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Quote: from apracing on 7:44 pm on July 23, 2006[br]<br> flat racing has sold it’s soul.
Indeed. The pruning of the Craven/Predominate meetings and general buggering about with the Guineas/Chester/Dante meetings in May has spoilt what was long my favourite period on the Flat from an enjoyment point of view (not betting). The sequence of mid-weekly three day ‘festivals’ leading upto the – now equally pruned – Derby meeting was for many years a beautifully structured all too fleeting feast of top class racing.
Quote: from graysonscolumn on 6:32 pm on July 22, 2006[br]<br>I have enjoyed this year’s summer jumping programme more than ever.<br>
Yes, the summer jumping programme has steadily gained some sort of shape and I’m enjoying it, relatively speaking but I’d still prefer to see a total break for all or most of July, with more meetings during September as compensation, though I realise the lack of evening meetings then would cause problems with the fixture list. The current week’s break in mid-september makes little sense to me as it seems to serve little purpose; not long enough for stables to ‘shut down’ or for jockeys to recharge the batteries but just long enough to annoy punters such as I relishing the fact that ‘winter rides on the tail of the last horse home in the St Leger’ only to be presented with three days from Yarmouth and impenetrable sprints from Ayr.
Quote: from seanboyce on 2:38 pm on July 23, 2006[br]<br>As for the issue of racing’s appeal to youth let’s not kid ourselves.<br>Racing has never been trendy cool or sexy. <br>
Which is exactly what drew me to it as a ‘yoof’ 35 years ago. A parallel little world revolving in an orbit many miles from planet normal, populated by wondrous beasts and strange characters. The sights, sounds and smells of the racecourse; the allure of the taboo that was betting. For a lad with no interest in the great god football or daytime Radio1 it was welcome sanctuary from a teenage ‘real’ world that didn’t cut the mustard. Of course I was one of a small minority but I’ve no reason to doubt that there’s been a similar minority of young’uns since then drawn to racing for similar reasons.
What I wouldn’t have liked was if this staid, tweedy, timeless little world tried it’s hand at ‘sexing up’ in order to attract a younger audience en-masse. Racing will never be attractive to the majority; it’s too time consuming, complex and ‘different’ for want of a better word and therein lies it’s appeal IMO.
Anyway what is this obsession that pervades society in general with attracting the pubescent pound; it’s the grey pound that’s stacking up in bank vaults countrywide – and is the most disposable – with the post war baby-boom generation now approaching retirement age. The populace are ageing.
With betting turnover from racing as a percentage of whole declining due to the introduction of a plethora of new betting/gambling avenues future funding for racing does indeed seem to be a potential problem. The way NOT to spend a declining ‘levy’ from whatever source is to spread it ever more thinly over a burgeoning fixture list.
It strikes me that racing is preparing for a wander down the well-trodden oneway path that leads from boom to bust and my fear is that NH, through no fault of it’s own, will be the first to feel the pinch; it being less economic to stage and less bookie friendly than AW.
The only welcome news is the addition of a new Ascot NH meeting ‘twixt Cheltenham and Aintree.
That apart the heart sinks.
The love affair with the Flat has long been growing stale; the divorce will soon be decree nisi absolute.
Good post Maxilon 5.
TRF is by some way the best public racing/betting forum I’m aware of both in content and regular flow of traffic. I would be quite happy to pay a fee to help a new administrator get TRF2 up and going though any thought of an annual sub would be self-defeating IMO as it would deter fresh blood. Such forums have a habit of becoming stultifyingly cliquey with just a handful of regular posters regurgitating the same old subjects. The broadest of churches is required.
To ease the workload I’d agree with davidjohnson’s idea of a slimmed down version if need be. Personally I only read ‘Horse Racing’ and ‘Lounge’ anyway.
I haven’t seen the article but if it made mention that betting turnover won’t be adversely affected by this scandal or by the result of the eventual trial then I believe that to be pretty much the case.
Recent events are indeed serious and it may well (rightly) concern those ‘serious punters’ who contribute to forums such as this and lead to wariness/trepidation when betting/laying, or concern anyone with a genuine love of the game in it’s own right, but to yer average betting shop habituee – who contribute the majority of betting turnover – happy to while away an afternoon betting on numbers, Portman Park and chatting with his mates it won’t make a blind bit of difference. The smoking ban may.
It will simply reinforce his belief that the game is, was and alwys will be bent – a comfortable crutch to lean on, the reason why he loses money betting the gee-gees: ‘you can’t beat the system’. Of course it would never occur to him that it’s his fault and his alone that he’s a loser; it’s so much easier to blame third parties.
‘Effing jockey’ ‘effing trainer’ ‘effing horse’. No matter the 3.40 at Wolver’s off in a few minutes, time to recyle another fiver.
Don’t underestimate the social function that betting shops offer – the craic – which is every bit as important as the actual betting and as such the captive and willing audience will continue to throw away wedge on horse races whilst enjoying a gossip and whinge, much as they have done since 1961.
