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Hi Everybody,
One day I decided to find out what the fuss was about, and asked my dad to pick me out a horse for me to back. The horse’s name was "Run And Skip", and I had £1 win on it (dad put the bet on for me, as I was way too young). The horse duly led from start to finish, and won at odds of 14-1 ! I can vividly remember the race, and I was very impressed (even mesmerised) with how he led all the way. (I had no knowledge at that time of how different horses had different running styles, ie front runners or hold-up horses).
I was wondering if anybody would be able to tell me anything about the horse ? Unfortunately, at that age I didn’t know the difference between one race and the next so I’m not even sure which race it was that he won. I’m also reasonably sure that he finished placed in a Gold Cup one year. He definitley ran in Dawn Run’s CGC year, but I don’t think he made the frame on that occasion.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Run and Skip has an (albeit small) entry on Wikipedia. According to this page, Run and Skip won the Welsh National in 1985. However, I’m not of the opinion that this was the race he won when I backed him for the following reasons:
1) I don’t remember that "my" race occurred during the festive time of the year.
2) I think 1985 is too late.
3) I have an inkling that the race he won "for me" might have been at Newbury.I could easily be wrong, however. If someone was to tell be that he won the Welsh National at odds of 14-1, then this could be more than just a coincidence.
P.S. The following Saturday, I asked my dad to pick me another horse out. He gave me a horse called "Delbury", which I also put £1 win on. He finished……. Unplaced
That was my last (non GN) bet for a while. There seem to be two possibilities here.
1) Mon 26th November 1984
Denton Handicap Chase 1984 (Southwell)
Run and Skip – Made all, jumped well, pushed clear approaching 2 out, mistake at last. Won at 14-1. [6 ran]
Sat 8th December 1984 (Lingfield) Dalbury (20-1) finished 2nd in the concluding handicap hurdle.
2) Sat 21st December 1985
Welsh Grand National (Chepstow)
Run and Skip – Made all, clear 3 out, stayed on strongly. Won at 13-1 (was available at 14-1) [18 ran]
Sat 4th January 1986 (Sandown) Dalbury (20-1) finished 3rd in the novices’ chase.
The first race fits the facts as given slightly better, but I don’t think pictures were beamed into betting shops until 1986, and only televised races until SIS launched on 1st May 1987, so the Welsh National looks a better bet as Southwell certainly wouldn’t have been televised.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Scared to think how bad their racing review will be tomorrow, we’ll probably only get the final fence or hurdle for each race except for the crap at Wolves which will probably get a full replay.
Yes, you got that almost right.
Wolverhampton shown in full again
and final half of Limerick races, although these were shown after racing yesterday along with the last mile of Ffos Las races.Down Royal was shown during the early part of Stateside last night, but we were also promised it in the review, so will probably be shown at 10.15 with one other meeting, maybe Leopardstown.
ATR should really have delayed Stateside last night as there were only a couple of meetings and broadcast a review of the UK racing, or had a longer review this morning.
So, Fontwell 12.20 wasn’t broadcast at all yesterday. Half of Sedgefield, all but the last at Towcester and Fontwell 2.05 were split screen.
Three of the Sedgefield and Towcester races were due to go off exactly the same time, so stupid to broadcast both meetings live.
Commercial and betting revenue takes priority over keeping the racing fan happy. As we will all keep on watching, nothing will change.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Yes really, their website quite clearly gives you the TV schedule.
We are fortunate to have two channels devoted to horse racing, rather than having to share coverage with other sports.
Although the days of Grandstand and World of Sport are missed there were long weeks of no televised racing between Saturday afternoons in the winter months.
The only mugs are those that spend all day in betting shops or on online casinos, gambling on anything that moves. I bet they lose a hell of a lot more than £20 a month.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Now Ascot has defected ATR is very much left with the lower quality UK racing. At least there is less for them to squeeze into their pathetic Racing Review programme. We are in the middle of the NH season, but ATR decide to show all the AW flat action from Wolverhampton followed by only the closing stages from Doncaster and Lingfield.
I don’t think having all UK racing on one channel would be a good idea. There would be far too many clashes with split screens all over the place.
Racing UK do a pretty good job and the subscription hasn’t increased for years so I think it’s good value for money. You know what you’re getting for your money and it is optional unlike the TV licence fee.
The full race replays after live racing are exactly what some of us who have been at work all day want. Remember a few years ago when they used to broadcast US racing in the evening on their Racing World channel. Very few subscribers tuned in, so it was eventually closed down.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
I’m a Sky customer and I’ve been getting this split second picture freeze for some time too. At first I thought it was a big tree opposite our house, but that’s been chopped down and I don’t get this on any other channel.
With both Sky and Virgin customers affected, the conclusion must be that this a technical problem with the channel. Either a problem with the frequency it’s broadcast on, or a glitch Sky need to sort out.
Nice to know it’s not a problem with our equipment, but annoying all the same.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Has anyone else noticed that the feed on ATR keeps freezing for a split second ever so often has only started happening since the revamp usually during a race?
Yes, this has been going on for a while, but I can’t get a straight answer as to what the problem is. Virgin have checked my equipment and replaced the set-top box, but claim everything is fine. However, a couple of engineers have told me this freezing can be caused by warm weather affecting the feed.
A year or so ago, the pictures froze for 3 or 4 seconds every few minutes on RUK and some sky sports channels.
