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Kicking King has been a top class horse winning the 2005 Gold Cup and two King Georges. He’s never recovered from the injury he sustained and it’s good to see connections making the right decision to retire him from racing.
yes,absolutely!there were so many moments to savour.a horse like this is one in a million.goodbye kicky,and thank you for all.
andy
Glad to hear they have decded to finish with him. Tom Taaffe and his team ar knowledgable and kind horsemen and no doubt he will have the gentle retirement he justly deserves. He is in the hands of good people.
Bob just beat me to it when i was going to mention the Members Race at Flagg on Easter Tuesday where you really do go across country to the actual track.
Would love to go their, Transport wise you can get a train to Buxton from Manchester and Stockport aswell as a Bus Service from Nottingham and Derby.
But unsure about getting to the track itself from Buxton, but as it is about 5-6 miles then perhaps a taxi could do the rest.
Incidentally John Beasley who produces the Big Green Annual has some excellent photos on his website which can be accessed via the Jumping for Fun site "find a photographer" link.
Do other x country courses have so much trouble in directing runners?
Unfortunately so. This year, I have seen no less that SEVEN incidents where runners have gone the wrong way on cross country courses, probably the most famous one being the incident in the Velka Pardubicka last month, where three jockeys (including Keith Mercer on Ivoire de Beaulieu) went the wrong side of a marker post. Also last month, in a Fegentri chase at Baden-Baden (not strictly cross country, but a very confusing and twisty circiut), one of Christians horses, Imminent Victory, was leading turning into the home straight, but confused by the course layout, the French jockey went the wrong way, and three others followed him. It’s not just chases though – anyone who has seen the Merano Champion Hurdle earlier this year would have seen poor Phil Carberry on Ginko Biloba accidentally go round the chose course, mainly because the Merano course is probably the most confusing in the whole of Europe, as there are no rails apart from the bends and home straight.
OK, so Cheltenhams cross country course has had a few incidents in the last few years with horses going the wrong way, but having seen these incidents happen at courses like Pau, Le Lion d’Angers, Merano, Treviso and Grosseto, it’s a pitfall of cross country races in general.
Darren – AngloGerman
________________________________________‘The Hungarian’s going hell for leather’ – Jim McGrath
Having just received the excellent Big Green Annual for the year which gives such a wonderful pictorial record of the point to point season, I wonder what you would all make of the members race at Flagg Moor on Easter Tuesday. Not only over stone walls (see page 89 if you buy it) but starts in Flagg village and then it is take your own line apparently to the track. Now take your own line would be fun at Cheltenham.
Incidentally Flagg oor is one of the tracks I do want to visit one day, how about a Southerners TTRF bus trip.
It just underlines the dangers for the participants, both equine and human, in our sport.
Something the small number of morons who cheered the falls of Gold Heart and Knockavilla at Wetherby would do well to bear in mind.
There’s a significant minority of that type of rubbish attending quite a few courses these days-particularly those courses such as Haydock which are close to urban sprawls.
It sickens me to listen to them and is partly responsible for my vastly reduced racecourse visits. I prefer to attend "country" meetings where most of the visitors see racing as more than just a way to get bladdered and have a live-action bet.Hope Ruby is OK soon.
I’m of the same mind. You occasionally fnd that kind of idiot at the Bank Holiday point to points as well, stoned out what is left of their silly little minds they have no place on a racecourse if they cheer when a horse falls, but in this day and age, if you say anything to them you cound end up taking a punch or worse. If you are going to get bladdered then please stay away and don’t spoil the pleasure of others.
I’m with you on that one Neil and I am another of these sad people who like the cross country races.
Makes three of us! I’ll be somewhere on the infield for this contest tomorrow, as sure as my botty points downwards. I’ll probably plump for somewhere near to the new "cheese wedges" obstacle, to see how they all cope with it.
Have always wondered how some of the top class eventers would have got on. Having seen Tamarillo romp round Burghley in the mud this year might not be without a chance in my opinion.
