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I’d rip up the AW at Lingfield. I quite like AW racing but it just seems utterly pointless being there. I’m not sure why I think that, it’s just an opinion.
Never been to Southwell but planning to this year. I think the thing with the standard of racing you get on the AW (and the not especially impressive sized crowds) is like watching Premier League football versus Non League football. It’s almost not the same sport but has a charm all of it’s own.
Like I said, never been to Southwell but I have been to Wolverhampton & the best thing I can say about the facilities is ‘functional’ but you can watch the horses all the way round without binoculars, get close to the winners enclosure (the temptation to pat Charlie Delta was MASSIVE) & have a perfectly enjoyable day/evening out.
Do they not have plows or snowblowers? Woodbine in Canada does just fine.
I’d imagine Woodbine is more used to having snow than Wolverhampton!
I don’t think it’s just the course actually. Access roads to it, are not the best. I certainly wouldn’t entrust my horsebox down them if it was icey.
I think the problem is, Wolverhampton is a glorified dog track. I doubt they have the funds to launch the kind of clean up operation that may be required.
Harsh? Perhaps. I actually like Wolves but I can’t imagine they’re swimming in resources.
What would be the qualification for entry and as the races would need to be on terrestial tv who is going to pay the broadcaster?
I hadn’t got as far as who would pay the broadcaster but I’m pretty certain Channel Five would go for it.
As for qualification, taking the idea of the six races being marketed as ‘Champions League’ it could go back to the beginning of the season. Start with horses that are maidens/novices & have a series of rounds through the season from then until the series proper.
On the subject of a ‘series’. How many races lead up to the Pertemps Final at the Festival?
I’ve had another idea:
A series of races (let’s say six races over two or three months), feature the same horses in each. Run them all at level weights for the first race then handicap them against each other (rather than their official rating) for the series & have a big trophy at the end.
Broadcast all the races on TV.One problem I’d imagine a casual viewer has, is they happen to see a horse run once, they might never see it again (or not know when it’s going to be running again). But if it was series of races, people could latch onto their favourite. I think enthusiasm over a period of time would work better than trying to raise enthusiasm in a one time event.
If not a ‘series’ for horses, then perhaps for jockeys. A ‘Jockey’s Champions League’ if you will.
Sorry if that sounds stupid, it sounds good in my head but I’m pretty tired at the mo.
PS: I know there’s the Jockeys Championship for flat/jumps but by ‘period of time’, I mean a period of time that doesn’t massively exceed the average attention span!
PPS: Also, how about the this: Racing For Change run a tv advert aimed at football fans. The tagline: ‘Racing For A Change?’ Get someone like Lineker to say it.
It’s funny that someone should mention Usain Bolt cos he’s the human example that the BHA use on their ‘Guide To Handicapping’
Just thinking of something else that might help raise the profile: a movie of some sort.
And as luck would have it, ‘Champions’ is released on DVD on January 18th.
I like it Gingertipster, I like it alot.
The only problem is, the TV advert could be very succesful but all it would mean is new racegoers trying to find a ‘Racecourse this way’ sign that isn’t there or getting blank faces when asking ‘which bus do I need?’
Thinking about it, Northern Rail sponsor one of the rugby tournaments & they have posters for it at all the stations. Some of the courses are very near railway stations, maybe Southern or First Great Western or someome could sposnor some races.
Whenever I see 15/8 for example I immediately translate it to 1.875/1
Bit of a boll…s for the tic tac man.
‘The genetically engineered tic tac man of the future, 6 arms each with 14 fingers!’
I don’t like decimal odds at all. Still, if they were to be introduced, I’m sure I’d manage. I don’t think it would kill the bookies if they showed prices in both.
Come to think of it, they could give out ‘conversion tables’ at the gate. I might be statistics obsessed but for me, I think it would add to the fun working it all out.
Some good ideas in there. I think where a big screen is available, they should always show the print of a photo finish when required.
