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I hope Ginger doesn’t see this
Funny; I had him in mind when I posted the thread.
I fear that some people are missing the general point of this thread and focusing too much on the specific case of Sprinter Sacre. Even though I think that his rating isn’t quite justified, although I have him running to 185 on my ratings, this thread is more about the creeping upwards of Timeform ratings over the last ten to fifteen years, culminating in the state we have now where Harbinger, Sea The Stars and Frankel have all been rated 140 or higher in recent years and numerous jumpers have reached 168 or more, which was previously hallowed ground.
Sizing Europe isn’t the horse who drags down the rating. Is Wishfull Thinking really a 167 horse?
Following hot in the hoofsteps of Frankel’s being rated the best flat horse in the experience of the boys from Halifax, we are now informed that Sprinter Sacre is the best steeplechaser since Arkle and Flyingbolt. Yep: beating Wishfull Thinking by 25l apparently elevates Sprinter Sacre above Mill House, Desert Orchid, Carvill’s Hill, Kauto Star and all the rest.
Whilst there is no doubt that the sky remains the limit for the Moulds’ tremendous ‘chaser, is trouncing a has-been and lots of never-will-bes really deserving of such a lofty rating? And, more to the point, are Timeform now just elevating ratings for publicity purposes?
I own every edition of <i>Chasers & Hurdlers</i> and every <i>Racehorses</i> annual going back to 1970 and I’ve noticed what I consider to be headline generating ratings creeping in over the last decade or so. I’ll continue to buy Timeform’s annuals as a historical reference but can’t help but feel that their ratings have to be taken with a pinch of salt from now on.
Am I alone in this or does anybody else agree?
Typical of both the owner and the company, I’m afraid. There are no depths to which either would refuse to sink for a bit of publicity.
As you say, it’s the same everywhere now. How many times have you heard a football commentator shriek "Great effort!"as the ball goes flying into row Z?
The media exists to build excitement and to hype things up.
1:30 Rival d’Estruval (Back In Focus)
2:05 Chatterbox (Two Rockers)
2:40 Unioniste (Houblon des Obeaux)
3:20 Mail de Bievre (Somersby)
4:00 Barbatos (Ericht)
4:40 Saphir du Rheu (Caid du Berlais)
5:15 Le Vent d’Antan *NAP* (Milo Man)1:30 Un Atout (reserve My Tent Or Yours)
2:05 Simonsig (Overturn)
2:40 Knockara Beau (Loch Ba)
3:20 Zarkandar *NAP* (Rock On Ruby)
4:00 Arabella Boy (Shakervilz)
4:40 Quevega (Une Artiste)
5:15 Shangani (Ackertac)Just don’t buy it. You can access cards and form for free on the Internet; the Post’s articles aren’t that great and any serious punter does their own homework, instead of relying on tips in a rag.
Who needs the Racing Post?
… but not something I personally think goes with NH racing!
Sadly, racing (like most things) is about financial profit and nothing else these days. The racecourses would rather have a coach-load of boys out on the lash, and the guaranteed income at the bars, than have a thousand teetotal racing aficionados.
My ideal would be more cameras in the parade ring with paddock watchers (Ken Pitterson or David Cleary for example) providing the comments.
Agree that there should be far more coverage of horses in the paddock (as well as on their way to post) than is currently on offer.
On a separate note, Ken Pitterson is one of the best paddock judges out there. It’s a pity that his career has been blighted by too much melanin.
He is on the ATR Sunday Forum tomorrow. Don’t watch every week but haven’t seen him on that before.
Pity; I usually have waffles for breakfast whilst watching the Sunday Forum but to do so this week would be overkill.
We’ll be holding this for days, not hours and giving EVERYONE the chance to get up to £20 on. This could cost us millions
The key words are "up to" in that sentence.
Can’t help thinking how much healthier the sport would be without bookmakers altogether and all prices were decided by weight of money on a Tote/Exchange.
Agree with everything bar the last word. Betting exchanges are almost as bad as bookmakers, in my opinion. The best thing for racing would be a PMU-style monopoly.
Back to this offer: I haven’t read the small print. Is the forty quid (for, surely, Sprinter Sacre isn’t going to lose) paid immediately or is there a catch in that any winnings have to be played through before you can cash them?
… there was nothing wrong with the old Autumn Flat pattern…
It may have taken a couple of centuries to have reached this perfect state of affairs, but I bet that none of those involved in its evolution had a degree in marketing.
Choc Thornton has been ruled out of Cheltenham through injury. That’ll be good news to some posters in this thread.
I agree with yeats. Too much racing is concentrated on Saturdays- holding a top-class meeting on a weekday is a good move and hardly an insurmountable problem for those who really want to attend.
Wonder if IMG will be keeping the, ahem, poetry in the Cheltenham programmes.
That and the pointless musical interludes. We don’t need to see misty early morning skies and racegoers drinking, set to music. What we
do
need to see are horses in the paddock and on their way to the start.
