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due to the imense interest in the showdown between arkle and mill house in the 1964 gold cup the race was moved to a saturday so more people could watch it.
here in 2008 the clash between kauto star and denman is like nothing we have seen since.
should cheltenham have thought about moving the race back a day so those very strange people who like cheltenham but dont take time off work can watch it?A very good point and I have no idea why they run it earlier. The Aintree Festival makes it work by running the National on the Saturday.
Tell you what I can remeber a friend telling me they used to deliberatly casse trouble in the car factories in Coventry so they could go out on strike to watch the Gold Cup
I wonder how many people will be off sick this year on Gold Cup day
Has the winter derby always been there David? I am not a follower of the flat but I saw some reference to it this week
Not sure that there was an Aintree Festival about when the Grand National was first run on a Saturday, Fists, and I don’t think DJ was being entirely serious.
Colin
It cannot be run on a Saturday because us ladies are dragging our men around the shops…..please do not interfere with this cosy arrangement
… I am not a follower of the flat but I saw some reference to it this week
…Fury, this is not my sentiment, but I have a feeling many of your fellow members will be breathing a huge sigh of relief over this revelation
The bad news is UM I intend to become an expert
Good news is my objective is to sit,watch learn and wait. I certainly wont be betting very often and will spend most of my time studying and watching races.
In days of old the National used to be on a Friday but with a Saturday it is of course a huge event.
The Melbourne Cup is on a Tuesday and this is the biggest race in Australia and yet 100,000 people attend.
I think it wont be long before we get a Saturday Gold Cup with the Midlands National being moved to a Sunday or even being moved to Cheltenham if the festival god forbid gets moved to a 5 day event.
On the flat the International at York which is a premier 1m2f race is run on a Tuesday so will that be moved to a Saturday.
Having attended The Melbourne Cup (the race that stops a nation ) in 1989, and having witnessed the 100,000 crowd first hand, I know that it is treated like something akin to some great religious experience by the Aussies. They gather from all over the continent, New Zealand and beyond.
Can’t remember whether it’s a public holiday or not – but the many people I met back then were definitely not at work that particular Tuesday.
I think it’s a good shout for the forthcoming Gold Cup to be held on the saturday, but I just can’t see it happening.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
I think all big races should be on a sat/sun to promote the sport and encourage youngsters to go racing.
sadly its too late for my kids they have been subjected to too much racing [ my daughters first birthday party at newbury did’nt help, but all the adults enjoyed it].
going to a racecourse is a v.good day out for kids, plenty of fresh air and free entry and lots of rubbish grub to eat.
I know taking the kids is a distraction but if you cover costs with some shrewd bets, can be brill for the whole family, my 24 year old son will still grace us with his attendance if we go to ireland and pick up the whole tab.and it is chesper than footballRunandskip, I cannot believe that the Cheltenham Gold Cup has ever been run on a Saturday. Do you have any documentary evidence to back up your assertion? Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me, but I distinctly remember skiving off school so as not to miss that unforgettable race in 1964.
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Why not run every race above class 6 on a Saturday?
Does it matter that there are real racing enthusiasts that have an interest more than 1 day a week?
Let’s cram them all into one day, so that such as yesterday’s good card at Lingfield is treated as the 2nd rate attraction it never deserved.
Because it would clash with the Winter Derby.
Is that a serious point? lol.
No one cares about the Winter Derby.
Might be worth the festival going Wednesday – Saturday.
I agree the Gold Cup should be run on a Saturday.
Because it would clash with the Winter Derby.
Is that a serious point? lol.
No one cares about the Winter Derby.
Or, indeed, the summer one.
Because it would clash with the Winter Derby.
Is that a serious point? lol.
No one cares about the Winter Derby.
Or, indeed, the summer one.
Naughty.
Its the aurhorities trying to promote all weather but lets be totally honest how many people really like all weather in as much as its their number one choice? There aren’t many people generally are either flat (turf) or jumps – or both – all that tradition, all the history, the changes in going etc the all weather has its place but if we’re being brutally honest its never going to have prestige in the UK whatever the authorities do.
I take Reets point about the negativity of moving all grade 1 races to a Saturday, I think there is a place for them in the week but the prestigious races – you know the top "household name" races like the Derby, The National, Cheltenham Gold Cup these are races that can capture the wider publics imagination and hook new enthusiasts they need promoting as much as they can be.
To my mind the festival has 24 races in total so start on a Saturday at 12pm and with the aid of floodlights we could race the whole event in one day with a Gold Cup at about 7pm with complete take over all channels to see the greatest sporting event in the world take place
Too many races have been moved to a Saturday for my liking, sometimes clashing with other big races. Wouldn’t like to see the Gold Cup moved, think we should still stick to some traditions, used to like The Derby being on the first Wednesday in June when it was the centre of attention instead of clashing with other big sporting events on a Saturday.
I always found time to watch The Derby on a Wednesday, if you want to watch something enough you’ll find a way. Where is this much bigger audience that it’s worth switching to a Saturday for? Most people don’t give a monkeys about racing apart from the National.
I’m surprised there’s not more bigger races on a Sunday instead of the usual tripe we’re treated to.
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