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Loved Goodwood and always enjoyed the festival back in the day. Perhaps it’s changed now, many events have as they have taken a much more commercial route. I really liked York, although but again, perhaps its all changed since those days.
I was surprised how many I have actually been to when I totalled them up.
Ascot
Cheltenham
Chester
Goodwood
Hereford
Leicester
Ludlow
Newbury
Newton Abbott
Plumpton
Stratford
Uttoxeter
Warwick
Wolverhampton
Worcester
YorkChaddesley Corbett, Larkhill, Golden Valley, Bitterley, Clifton, Eyton and many, many more. :)
Leopardstown
Longchamp (€4)
Woodbine (Free admission)
Zarzuela (Madrid)None that I feel I need to visit, although if I was ever planning a trip down south, the Melbourne Cup and Flemington would come into calculations.
As an outsider looking in……..
Why has Reform gained so much traction?
Please don’t give me the ‘people are stupid, uneducated, poor, underprivileged’ reasoning, because it must run far deeper and broader than that.
It’s a discussion forum and of course Bonanza is entitled to an opinion. However, I don’t agree with that opinion and I feel a little sorry for people who manage to get ‘offended’ by such mild comments considering what else is happening around us and throughout the world. But these days the threshold for being offended seems to be in a race downward and everybody has to conform…….otherwise they’ll be offended.
“We’re supposedly here to discuss racing!”
There’s a clue in the topic heading, ITV RACING and I believe the presenters are all contributing to that program and subject to comment. These comments are with regard to their attire, others criticize Matt Chapman and his interview style. Is one allowed and the other not?
I don’t particularly care what Franny wears, but I do find her a little grating with her penchant to name drop at every opportunity.
That’s basically along the lines of what Chapman was saying today, support and have faith in the sport and not keep reacting to appease people.
Accept the Grand National for what it is for instance.
That’s basically along the lines of what Chapman was saying today, support and have faith in the sport and not keep reacting to appease people.
Accept the Grand National for what it is.
“Is Constitution Hill really enjoying his racing or not? I can’t imagine a horse that has missed more engagements than him. His new career can’t take place from April to August as it isn’t soft enough.”
He has no idea of the racing calendar or what month of the year it is. As far as he is concerned, he has his routine and very occasionally goes out on a day trip.
Going back over hurdles is not an option and he still has ability, so why not look at a flat career.
At present we have no idea just how good he is and it would be interesting to find out.
He looked something worth pursuing with first time out, but not racing against a challenging field.
Although it wouldn’t happen, I agree with CAS that the horse would benefit moving to a dedicated flat trainer. I know the media put extra focus on the horse, but unfortunately it’s all too much of a circus with Henderson.
Matt Chapman on ITV questioning how racing is run and why a decision on whip count couldn’t be made in the time it took Richard Hoiles and him to discuss the issue.
Couldn’t agree more, even I can count to seven.
I dislike his commentaries at the best of times.
At the start of some of the jumps races, it sounds like he can’t be arsed to even do the commentary, but does so under duress.
Then when he does start, it’s the usual monotonous drone through the order of horses, same again, but with the jockeys names added, pop in the race name and sponsor and that’s pretty much it, but regurgitated……..unless of course there is any semblance of a close finish and then it can get quite frightful.
Matt Chapman doing a great job entertaining viewers with his interviews with Haggas, Gosden and Appleby.
Always keeps them on their toes because they are just not sure what he’s going to ask next.
“It is interesting to watch what Townend immediately did on El Fabiolo early on in the Champion Chase”.
The point I’d make LD73 is that on both occasions Townend wouldn’t have been totally aware of what had actually happened, only that the back end went down and it all happened in a split second.
At Cheltenham it was early in the race, but had that happened jumping the last comfortably in front, I’d suggest his decision would have been different.
Prudent at the fifth fence when any real chance was gone, a different matter 200 or so yards from the winning post of a prestigious race.
Many of you folks amaze me.
In this day and age you have FREE terrestrial TV showing regular racing and you are forever bloody moaning about it!!!
Don’t you realize how lucky you are?ITV do a great job overall, but is it perfect, no.
They are trying to put out a show that covers the product, educates the audience, promote the fluffy stuff that the horses welfare is paramount and encourage viewers to at least attend a race meeting and experience the sport.
If people want their racing presentation to be 100% racing/betting/form, then put your hands in your pockets and subscribe to SKY or RTV and you’ll be able to get your undiluted fix.
I’ll go and sit on the side that would prefer loose horses weren’t galloping around.
It’s acceptable to those of us that follow the sport, but to the ‘once a year’ or ‘casual’ spectator, it must look chaotic and amateurish, like something out of a Carry On film.
If we’re talking optics.
The only positive I take from it is that it negates (to a certain extent) the argument to the casual viewer, that horses are forced to jump by a man with a big stick, when clearly they are making that choice themselves.“Thankfully all horses are reported safe – you can imagine Monday’s headlines if Quai de Bourbon or Top of the Bill had not got up. Aintree have done all that they can, but you cannot eliminate risk — as racing lovers we as fans accept that as to all participants and owners – but there remain plenty who don’t.”
Although we do accept the risks BurrougHillLad and have an understanding of the sport, I do question the feelings of the masses in between us the supporters and the other end of the spectrum, the antis.
The papers are fickle, it’s news today and onto something else tomorrow and social media to a large extent the same.
The people we work and socialize with I believe are fairly indifferent. They don’t like to see any horses injured or die, but they also don’t have a vested interest either. Look at the people attending Aintree, especially today. So many were there for the day and have a good time and if there had been a fatality, how many wouldn’t attend again?
None will be talking about Gold Dancer next week, let alone next year.
That doesn’t mean the sport can be complacent, or ignore political comment and activists, but it has to accept that it can only do so much in the name of horse welfare without removing all the fences completely…..and even then it won’t stop fatalities. Gewan as a recent example.
“Spare a thought for Nicky Henderson having trained a two time Grand National winner.”
Would he have been campaigned the same if he was at Seven Barrows and had the opportunity?
I’ve said it before, you folks are absolutely blessed with having FREE terrestrial TV and have no idea how lucky you are.
Free racing TV covering endless racing throughout the year and all you do is constantly bloody moan about it all.
It’s aimed at a broad market and tries to balance the product, a little education and make it look fun so that perhaps more people will at least visit and see for themselves.
If you’re not happy with that, then put your hand in your pocket and subscribe to Sky or RTV and listen to their mundane, but solely racing presentations.
