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If I’m not mistaken, every Worcester racecard comprises (a) steeplechases (b) a bumper and (c) hurdle races. In that order.
I’m curious to know whether Worcester is the only racecourse to feature a NH Flat race in the middle of a card and, furthermore, does anyone know why the race order at the Pitchcroft is so rigid.
Many thanks.
Maybe it’s just due to the portable fences and hurdles. Once you remove the heavier fences, you can run the bumper, install the smaller hurdles and just leave them there till the next morning without removing them again.
Yeah, that would be my guess too. Not sure if Southwell have ever done it, Lingfield doesn’t because they run their bumpers on the AW track.
The reason both Worcester and Southwell always run their chases first is because unlike other courses which have separate hurdle and chase courses they run all races on the same strip of grass to rest the remainder of the course for other meetings. If they were to mix their races it would mean constantly moving jumps in and out of place throughout the meeting.
As for Lingfield I always thought that bumpers were run with the hurdles out but the wings still in place to get horses used to running between the wings. In what way does running NH flat races on the polytrack teach young horses about NH racing?
As RubyLight says it seems to be done to save Labour on raceday. All the races are run on the same track, therefore the tences are removed after the Chases have concluded; the Bumper then run on the cleared track; then the hurdles put in place. If the Bumper were run last the hurdles would have to be removed i.e. on and then off on the same day rather than just on
Could also be a money-maximising initiative: slope off to the course bars during the Bumper intermission, rather than dash off to the car/train/ proper pub before the Bumper finale
Which begs the question why Southwell don’t do the same as they have long had three Chases, then three Hurdles, then – if one at all – a closing Bumper.
Don’t recall ever having watched one there: are they perchance run on a separate strip which doesn’t necessitate removal of the hurdles?Dear Drone, you only need 2 more post to reach no. 5000. Please be very selective with that one. You only get it once in a lifetime….
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