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Carlisle – all the atmosphere of Pluto.
You mean nitrogen-based with a smattering of methane and CO2?
Blimey.
Mike
Quote: from insomniac on 3:28 pm on Dec. 18, 2006[br]
Carlisle – all the atmosphere of Pluto.
Colder than Pluto but warmer than Catterick
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Quote: from stevedvg on 1:20 pm on Dec. 18, 2006[br]Talking of courses, when will Great Leighs open?
It’s 18th December and my 2006 (yes, 2006) Wm Hill diary has it marked on their map. However, no racing.
What’s going on?<br>Eh?
Steve<br>
Steve<br> You should chuckle!:) <br>Yesterday I looked on the Sporting Life site for this Saturday’s fixtures. This is how it reads:
23rd  Doncaster Fontwell Great Leighs (AW) Hereford Newbury (AW) :biggrin: :o ÂÂÂ
I love the bit on the BHB website re Great Leighs regarding what to wear – "to be confirmed" – so any potential balaclava-wearing-warned-off punters still live in hope of getting an on-course bet accepted
Quote: from Drone on 4:15 pm on Dec. 18, 2006[br]
Quote: from insomniac on 3:28 pm on Dec. 18, 2006[br]
Carlisle – all the atmosphere of Pluto.
Colder than Pluto but warmer than Catterick<br>
Minus 370F? And Catterick goes lower than that? Cor!<br>I guess that the atmosphere at Carlisle and Catterick is far too cold to be of a gaseous nature than?<br>Would you recommend to wear a Berghous when visiting Carlisle and, especially, Catterick?
I have heard rumour that speculates on windchill at Newmarket Heath, in Nov, having plunged as low as 30kelvin.
:giggle:
Yes! Has any part of the country as many courses relative to population as North Yorkshire?
I thought that N Yorkshire has 2 racecourses (catterick and Ripon).
And they’re about 20 miles apart and one of them has no winter racing.
But i could be misinformed.
Steve
Thirsk
York
Redcar (just over the border)
Wetherby not too far and neither is sedgefield
Ive visited them all from a base there and with the open roads would suggest that only perhaps SW london has so many courses within easy drive of each other
<br>
To me they should make all flat tracks get Ascot type drainage or else they should polytrack them. They should run the derby on a proper racecourse and keep bandit racing confined to Goodwood. I don’t like Southwell but others do so let it stay. Finally bin all the muddy field crap in the summer and stipulate that it can only be run on good/soft or softer in the winter.
Quote: from Racing Daily on 5:29 pm on Dec. 18, 2006[br]
<br>Would you recommend to wear a Berghous when visiting Carlisle and, especially, Catterick?
A ‘Berghous’ would see you evicted on the grounds of gross sartorial indecency.
Flat cap, Harris tweed jacket, burgundy moleskin trews, hand-knitted socks and dealer boots are more than adequate to ward off the sub-plutonian. Fingerless mitts an optional though advisable extra for soft southern jessies.
N Yorkshire:<br>York<br>Thirsk<br>Ripon<br>Catterick<br>Redcar
W Yorkshire:<br>Wetherby<br>Pontefract
S Yorkshire:<br>Doncaster
E Yorkshire:<br>Beverley
Co. Durham:<br>Sedgefield
Redcar was once in ‘Cleveland’ but this pseudo-county was abolished some years ago and the town has now reverted to Yorkshire.
Flat : Chepstow (apologies to local racegoers!). Its jumping output is far better than its flat racing, which is pretty insignificant in comparison; too many straight course races and too few round course races.
Jumps: Stratford. How NOT to design a new grandstand; Worcester is often maligned but at least you get a decent view and adequate protection from the elements.
AW: Southwell, if you pressed me, though I like the comfy sofas!
I would get rid of Sandown from the flat calendar. It’s a great track for jump racing but for some reason the flat races just don’t "look" right there. Always seems to be a lot of bunching in the straight on the flat track and the sprint track is awful. For the stature of the race the Eclipse and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes always seem to be slightly soulless affairs (on TV anyway), compared to the Prince of Wales, King George, International and Champion stakes. I cant think of more than a couple of flat races that will live long in the memory from Sandown but an incredible number of jumps races from the same venue. Can’t say why exactly but it’s just a place suited to jumps racing bit like Chepstow (the difference is there are no big flat races wasted on Chepstow).
Of the jumps tracks I would be delighted to say farewell to Towcester – that uphill climb doesn’t show racehorses in their best light. It’s like watching the Olympic 1500m champion who looks awesome on a track and then looks a mere mortal when splashing and slopping their way round a cross country track, doesnt seem right to me.
Not particularly bothered re the AW track.
Quote: from Scottish Jamie on 8:54 pm on Dec. 18, 2006[br]<br>Of the jumps tracks I would be delighted to say farewell to Towcester – that uphill climb doesn’t show racehorses in their best light. <br>
<br>????
Stamina-laden old steeplechasers look pretty darn good around there. Can’t have many bad words said against one of the last preserves of the hard-as-nails old grinders, me.
gc
(Edited by graysonscolumn at 9:12 pm on Dec. 18, 2006)
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Flat cap, Harris tweed jacket, burgundy moleskin trews, hand-knitted socks and dealer boots are more than adequate to ward off the sub-plutonian. Fingerless mitts an optional though advisable extra for soft southern jessies. <br>
Ah Last of the Summer Wine… still going strong
I knew you’d be on my case about that one GC but each to their own. I take your point that there may be a place for it but seeing horses walking home (while occasionally uplifting to see such guts and courage) is just not for me and thats what I associate with Towcester. I wince at the combination of Towcester and heavy ground.
Bloody hell Scottish Jamie :o
Thats a somewhat controversial view re Flat racing at Sandown
Can just about see the point about the actual racing itself but an evening fixture there when its warm and the suns setting is one of the better racing experiences (despite being a bit mobbed with drunk city types)
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