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The “Whitbread” has been blessed with very few fatalities over the years; I can’t even remember any others. A real shame to see this happen on an otherwise great day of racing as ERL says.
RIP Dancing City
As a number of posters have commented, the huge prizemoney for the Grand National has too much bearing on the trainers’ championship. I’d like to see some of this distributed elsewhere. Not to something like the Gold Cup though, but to races in the autumn in the hope of making the season more competitive throughout.
It’s a bit odd that this online slots piece has appeared under the heading of “Racing Articles”, but I get the impression little attention is paid to any of this content.
Am pleased to see that the dodgy “not on GamStop” wording is absent from this latest article.
That’s disappointing!
Simon Holt’s suggestion to call the Gundry-trained gelding the “other Lossiemouth” when competing in his home country seems a bit insulting. I prefer using the nationality suffixes, or the colours of the horses could perhaps be used in this instance.
I like Richard Hoiles, but it was good to hear Simon Holt on terrestrial TV again. I’ve always felt he was an undeserving casualty of ITV wanting to give their programme a distinct identity from its predecessor.
Moehat, there are plenty of other people who feel like you, and there is no need to justify yourself or feel stupid. You are a great poster whose contributions I know many appreciate on here, and long may that continue.
Griff is well capable of speaking for himself, but I suspect it was not his intent to cause upset. Possibly you have been on the receiving end of some of his long-running frustrations about these memorial threads, even though you have not actually posted on them often.
Where the content of memorial threads seems to be becoming an increasingly contentious topic, I guess it’s ultimately up to the admins to consider if it’s worth having any guidelines on what is acceptable to post, though that is no easy task when views are clearly quite varied.
Griff, I agree with many of your comments on these threads, but I think you are oversimplifying re those racing fans who agonise over the animal welfare aspects.
Those of us who have loved racing for years know that the highest highs that the sport can give are truly magical, uplifting experiences. Speaking personally, few other things can bring me so much joy. Racing can get ingrained in your soul, and it is not something that is easy to turn your back on after that has happened. However, much like a drug, those highs can be accompanied by some horrible lows.
I doubt many people would tell a football fan whose mood can be determined by the performance of their team to stop following football, even though they may regularly go through agony. I know it’s not quite the same thing with racing where part of the issue relates to ethics, but there are some parallels.
Realistically I know that racing is not going to lose me, but the welfare aspects have always challenged me and always will. Perhaps that makes me an idiot to continue to follow it, but I believe it is worth it, even if that is said through gritted teeth sometimes.
Any Second Now announced as having been retired by Ted Walsh on ITV Racing.
His second place aged 13 in today’s Irish National was another marvellous performance. Not many horses can have been placed twice in both the Aintree and Irish Nationals
Wishing him a long and happy retirement.
This has come up many times before pilgarlic. As soon as one poster goes beyond simply paying tribute to the deceased horse and makes comments where blame could be implied, it opens up a debate.
Personally as long as posters remain respectful in tone I have no issue with discussion occurring on a memorial thread. Talking through our responses to the horse’s sad death and what can be done to reduce fatalities is important.
I know some people might prefer that it is done elsewhere, but long experience of posting on here makes me believe that this is not a realistic prospect.
I agree with you CAS, though suspect it is something I will always struggle with from time to time.
It’s difficult when you see a succession of horrible incidents, or when you hear of the passing of a familiar name whose career you have enjoyed.
Emotions can easily cloud a more rational analysis. That’s why I try not to be too critical of anyone on these threads even though I think it is worth voicing disagreement with their views sometimes.
Moehat, I’m finding myself in a similar situation to you at the moment as I’ve found the recent run of fatalities very difficult, especially those at the Scottish National meeting. I suspect when the new Jumps season starts to get going in the autumn my interest will be rekindled as this isn’t the first time I’ve been through such a spell, but we shall see.
There are occasions where I think criticism of connections who have not looked after their horse properly is appropriate, but such clear situations are fortunately rare. I find the regular accusations made about connections on these memorial pages upsetting and not at all comforting. They imply that those involved in the sport are uncaring and reckless which I don’t think is an accurate reflection in most cases.
I do wonder if sometimes people are keen to find and call out “blame” from a sense of their own guilt at following the sport. Fatalities are unavoidable and I think that often the only people to blame for them are all of us collectively who support its continued existence. Each one of us has to make a personal decision about whether we view the level of risk involved as acceptable, but the regular blaming of individual connections and jockeys is deeply unfair in my view.
It seems to be affecting every single thread on the forum that I look at. Would be a great shame if they are all gone for good.
The race was not a pleasant watch. It looked like Macdermott went down in the back of the camera shot, so I was fearing the worst for him. And The Kniphand’s fall was very heavy. RIP to them both.
Fingers very much crossed that Walking On Air and all the other equine and human participants are OK.
I find fatalities just as upsetting as other posters, and strongly support looking at their causes and trying to reduce them, but there doesn’t always have to be someone to blame.
The criticism of the jockey seems harsh again to me here. It’s a risky activity where fatalities will always sadly happen. It is the nature of the sport.
Persian Time was leading five out, made a bad mistake 4 out and was fading when he fell with tragic consequences 3 out. He was still in touch with the body of the field at the time of his fall and wasn’t tailed off. I expect he’d have been pulled up after 3 out, but believe this is again a situation where it is understandable why De Boinville had not yet done so.
The fact that this time there was a tragic outcome does not mean De Boinville was asking any more of his mount than jockeys regularly ask of their mounts every day. Tragically Persian Time lost his life; that’s what happens occasionally when jockeys are having to make quick decisions in risky situations.
RIP Persian Time