One of my biggest issues though, is that alot of towns with racecourses seem ashamed that they are there.
Certainly, you could drive right past Wolverhampton or Haydock & easily miss that a racecourse is even there. Also with those two courses (and I’m sure others are in the same boat), signposting is abysmal, as is access by public transport. It’s no good getting people interested in racing if they don’t know how to or physically can’t get there!
Going back to one team/person ‘domination’ in other sports. I actually admire individuals who are consistently better than their peers and render their sport ‘uncompetitive’ whilst at the top of their game. Back in the ’80s I wanted Steve Davis to win everything; I had nothing but admiration for the insular, intensely driven Nick Faldo; it was such a shame Brigadier Gerard lost a race; I hope AP McCoy wins 25 successive jockeys’ championships; Don Bradman’s failure to retire with a Test average of 100 (99.94) was one of the great sporting tragedies of the 20th century
; Phil Taylor would sleepwalk through the second-raters at Lakeside this week (ain’t Darts great 
)I’d be happy to see AP McCoy win 25 jockeys’ championships on the bounce, if he’d occasionally win on horses that I’m backing!
I’ll admit that much, Britain does have a very big ‘build them up to knock them down’ mentality. I do love to see an outsider triumph though. Not just in racing either.
On balance I think it’s probably right that this march should be banned but I do worry about the whole idea of banning marches & protests.
The English Defence League have been banned.
The BNP have been banned.
What’s to stop the Government banning anti-war marches or events by other (legitimate) political parties in the name of ‘Public Order’?
Considering that he would have owed the gamblers £55,000 should Conduit have won & he did win, I’m assuming they’ll still be after him.
It seems to me he may have made the threats using his own phone & email in an attempt to get caught. I’d imagine the police now have a pretty close eye on him.
The whole thing reminds me of a Dick Francis novel.
BRILLIANT.
Roller skating breakdancing babies. Just brilliant.
Maybe the BHA should use the same ad agency to promote racing
Those Evian adverts scare me!
The Weetabix advert did a good job for the BHA didn’t it?
Why I didn’t back him again at 100/1 I’ll never know, but I was working that morning and just thought he wouldn’t even run. Felt as if I’d lost £20 and found a fiver.
I don’t bet in very large amounts (£1 e.w in this case) but I make it a rule to never say to myself or anyone else, ‘I wish I’d had more on that.’ Although for some reason he was only 66/1 with Totesport so that was a bit gutting.
Still, I also won my work sweepstake (which I ran). A typical conversation went thus:
‘How did you fix the sweepstake?’
‘I didn’t. The real question is how did I fix the National!’
As you can probably guess, I like telling my 2009 Grand National story! And the 2008 National was what got me seriously into racing in the first place. But that’s for another day.
All this talk of Mon Mome has got me thinking. When I looked at the form before the 2009 GN, I thought he looked pretty good (I think any horse that has got all the way round once, is already half way there) which begs the question:
Why did he go off at 100/1? (not that I’m complaining!)
I’m going to get slaughtered for this, but I think they should broadcast a few AW evening meetings. Or at least wait until the summer months for a few turf evening meetings. Show the racing at a time when people are free to watch.
If they really want to scrape the barrel, Channel Five could show US racing of an evening instead of that Quiz Call bobbins.
Why "should" they do that?
For the reasons I mentioned in the post (that most people probably have others things to do with their Saturday afternoons). I’d imagine there’d be more potential viewers around in the evenings.
doughino is right though, there’s little hope of C4 Racing getting a better time slot & certainly not prime time (although there is a gap in the schedule following Paul O Grady moving back to ITV). I often think they’d be better off showing racing on Sunday rather than Saturday too. I admit the cards would be of lower quality but that didn’t stop me suggetsing they should show AW racing did it?!
; Phil Taylor would sleepwalk through the second-raters at Lakeside this week (ain’t Darts great 
)