If you happen to be a Sky customer and are having the same problem, this would suggest it’s a broadcast issue.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Hang on a minute, ATR are replaying Killarney from the 30th!!! I’m going to have to have a lie down.
First time they have ever shown a meeting from a previous day since the move. Maybe they have realised their screw up from yesterday.
Now, what about Hereford and Fontwell? Think I may be expecting miracles there.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
ATR has definitely gone downhill with their programming and numerous errors and omissions.
Today’s racing review fiasco was typical.
Some of the more observant of you may have noticed on one of the reviews of a Newcastle meeting last week, they managed to broadcast a graphic for the correct 1m 6f race with a totally different sprint race from an earlier meeting, followed by the correct head on and sp graphic.
This also happened earlier in the year when a NH flat race from Uttoxeter was mysteriously replaced on the review with a chase, again from an earlier meeting.
The change in commentator should have given it away.
How do they manage it?
I did think of starting a thread highlighting all the errors on the racing reviews, but don’t think I would have the time to document them all.
I used to enjoy both ATR and RUK equally, but ATR have shown a definite disregard for their viewers recently. RUK are not perfect by any means, but when they received complaints concerning omissions of meetings on their replay a couple of months ago, a reply was quickly read out on air the next day and the error corrected on the that day’s replay. Any complaints to ATR are just ignored.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Three races off at 5.45 Newcastle, Bangor & Dundalk nothing due off then until 6.05.
Who decides these things? Surely not difficult to send something off at 5.50 or 5.55 is it?
In the end four went off at 5.45 as Warwick 5.40 was delayed.
Cartmel had a 5.50 and Downpatrick had a 5.55 (Both meetings abandoned).
You would have thought Newcastle could have delayed by 5 minutes, but no, no initiative, no common sense.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Tend to agree, RUK can show every race in full several times in their Racing Replay, unlike ATR who can’t be bothered to show a replay of some meetings at all now.
The real culprit is the race planning department of the BHA. UK races should have a minimum of 10 minutes between them. Five minutes is not really enough, although you can get away with it if races go off bang on time during the flat season.
Unbelievably there are still examples of only five minute breaks being scheduled following 3 mile races which is just not physically possible.
Another demonstration that there is too much racing and that racing is run to suit bookmakers demands.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Was amazed to see that all the races on today’s card at Lingfield were run on turf, highly unusual nowadays.
I think 5th and 21st September meetings will also be turf only. Don’t get too excited though, unfortunately the new AW surface should be ready by the 17th October meeting.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
It seems to have started out as the plain "Bic Razors Handicap Hurdle" in 1984 – there was no equivalent race at the meeting in previous years.
The Gold Cup element was added the following year.
1989 was the final running under Bic sponsorship.
1990 running took place on the AW track.
1991 Back on the turf as Lingfield Gold Cup H’cap Hurdle
Several poor years followed with small fields. 2000 provided an improvement with increased prize money and a 16 runner field.
2001 Final running
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Yes, I have the following:
1987 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me2hr50q7n4
1988 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frltgTHtCC8
1989 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmM21KqGlWw
1996 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvnSngDzxIM
1997 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVCxkPEQei4
1998 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbIsFTvNPzU
1999 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bqPXuowJkM
2000 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TIjKlCYfAw
2001 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIKOYB1ltfs(1990-1995 meetings not televised)
The 1990 meeting was run on the AW. After that it reverted to turf under various different sponsors up until 2001.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
I’ve long been a fan of the Review but I don’t entirely agree with some of the comments.
When all races were shown in their entirety, you could wait three weeks or more for some meetings to be shown (usually Irish ones). Cutting out the first half of a few NH races means all meetings can be shown which must be an improvement.
An improvement???
Stratford and Tramore didn’t get shown at all on the review today.
You won’t be waiting 3 weeks for these, they wont be shown at all now.
As much as I like seeing Zoey Bird first thing in the morning, I would prefer to have seen a review of Stratford.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
I see Hereford are missing the fence in the home straight (again) tonight.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
The latest examples have been the last fence and the last hurdle in the back straight at Hexham,
In fairness to Hexham conditions were dire yesterday and the ground would have been genuinely unsafe to jump the final flight in the back straight. Ditto the two omitted fences.
I only walked part of the course, the relatively better part, and I called it squelchy.
Someone who walked the entire course called it heavy, very heavy in places and with the ongoing rain there were patches of standing water in places.
Hexham were not only lucky to stage the meeting in the first place they were exceptionally lucky to get through the entire card.
The question I would throw back to you is which is preferable – omitting a couple of obstacles or calling the entire meeting off?
Understandable in extreme ground conditions, but the point I’m getting at is omissions are becoming too frequent.
Uttoxeter and Sedgefield, to name only two, regularly find an excuse to omit obstacles. The reasons may be valid, but it appears the courses can’t cope with the amount of racing as this didn’t seem to happen as often in past seasons.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
What a shame Worcester have done away with their traditional chase course. There has always been plenty of space at Worcester as the hurdles course took over the flat course (when they ceased flat racing).
I guess that means the water jump down the back straight has gone too.
I am not a fan of these portable fences they encourage lazy jumping and I also like to see chases and hurdles split up throughout the meeting. I wonder which other course will now go down this route after, Southwell, Haydock and now Worcester?
The water jump in the back straight disappeared many years ago.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
That was my last (non GN) bet for a while. 
and final half of Limerick races, although these were shown after racing yesterday along with the last mile of Ffos Las races.