Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Reading Paul Haigh’s blog – I don’t think I want to watch the Beeb’s coverage.
What is the address of that blog? I only know of The Guardian one, and that is rarely updated.
The Fall’s latest album, which is nearly as good as Country On The Click and The Unutterable: which are their best albums since their 80s peak. I skipped most of their 90s stuff as I hated that indie-dance-crossover sound (i.e., Happy Mondays); though I did love the (commercial) dance music from that time, the kind that is compiled on albums called ‘Old Skool’ and always have N-Trance – Set You Free and Livin Joy – Believer on.
I was all ready to back Getaway (my immediate reaction being that 5/4 is fair) but I’m a bit worried by what happened in this race last year, with Scorpian winning after a stop-start gallop set by Septimus.
I see O Brien has got two in this race again: a classy 1m4f-er, Soldier Of Fortune (like Scorpian), and a thorough stayer, Macarthur (like Septimus). I don’t know how they can beat Getaway, who has as much stamina and (probably) a better turn-of-foot than them, but I wouldn’t be suprised if he has something in mind,
I think Royal And Regal has to be a lay at this price.
He was only beaten a head last time; but by Geordieland(!), not Yeats, so it’s not that great form. And he had a hard enough race.
Yes as LetsGetRacing said: it’s just because they put fewer articles on the web nowadays, Willoughby’s work hasn’t decreased. Also The Trading Post and The Tips Box-thing only appear after 12 (it used to be 10).
I’m not suprised as I used to be amazed by how much they let you read for free on the web.
I think the journalistic content is brilliant… but then, Willoughby is probably my favourite RP journalist while I can’t stand Clement Freud’s column, so I seem to value different things to the majority of readers!
In The Racing Post’s Verdict for this race it says [i:2lamxz9h]’it is possible that [New Approach] was prepared for his first Classic assignment with a prolonged campaign in mind, and may have a little more potential for improvement than a rival who looked very well tuned for the day’.[/i:2lamxz9h]
I’m confused: have they got the names mixed-up? I’m not saying that he’s wrong but it’s the opposite of the general consensus.
I watched a program on ITV yesterday where a bloke was competing against a celebrity (the bloke who plays Andy in Emmerdale), and they were putting their hands into a box and handling a toy-animal and then trying to guess what the animal was, to a backdrop of bright flashing lights, random explosions, loud sirens and a gurning Vernon Kay. It felt like viewing the World through the eyes of someone having a mental-breakdown.
When a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I remember wanting to work with animals; an assistant at Pet World or something.What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
‘you can’t get milk from a hamster: you can squeeze it and squeeze it but you will just break one of its legs’.What’s your favourite journey?
I don’t have a favourite journey. Is that unusual?Do you think there is too much racing in Britain?
Yes. But if the banded races were removed (which is what I’m presuming this question is getting at), what would happen to those horses rated 0-45? I would rather they re-introduce all-banded meetings rather than letting banded races drag down the quality of average meetings; that way the bookmakers would get what they want (lots of racing) and the bad stuff would be separate, and easy to ignore.Should the whip be banned?
No but I think when the whip is obviously over-used there should be a steward’s enquiry called, and the horse possibly be disqualified. Otherwise there is little point in having the rule as it’s meaningless when it comes to the top races where the reward exceeds the punishment.If there was one thing you could change about your life, what would it be?
I would quite like claws.What’s your favourite/least favourite racecourse?
York / Wetherby (it always seems to be cold and windy).What’s your favourite sport outside racing?
Football; though I’m not that keen on it, it’s just my second-favourite sport by default as I hate nearly all other sports.Sum yourself up in five words.
Arms. Legs. Body. Head. Feet.What was the last film you saw?
A horror film (on Sky’s The Horror Channel) about a dustbin that is possessed by Satan. I was drunk enough for it to seem entertaining (and frighteningly plausible).What was the last book you read?
The New York Trilogy (Auster)What was the best day of your racing life?
The Cheltenham Festival 2004: my first time there, and everything went right for me.Who’s your favourite horse ever?
I have so many… er, George Washington (and Kauto Star is my favourite living horse).Dogs or cats?