As part of the Auntie Beeb’s Grand National coverage one year over 20 years ago, the Aintree executive let a few eventing riders and horses have a hack round one circuit of the Grand National course. Sadly, however, Rodney Powell’s stalwart Pommeroy had a fatal heart attack after completing, and the exercise was not repeated.
Point to pointing starts a fortnight on Sunday as well, bring it on.
Ho yus! I’ve done Cottenham often enough in the last two years, so I’m already making plans to go to Black Forest Lodge on the 30th instead. Just the nine-hour round trip from Hertfordshire, but hey. 8)
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Jeremy I plan to be at Kingston Blount sometime during the season if for no other reason to see the lovely Red Kites flyining overhead and also have found a bus from Cambridge to Horseheath so might start of there on Jan 31st I am the little fat bloke with the grey raincoat glassess and a moustache if you are there. apart from that Charing, Northaw, Detling and Parham and possibly Godstone and Penshurst, here I come.
Phenomenal is right.
It seems a very long time ago now that Stan Mellor’s 1,000 was considered the pinnacle.If he were in anyother sport he would be on the front pages of the sports sections every day for his achievements. The best there has ever been over jumps by a long way.
Another shambles today. Does anyone actually have any interest in this nonsense?
hi smithy!yes,i definitely have,and theres quite a simple reason:pure excitement!and that is,IMO,what jumps racing is all about.
andy :D
Judging by the crowd that went out onto the course loads of others love them too Andy . For goodness lighten up you lot. It is nice to have something a bit different at times and the race was a fine spectacle with a great finish including a dead heat for fifth. 9 in with a chance coming to the second last, are we quaranteed to see that in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Stop knocking them and enjoy them for what they are, an exciting spectacle which takes us back to the very beginnings of steeplechasing. I’d rather have them than any number of Class 6 nonentities on that dreadful all weather.
Not looked at the decs yet but here we go, 7 months or so of the best racing in the world.
National Hunt racing, nothing else comes close.
I’m with you on that one Neil and I am another of these sad people who like the cross country races. Got the day off work to watch it on the telly otherwise might just have waited until Saturday.
Have always wondered how some of the top class eventers would have got on. Having seen Tamarillo romp round Burghley in the mud this year might not be without a chance in my opinion.
Point to pointing starts a fortnight on Sunday as well, bring it on.
No surprise there.
To be honest if they cannot be bothered to support "lesser" meetings I don’t see why they should be allowed to "cherry pick" the big ones
My feelings exactly, Paul. Now that they don’t have a dedicated Sports programme since the demise of Grandstand then lots of sports not just racing have been marginalised.
If I was the management at Chepstow I would tell them that this is their last Welsh National and Haydock has had little joy from them this year at all.
Most of their coverage is on BBC2 in any case including The King George at Ascot and the way they split the midweek racing at the big meetings between BBC1 and 2 is not done to any other sport. Makes it difficult to record. Total disgrace.
Barry Brogan was one of my boyhood heroes. What about Terry Biddlecombe, Josh Gifford and Bob Davies. Agree that Graham Thorner was very good. He appeared on a recent Antiques Roadshow from Ascot nice to see him looking fit and well.
Agree about Graham McCourt too a much underrated jockey and must not forget that toughest and nicest of men Adrian Maguire.
I.m surprised nobody has given Huntingdon a mention yet (it is now). Well run, friendly course unpretentious, easy to get to by road and rail (bit of a walk to and from the station, though I understand there is a bus service for its bigger meetings now) and the distinct advantage of the Grange at nearby Brampton which I can heartily recommend for pre racing lunch.
Towcester is good too with free admission for most meetings and the stiffest finish in the country.
If you want to give point to points a try there are stacks of good venues. Charing in Kent, Dingley near Market Harborough and Dalston near Carlisle are excellent meetings that I have been to over the years and are worth a visit.