The holy trinity and uneasy bedfellows – betting, birds and booze have an eternal attraction, the strongest of pulls and little can be done to persuade those intent on indulging from walking away. And baccy makes four.<br>
(Edited by Drone at 11:05 pm on July 9, 2006)
Seem to recall the media feeding the anxiety culture with warnings of global epidemics of SARS and CJD in recent years; bird flu the latest in the line.
Because they are seen as a potential threat to us cocooned in the comfort of the ‘developed’ world we blow it out of all proportion.
It MAY prove to be a major problem, meanwhile…
Millions in the ‘developing’ world ARE dying from quinine-resistant Malaria and resurgent Tuberculosis.
Nimby so that’s okay then…or will the ‘bad air’ creep north hand in hand with global warming.
(Edited by Drone at 10:37 pm on June 28, 2006)
Quote: from jackane24 on 1:42 pm on June 25, 2006[br]<br> this Moore-Spencer-Winston Champion Jockey race, <br>
In these flag-waving times it’s a shame there’s not a Churchill chasing the championship as well
Quote: from Grasshopper on 3:07 pm on June 4, 2006[br]Due to concerns about the high attrition rate on British roads, the DVLA are introducing a marker scheme, in order that drivers with low IQ’s, or some form of mental impairment, can be easily spotted.
The marker is a red cross on a white background.
Two markers are to be used, if the occupant is particularly stupid.<br>
A beauty Grasshopper LOL and LOL again.
Unfortunately I fear the attrition rate will increase as the flag of St George seems to have the same effect on the mentally challenged motorist as ‘go faster stripes’ and ‘Carlos Fandango wide wheels’
Jeremy
Just finished unravelling the 3.30 tomorrow. IMO a sound case, at the likely odds, can be made for yet another 13yo: Chevalier Errant. Off 95 (a stone less than lto) has won after an extended break before and oldsters are often best caught fresh anyway. Long time since a win but the general level of his form leaves him with a fair bit in hand on paper.
This race has a potentially decent betting shape since the RP fav Silver Dagger looks one to take on; running for the second time off a penalty for winning a dreadful race at Rasen and languishing among the bottom weights here, 7/2 looks too short.
As for Flahive’s First well the forecast 14/1 is ludicrous and I see 8/1 has been hoovered up to £70 already which is noteworthy considering the almost complete lack of evening trading the summer jumps usually attracts, particularly away from the front few.
Other one against the forecast fav is Move Over who’s very in and out but is now dropped back into a 0-100 and his win in similar class at Catterick in March was quite taking and the form worked out well enough.
Nothing else appeals at all.
It remains to be seen how the actual market develops but I wouldn’t be surprised if both CE and FF start at less than half their forecast odds and MO returns SP fav.
Quote: from graysonscolumn on 10:37 am on May 26, 2006[br]
Could be coming good again for Sir Frosty, mark you, but then his form this season has mostly been rotten even when he has been able to get his toe in.
It certainly did! Course form at Cartmel, like Fontwell and Fakenham, counts for a great deal and John Ryall is an underestimated trainer.
The race itself didn’t disappoint as a spectacle either.
Good to see other old-timer Bright Approach win the other day as well.
Looks like all systems go for Flahives First on Wednesday off 92. Nice one Dai.
Hope you enjoyed the evening, it’s a great place. Have you sampled the grub and grog at the Cavendish Arms?
Certainly cost you third AP and a moot point as to second. Looks an obvious case of careless riding by Doyle (inexperienced at Goodwood?) and a pre-meditated move. Every right to feel aggrieved at the stewards’ decision I’d say though perhaps they took into account the strong headwind and the effect that may have on a horse’s balance, but I doubt it.
Is Salute the horse you were considering sending Novice Chasing?
Appropriately enough the Cartmel Grand Veterans National is run this coming saturday. A healthy number of entries including teenagers Sir Frosty (last years winner), King On The Run and Bright Approach (doubt he’ll have his ground).
Always an enjoyable event.
On the Flat that may well be true but Weaver George winning a chase at 14 in ’04 and Better Times Ahead two hurdles at 15 a few years earlier spring to mind over jumps.
As for Burroughhills question: according to my database 5 15yo’s have raced this year but Bold Navigator the lone 16yo.
I like you, Gamble. I always liked you. You were always the best of them.
Great party isn’t it?
Desert Island Flicks in no particular order:
The Man Who Would Be King<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073341/
Casablanca<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/
Brief Encounter<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037558/
Far trom the Madding Crowd<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061648/
The Italian Job<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064505/
Get Carter<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067128/
If…<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063850/
North by Northwest<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125/
Bubbling under and the token post ’70s effort to prove I’ve had at least one night out since then:
The Shining<br>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/
Other than those I could quite happily slip into senility accompanied by nothing more than Carry On films and the Ealing Comedies: Carry on up the Khyber and The Man in the White Suit my favs.