I prefer Jack Russels and Airedale Terriers to cats. I prefer cats to Dobermans. I would need to draw a diagram to give an accurate answer.Favourite holiday destination – in Britain and abroad
Lake District. New York.You’re invited to a fancy dress party – who will you go as?
Hitler.What would you choose as your last meal?
I don’t have a favourite food. I think food is over-rated. I’d just ask for a bottle of gin.What is the first big decision you would make if you took over racing?
It would be a reform. I would reduce the number of bodies and offices which are involved in behind-the-scenes decision-making, and make the structure more transparent (changing their names to something more directly descriptive would help): each one to represent, and be responsible, for something and to be clearly accountable if they don’t deal with it; and to somehow rid them of nepotism, establish a meritocracy.Why is it so remarkable to expect people to behave in a civilised manner whatever the circumstances? This is exactly the problem of becoming too tolerant – it is okay as long as it doesn’t affect me – the I am all right Jack society. If people did stay away and left it to you and the yobs someone might actually try and enforce a few standards of behaviour.
But all of these people aren’t actually committing a crime! So what is everyone actually suggesting? that racecourses employ a foot-patrol to walk around and ‘shush’ people when they get a bit too loud? It’s so futile to complain about it; and that’s why I ignore it.
The way this is talked about nowadays (not just on here), I think people have amalgamated these loud-people-at-racecourses with other things, i.e, newspaper articles about ‘hoodie’-violence and footage of binge-drinking women that they see on the news every night, into a panic-inducing whole: all because they share the common thread of alcohol, and feature young-ish people. But I’ve never seen anything that has put me off going again (at York).
A lot of posters will pull faces at this, but its always struck me as being a bit worse in the north than the south. There is far more of a boozingforthe hellofit culture up there and also thsi strange desire to get legless during the day (which i can never understand). Seen it bad at Donny, York and Ripon
quote]I was about to say the opposite!: though there are always rowdy-ish gangs of men and women at York who are obviously only there for the drinking, they’re mainly non-threatening, not that much louder than regular racegoers (like me) and easy to ignore. I’ve certainly never seen a fight, which is remarkable when you consider that lots of people are losing money while drinking heavily, in the midst of a frenzied crowd and often in uncomfortably hot weather.
But if this coming Friday it’s got worse, and it’s like these nightmare scenarios that have been described here, I would think it’s a bit pathetic to let them drive me away – maybe I can just tolerate it better, because when I go to any public place I’m willing to accept that there maybe people there who I wouldn’t choose to hang around with in my private life.
Travelled really well… looks like O’ Brian will dominate the long-distance races this year with him, Yeats and Septimus.
I think Macarthur is a good lay-to-back: he will be held-up and I expect will need enough pushing and shoving from his jockey for him to drift a bit.
I think there are a few relatively-unexposed horses who could improve and win this. It looks a tough betting-race to me.
If you look through the Trainer Quotes for Multidimensional there are several excuses about him ‘not getting the cover he needs’, ‘not getting the pace he likes’ and him needing soft ground!
So I agree with David Johnson’s comment too.
Installment 3 of 3:
I’ve managed to back him at bigger than I laid him, for a guranteed profit of £10. I’m about to watch the race with my feet up, feeling like Sir Lordship Of Kings.
Fin.
Oh dear…
I see Royal Oath is a non-runner now. I don’t think laying Cesare is so wise now as you’re likely to be relying on one horse.
Unfortunately I’ve already laid him. Damn.
My favourite comedy is, by some way, Seinfeld.
Then I like Reeves And Mortimer (just reading the summaries of these recurring sketches has me laughing, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_Bang, … d_Mortimer), The Day Today / Brass Eye, The Office; and two which I’m surprised haven’t been mentioned: Roseanne (the early ones) and Fraiser (the early ones, then it went rubbish, then the final series when it was good again). I liked Peep Show too, but I think it lost it around Series 3.
As for standups, I think the funniest standup performance that I’ve ever seen is Dylan Moran’s Monster (his follow-up, Like Totally, was poor though). I’ve never understood the appeal of Bill Hicks: he just seems to rant about obvious ‘counter culture’ themes in an overly aggressive manner, make ugly jokes about pornography (the Goatboy stuff is just bafflingly unfunny) and preach his pop-philosophy; unless I’ve missed something.
And I still buy Viz every month as the written content is often hilarious.
