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Is he wearing someone elses breeches? Just that in Germany, most jockeys have their names on their breeches, and those in the photo look like they say ‘R DALTON’ or something.
Darren – AngloGerman
If you want REALLY cheap racing, then yesterday, Dortmund let in people for FREE! Yes, I know what you’re thinking, but stay with me on this one.
Basically, we had 6 runners there yesterday, and as Christian couldn’t make it, he asked me to undertake my stable representative role that I do in the UK – last time at Newbury. Obviously I don’t pay to get in, but I’ve done a quick totting up of the prices from here in Leicester using public transport as I do:
NEWBURY:
Train from Leicester (return): £58.60
Admission: c. £25
Total price: £83.60DORTMUND:
Coach to Luton Airport (return): £22:00
Flight Luton-Dortmund (return incl taxes) £20:00
Admission: Free
Total price: £42:00Yes, it was a special offer flight and Dortmund is certainly no Newbury, but the German course is HALF PRICE!!!!! I have to say that half of Dortmund racecourse was closed, and facilities are what I would call limited, but even so, there are some racecourses in the UK with pretty poor facilities, and I’m not sure if they let people in for free!! Oh yes, and how many courses in England have a NINE race card??
If you do want your racing a bit more upmarket though, then Baden-Baden and Cologne are nice courses with reasonable admission prices, and most of the top course in France charge only 8 Euros (about £5.50) admission.
Darren – AngloGerman
Hi Crizzy,
Try this:
http://japanracing.jp/information/list2008.html
This should help hopefully.
Darren – AngloGerman
Actually, all the pigs were fine once the racecourse vet had administered some oinkment to them.
Darren – AngloGerman (Coat on, door open)
No, I couldn’t access the forum last night, and the chat is still down. Pity – I was going to waffle on senseless about Swordsman.
Darren – AngloGerman
I was at Newbury yesterday, but didn’t see the race as we were getting Swordsman ready. However, I was listening to the commentary over the tannoy, and I kept thinking ‘Levantine?? That’s about 200-1!!’. Than all of a sudden, Khyber Kim gets a mention and is suddently in the lead. I assumed that Levantine had run a massive race and had folded up in the closing stages, but when I went to the grandstand to watch the Challow Hurdle, I heard a couple of people say ‘Let’s hope the commentator doesn’t **** this one up’!!
I viedoed the racing, and have seen the 2.05 since. It wouldn’t have been so bad, but the colours of the caps are totally different!! Also, I thought Levantines colours were more like Helens Vision than Khyber Kims. Mind you, I do have sympathy with Mike Cattermole as I have commentated on some races back in Germany, and I don’t mind saying I once called the wrong horse. My excuse it was that it was Neuss, foggy, floodlights, all weather kickback etc – but I did apologise for calling the wrong horse!!
Darren – Anglo German
Over the past few years, O’Neill has trained some top German imports for JP – Olaso (won a Group 2 on the flat in Cologne), Champions Day (placed in Group company) and now Donaldson (won a Group 1 last year beating the great Schiaparelli, although he does now appear in another ownership). Through my red, yellow and black tinted spectacles, I expected each one of these to at least be placed in very decent company over hurdles. OK, Olaso ran well in a couple of decent handicaps but I expected more, Champions Day didn’t win a thing, and certainly Donaldson was really disappointing on his hurdles debut last month. Yes, you can argue the case that German bred horses aren’t always successful over hurdles, but Catch Me (now trianed by Eddie O’Grady) was only Listed class in Germany but was placed in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival this year.
I’m not sure what it is – is O’Neill just unlucky with his imports, or is there another reason for what I would call decent horses under-achieving.
Darren – Anglo German
Looking at tomorrows runners, I’ve noticed something that suggests maybe something isn’t quite right in the JP McManus camp….
A couple of months back, JP paid EUR 300,000 for Donaldson, a group winning horse on the flat in Germany. I’ve been waiting for him to run in the UK, and tomorrow, he finally makes his hurdling bow at Newbury. However, it appears that, rather mysteriously, the horse is now owned by an FS Williams. Is this normal practice, to buy a horse for quite a large sum of money, then sell it before it’s even had a race???
Darren – Anglo German
Maybe my memory is playing tricks, but I seem to remember Rapid Lad winning loads of times at Beverley, then having a race named after him, although he ran in a different race on that day at the track.
