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At Ascot they said the reason it was slower on the near side on the final day was that the water had got into the ground more where they had all been racing on the first three or four days. There was no rain here at all yesterday until the final race, ie there was a full card before 5mm or so arrived overnight. Would have thought it’s more likely to be a little bit quicker over there, and a few jockeys have been taking a side-to-side stroll up the track over the last hour, though I can’t be sure that Buick was one of them.
Not with a GoingStick, sadly, but have just been out to have a look. It’s very obvious where the rails have come down, plenty of prints across the rest of the course and a fresh 15-foot strip on the far side. A mower has just been down the new strip to shave off a couple of millimetres, it was a bit longer than the rest of the track apparently, but the cover over the whole course is very thick.
I’m 44 and I saw Frank Worthington play when I was in my early teens. Slow as a boat by that stage, but his touch was still exceptional. He would spend most of the match anchored to a spot halfway inside the opposing half, waiting for goal kicks and clearances to flick on to runners, and for a great big lump, he did it with incredible panache.
Fair enough Paul. I’m a country boy at heart but like LA and Chicago when in the states. Ironically I don’t like Louisville which I consider to be a real dump with nothing to recommend it so know how you feel!
Plenty of people had said the same to me before my first BC outing there, but I really liked Louisville. Thought the Ali Centre was moving, the view across the Ohio River was too, and the factory where they make the Louisville Slugger baseball bats is right in the middle of town as well.
Also, the locals in Kentucky do actually take plenty of interest in racing. I remember being in Chicago for the BC – which is a fantastic city, btw – and hearing a story about someone asking a local the best way to get to Arlington Park. It transpired that the local had lived in Arlington for 20 years without realising there was a racetrack there. Hard to believe anywhere else, but possibly not in America. Belmont’s the same – no sense of occasion in the locale at all.
No way it’s 15 hours, more like 10 or 11. Virgin tends to have the in-flight video system that lets you choose from dozens, if not hundreds, of movies etc. It’s a long flight, but once you’ve watched a few films it’s surprising how quickly it goes. You won’t save anything much going to New York and changing – £225 each way to go to California is really pretty good when you consider that it’s nearly £100 to get a train from London to York.
The timings are quite good too, if you get a late morning flight from Heathrow you arrive mid-afternoon. By the time you’ve cleared immigration and got to your hotel, it’s time to have a bite and a couple of beers and hit the sack at 8.00 local. You sleep for 12 hours, and wake up ready to go at 8am.
Agree with Adrian that Pasadena is the place to be. Not far from the track, loads of bars and restaurants and a bit of character.
What he means (I think) is that the QC in charge hasn’t completed the full written reasons for their decision – ie. like the Henderson document, which ran to several thousand words – and will not be able to do so today.
Fist,
Have you actually bothered to read the detailed reasons for the panel’s findings on the other thread? I have a feeling that the answer is no, in which case your opinion, honestly held though it might be, is utterly worthless.
In the past Reg Akehurst, Spittin’ Mick Easterby, even today he’s one to be weary of, don’t laugh but Nigel Tinkler has in the past been very good, Daviid Wintle, the late Alec Stewart was very very good say between 1986-1990 Braashee, Daarkom, Waajib all bring back memories, sweet memories.
Sweet memories for me too, and don’t forget Just David in the Chester Cup. Returned at 10-1 if memory serves.
Thanks Clare, that must be the most interesting and informative first post in TRF history. You should be awarded Classic Winner status immediately.
A slight sidetrack perhaps, but that puts me in mind of the marketing push for Betdaq at its launch. It was billed as the exchange for high rollers, where you could bet against JP McManus and his fearless ilk.
It didn’t seem to occur to them that JP is precisely the kind of well-informed punter with a horse in every yard that no-one in their right mind would ever want take on.
According to the Press Association, he has even more in hand than you might think:
JOCKEY CHANGE KEMPTON 5.20 10 Cold Turkey, R L Moore claims 7lb
Is it being too much of a conspiracy theoriest to suggest that the two may be linked? Ryanair will no doubt make a very nice packet from all the flights that need to be binned and rebooked, while Punchestown is getting shot of badges that they were struggling to shift anyway.
Having talked to someone at Punchestown to express my own dismay – booked on a 7.30pm flight on the Wednesday, the main race is now 6.05pm, therefore pointless even turning up – I get the feeling that badge sales so far have been catastrophic. The corporate packages seem to have been particularly bad, so Alastair Down may finally have to retire the Lunchestown joke this year.
Without shifting the times so that people could come after work and still see the main race, they might have been playing to half-full houses all week.
Personally would always go to Bury St Edmunds, which has a lot more character than Newmarket. If it’s sunny, the Abbey grounds are very pleasant for a stroll before racing, and there are several good pubs and restaurants (including the Nut Shell, the smallest pub in the world).
The Angel is a very good hotel if you have the money, and the Ounce House is a very good, more reasonable alternative.
Is anyone else getting bored of this now?
Neither "camp" is going to be converted.
Probably not, but if it continues for another couple of pages, it might finally get me up to "Classic winner" status, six years after joining.
