Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Leading on from another post I wonder what everyone did make of their Cheltenham coverage? I do not think they made enough effort to show runners before the races, especially if there was a large field, though they had ample time to do so on each occasion. Some of the races we only got to see the runners as the tapes went up.
Today there was no sight of horses before the races & instead of showing the parade for the Midlands Grand National we were treated to a return to the studio & then someone saying there are a few minutes to go before the off we will….blah de blah. I was screaming at my TV in anger. Why are they doing this? I will email them with my thoughts.No where to park, frisked for food! A really good way to encourage people to go to the races. What if someone was diabetic?
That’s really interesting Anthonycutt I had no idea it was part of the Mail Group. I do remember it showing a freeze frame montage of Best Mate’s death though.
I’m not sure if celebrity interviews do anything to attract viewers. Maybe some additional short programmes about racing/ breeding/horses might. I am sure there was far more of these type programmes when I was growing up. A full length film about Mill Reef & a generally more positive attitude by the press.
When Show Jumping was on terrestrial TV everyone knew the horses, riders etc. now it has become a real minority sport; lets hope this doesn’t happen to racing. The news only seems to report the negative aspects. I noticed the free paper you pick up on trains & buses, The Metro, has no coverage of racing at all, but if a horse dies in a major race there is an article then, which is followed by letters from Animal Aid people & uninformed readers.The shots of children rolling down a slope made me very angry. Each week now there has been less coverage of the horses in the paddock; they used to go through them in racecard order. This gave an indication of fitness, whether they would come on from the race, the make & shape of the horse etc. I am not a gambler, but if I was I would find these things important. I also love horses & want to see them in all their glory & beauty. Where as interviews with trainers might be interesting at times, those with minor celebrities, washed out footballers & sportsmen are not & bear little relevance to the race.This used to be the province of the BBC, chats with the likes of Bruce Forsyth & no horses till they emerged from the stalls.
Sadly Channel 4 appears to be going the same way; this will not encourage people to follow racing, the horses are important. Also their increasing lack of comments on injured runners has been disturbing.For me it is the love of horses which began as a small child. I rode till my twenties & watched all horse based sports. The thoroughbred has the most fascination for me; it’s history, breeding, performance & beauty. What can be better than watching top class thoroughbreds walk around the paddock before a race in the summer sun, their coats gleaming? Or hardened steeple-chasers fighting it out over the last fence?
I never bet myself, I just love to see the horses.As for people caring less for horses these days? I do not think things have changed that much, true there maybe less horsemen who are trainers & less small owner breeders who know about stock. However there will always be bad apples & true horse lovers. I remember watching more people training their binoculars on the injured horse than watched the finish, this was not voyeurism…there was such a cheer when that horse rose to it’s feet uninjured.
I can’t understand why this horse wasn’t taken back to the stables in a van. Perhaps it wouldn’t have prevented his end but it might of helped. Such incidents fuel the fire of radical animal activists.
There is some colour footage of Vaguely Noble on either British Pathe or Youtube showing his Arc victory in yellow/gold colours.
Any news of what caused his death? Was it a heart attack or internal bleeding caused by the fall?
What I can’t understand is how Youmzain & Conduit have the same rating? Surely Conduit was the classier horse & beat Youmzain at Ascot.
I find it difficult to access other sites from it, I often have to move backwards. I hate all the adverts & the graphics. It used to be good but now I find I am being asked to pay for everything. News is very slow on it too. It’s becoming rubbish!
Triple Crown winner Diamond Jubilee was a rig as was Honeyway; both went on to have stud careers, though Honeyway needed treatment first & Diamond Jubilee was a savage.
I think sand work on a beach has to be gradually built up as the change in going can damage the tendons. I remember learning about this in the Pony Club, they told us not to gallop our ponies on the beach if they hadn’t been worked on it for a number of days.
If this is correct then it might not be worth trainers just going for a cold snap. In Red Rum’s case the beach was his main gallop any way.