Darren – AngloGerman
Sorry, I’m letting my heart rule my head. He probably ran in this last century, he could get round here blindfolded, loves this race, seems to be a different horse when he runs in this – it’s got to be The French Furze!!
Darren – AngloGerman
Got to agree with Zammo here – Rock the Kasbah!!
As well as my German racing, I’m also a keen follower of the French racing scene, and Kasbah Bliss’ last two runs have been nothing short of sensational. In his last race at Auteuil, he won by about 10 lengths, leaving the great Mid Dancer trailing in his wake. One horse well beaten in this race was Noble Kaid, who earlier this afternoon won the Enghien Champion Hurdle. Before that, Kasbah Bliss comfortably beat Zaiyad, regarded by many as the best staying hurdler in France at the moment.
It is interesting to note that his form appears to have improved greatly from a few months ago. Doumen says it’s because the horse is getting older and stronger, however I think a big part of this is down to Christophe Pieux, who has ridden Kasbah Bliss is his last two races. Yes, the distance is a question mark, but look at the facts:
April 2007 – Kasbah Bliss, ridden by Arnaud Duchene, beaten comfortably by Mid Dancer (despite getting 2kg)
October 2007 – Same course, going, distance and weight difference (Kasbah Bliss gets 2kg), and Kasbah Bliss, with Pieux in the saddle wins in a canter, with Mid Dancer around 16 lengths back.
Did Mid Dancer have an off day? Yes, I know he lost a shoe during the race and made a couple of mistakes, but I think Kasbah Bliss is a different horse to what he was a few months ago.
Darren – AngloGerman
Nice pics Jeremy, and the last one is of a ‘Seejadgrennen’ I didn’t mention – this is Quackenbruck, not too far from Osnabruck. Unfortnately (I don’t know why they do this) their ‘Seejadgrennen’ is usually held on the first Sunday in September – the same day as the Grosser Preis von Baden!! Pity really – this race gets basically no coverage in the German media despite prize money of EUR 10,000 – might not sound much by our standards, but this in a country where the most valuable steeple chase is worth EUR 20,000, so not too bad really.
Darren – AngloGerman
GC – If it’s jumps action you want, I’m not sure Germany is the place!! However, if you want something a bit different, make your way to Hamburg or Bad Harzburg in the summer. Not too near Hessen I grant you, but they are home to the incredible ‘Seejagdrennen’ – a steeplechase with a difference!! You can check them out on YouTube:
Bad Harzburg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAs-nWaeHio
Hamburg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqIrzVke … re=related
As mentioned before, Baden-Baden has a wonderful steeplechase course with a bank through the trees, but I can’t find any videos of it.
Darren – AngloGerman
Tony – Have you recieved a phone call or e-mail in the last hour about Dieter Fechner? It appears he’s closing his stable – this from a journalist in Baden-Baden.
Despite 11-12, it could be that Denman is still pretty much thrown in – he thrashed Mr Pointment by a country mile two races ago, and the latter looked pretty decent in the Becher on Sunday. Two horses that I think could be intersting are Sir Rembrandt, who I’ve never rated at all, but looked really good at Cheltenham on his first fun for Victor Dartnall, and Hard Act To Follow – the form looks a bit on the Lord Transcend side, but he’s only got 10-3, and could be interesting.
Overall, I reckon this could be an absolutely cracking race – really looking forward to Saturday!!
Darren – AngloGerman
GC – If this helps, I’ve got the dates of next years meetings:
Spring Meeting:
Saturday 17th May
Sunday 18th May
Wednesday 21st May
Thursday 22nd May
Saturday 24th May
Sunday 25th May‘Great Week’:
Saturday 30th August
Sunday 31st August
Tuesday 2nd September
Wednesday 3rd September
Friday 5th September
Sunday 7th SeptemberSales & Marketing Festival:
Friday 17th October
Saturday 18th October
Sunday 19th OctoberMost if not all race days hold a group race on the Flat, and you’ll also see one national hunt race. This can either be a hurdle race, a steeplechase (if under 4400 metres), or (if over 4400 metres) a steeplechase with the bank through the trees – a wonderful spectacle.
Most race days begin at around 2:00 pm (can be slightly earlier for the Sales & Marketing Festival), and you usually get 8 flat races and 1 national hunt.There’s a wonderful atmosphere – I call it Germanys answer to Royal Ascot, and you can get crowds of up to around 25,000 for the Grosser Preis von Baden (7th September next year).
Hope this helps – if you need any more info, let me know.
Darren – AngloGerman