There is a rumour that a Grand National winner in the murky past sneakily missed out an entire circuit in very misty conditions, although I can’t for the life of me recall when that was.
That was Caughoo, who went in – by fair means or foul, depending on what sources you read – at a whopping price in 1947.
gc
100-1 was the price. I have a book by Bill Curling now long out of print called the Illustrated history of The Grand National which has loads of photo’s of the races up to 1972. In 1947 Caughoo can be seen jumping Becher’s on both circuits. I believe there was a bit of a fracas between his jockey (Eddie Dempsey) and someone who accused him of the fiddle.
No – it was me. :twisted:
I decided after the success of the hose plan at Great Leighs last week that I would try a different approach this week.
Next time, can you put down some turf and some portable fences as well.
Bbobell / FOF –
You surely ignore one who could have feasibly done it within the current season. New Approach was only one stride away from having the Guineas in the bag, indeed with no Henry he wins easily, and then obviously we all know what happened at Epsom.
He would surely then have been aimed at the Ledger, and would more than likely have won it. It can be done, and will again be done.
But would he Peruvian? I see where you are coming from though, I just don’t think it entered the connections equation with this particular horse. However, the way New approach ran in the Derby and other races definitely indicates to me (a pretty rubbish judge mind you) that he would have got the Doncaster trip no bother at all.
As an exile from the Borders, in fact from just above the ancient Debateable Land, do me a favour will you. If anyone is going to invade Scotland (right enough who on earth would want to) do it from the North or East.The Borders is sick and tired of all the invasions from the South. It sparked off the Reiving Times.
We are largely ignored by the rest of the country and it is about time that idiot Salmond moved on.
As for the whole West Lothian question, I wholehearted support those who oppose Scottish MPs participation in legislation for England and Wales whilst English and Welsh MPs are expressly forbidden from participating in Scottish legislation. In addition, I think the bloated Scottish Grand Committee, which consists of all those sitting for Scottish seats in Westminster, should be reduced in the same way that all other select committees in Westminster are.
Although it is quite clear from other posts that I would rather be cold at Charing point to point than sit in the comfort of my armchair and watch the Breeders Cup, there is one great result for a traditionalists like me.
Conduit winning the Turf. Maybe at last we can have no more devaluing the St. Leger and that stayers are slow horses. This is a proper horse that has won over an extended mile and three quarters on a great galloping track like Doncaster and on a really sharp American turf track which makes Fakenham look galloping.
There are
those who crab Leger winners and want the Triple Crown to be something over a mile and a quarter (not saying that they are on this Forum).Lets hear it for the proper stayers and lets see a good horse have a go at the Triple Crown again. I can remember Nijynsky winning it and it really aroused interest in the sport. Good grief, I might even take a bigger interest in flat racing it it happened (heaven forbid).
Can’t see it happening Bob not unless we have a very bad 2000 guineas won through sheer class by a staying horse.
There are too may other options for the Derby winner these days where he doesn’t have to be subjected to going over the longer trip.
Nijinsky oozed class and had a terrific turn of foot he could rely on over the shorter distances.
Request denied :lol:
Aye, fair enough, but I can still dream that one day it will happen can’t I.
Although it is quite clear from other posts that I would rather be cold at Charing point to point than sit in the comfort of my armchair and watch the Breeders Cup, there is one great result for a traditionalists like me.
Conduit winning the Turf. Maybe at last we can have no more devaluing the St. Leger and that stayers are slow horses. This is a proper horse that has won over an extended mile and three quarters on a great galloping track like Doncaster and on a really sharp American turf track which makes Fakenham look galloping.
There are those who crab Leger winners and want the Triple Crown to be something over a mile and a quarter (not saying that they are on this Forum).
Lets hear it for the proper stayers and lets see a good horse have a go at the Triple Crown again. I can remember Nijynsky winning it and it really aroused interest in the sport. Good grief, I might even take a bigger interest in flat racing it it happened (heaven forbid).
