficially firm maybe, but the water table is high and it will likely be much more forgiving than high-summer Firm.
For goodness sake, let those that enjoy top-of-the-ground reap an unusually early harvest of hay while the sun shines
It was fine, Drone. Plenty of top cover, an effervescent green and plenty of resonance. Nothing for a trainer to worry about.
The great Barrington Hills was here today and if he wasn’t happy (a la Johnny G at Town Moor on Saturday), he would have pulled his good looking three year old from the Conditions sprint. Not a trainer to put his horses through an ordeal, as you know.
While I could possibly understand the nonners in the nightcap (young, unexposed horses, low prize money), the number of non-runners in Mr Chocolate Drop’s Class Zero race was mystifying.
Congrats to the groundstaff then. The powers-that-be may be concentrating on transmogrifying Colwick Park into Gin Lane but thankfully that-which-matters-most hasn’t been neglected
"Resonance" being the key word: a deep, thick sward with resilient roots networked deeply and securely throughout the topsoil will mask dubious going estimates obtained by prodding the soil itself.
Surely ‘firm’ going under a lush cover is the
beau-ideal
of surfaces on which to race wanna-be-fast Flat thoroughbreds?
Wouldn’t be at all surprised if there were some decent timefigures returned at Nottingham yesterday commensurate with, or better than, form rating.
Given BW Hills love of Doncaster in general and the Lincoln bash in particular, did he have anything to say about the ground there last week? He had five runners, any pulled out?
Interesting to see what Newmarket provides next week, given that the Craven meet is often run on turf yet to fully recover from winter. Doncaster and Newmarket: light soils after a trying winter in a dry early Spring = difficult
HEREFORD
Going
Good, Good to Soft in places (watered)
Dry overnight
6-8mm of irrigation applied in total Tuesday – Wednesday.
(GoingStick: Chase 7.0 Hurdle 7.3 on Thursday at 06:45)We haven’t had rain here for a few days in fairness so I can see why they have decided to put some water on top, but have produced good , good to soft ground in doing so. Surely this time of year it is reasonable to expect good ground minimum in such circumstances, summer jumping should be interesting for all those good/good to firm runners.
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