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I’ve just been to Tokyo for the Japan Cup. It’s a huge track, very friendly, highly recommend. I took in Kranji also, and found that good too, though much quieter.
Closer to home, I’d suggest a trip to Meydan. Dubai is a good place to visit, relatively speaking not that far.
Further afield, I’d happily return to Santa Anita and Flemington.
It’s worth noting that many tracks overseas are much cheaper to visit than courses here.
All that said we have great tracks in the UK…Aintree, Ascot, and of course, Cheltenham.Couldn’t agree more. The clash of the Durkan and the Peterborough ruined both. Ok, Davy Russell’s illness delayed things in Ireland, but with two other cards as well, Kelso and Cork, this has shown up yet again how RTV has too much racing and Sky Sports not enough.
One thing occurs to me – why not revert the Peterborough to a weekday, like the Halton Gold Cup. At least it would get the attention it deserves.I was privileged as a British racegoer to be present at Tokyo racecourse to see Oisin ride a brilliant race, moving up along the rail with less than a furlong to go to seize victory on a very talented horse – which I am glad to say I backed!
We all know Oisin is a brilliant rider, but this was his biggest win and makes him a real star for his few weeks in Japan.
As for Tokyo racecourse, it’s right up there with the likes of Santa Anita, as one of the best tracks to visit and watch very good racing.
I know it’s a long way from the UK, but if you can, go there.
And if you’re able, go to Kranji where two weeks ago I was at the Singapore Gold Cup.It is indeed very sad, but not surprising that Towcester won’t race again. The dog track and the free entry to meetings were bold but high risk endeavours that led in part to the ultimate closure.
I look back on more than 30 years of regular visits to the horse race meetings, especially enjoying the bitter cold in winter when national hunt sport seemed at its best.
It was always friendly, and welcoming…the ultimate horses for courses track.
British racing leads the world thanks to the variety of its courses. Towcester will be much missed.Having switched between ITV and RUK this afternoon, I believe the RUK presentation and professionalism is much superior. Nick Luck is the perfect anchor, and hearing Simon Holt calling some of the races is a reminder of what terrestrial viewers have lost. AP is improving as a performer, obviously what he says is worth hearing.
I’ve mixed feelings about losing C4. They were professional and slick, but rarely passionate, and too often boring. So ITV needs to recapture that enthusiasm, excitement, and passion, as well as building on the professionalism. Surely any idea of the on-course studio as on C4 with the presenters talking to each other and thumbing on the computer screen has to go. Everyone apart from the race commentator, should be outdoors. Frankie and AP would be naturals alongside an enthusiastic anchor person. Matt Chapman is a possible. His paddock interviews at Towcester races can irritate but do add atmosphere as do his greyhound commentaries. Jeff Stelling knows his racing and never lacks passion. And if Simon Holt is too tied to C4 to be picked then Mark Johnson is an enthusiastic race caller. There are as others have noted many race analysts. Don’t underrate Graham Cunningham continuing.
As a regular reader of The Times I shall much miss Alan Lee’s always thoughtful and well researched articles. I recall with particular pleasure the series of reports he did on each of Britain’s racecourses a few years ago. I have since visited all the tracks and can bear witness to the accuracy of what he wrote. I can remember seeing him at many tracks since, from the top grade to the humblest. A great loss. My thoughts with his family.
An incident that should never have happened. Will there be a full inquiry into it? One hopes, but doesn’t expect. Yes, I had a monetary interest, and did get a refund, but maybe because it was on terrestrial TV and not at some minor event, it won’t be forgotten. Thank goodness no injury to either horse or jockey.
It never ceases to amaze me the ignorance and indifference of some, if not most, BBC sports presenters to racing. I recall, I think last year, a BBC radio sports person describing the Cesarewitch as the “Caesar Which”. For a non-sports reporter, maybe excusable, but not for someone presumably knowledgeable about sport. Long gone are the days when the BBC showed remotely much interest in the sport. I can’t ever believe it will return to BBC TV. One almost longs at times for the Julian Wilson era. He may have irritated but he knew his stuff, and the coverage had a certain distinction to it.
Royal Ascot is different to other race meetings. The fashion, like or not, and I’m ambivalent, is a key part of the proceedings, and Gok was entertaining in his way. I enjoyed the C4 racing coverage and post race analysis. I found some of the build-up to the races on RUK preferable, aside from some awkward camera angles. Its easy to criticise. I can’t recall the previous BBC coverage as better. At times it verged on embarrassing and boring. C4 has a broad audience to appeal to, and by and large, I think its a much improved product. It’d be a poor thing if there was no terrestrial racing coverage, and that could become reality, as it virtually has for cricket.
First impression poor. Font far too small. Red the wrong colour. Difficult to navigate. Likely to deter people rather than encourage more comment. Why change something that didn’t need fixing? Or am I being a Luddite?
Agree it was a cold night but what a great atmosphere. Track first class. Viewing very good. Don’t know anything about dog racing, just the horses, but could get hooked. The whole set-up is very professional…and to be fair I thought Matt Chapman added to the excitement. Good luck to the course…but just be sure that the horse racing isn’t forgotten.
Time will tell whether the dog track catches on. It may. There again it could be a nine-day wonder. The media rights deal for coverage overseas is clearly the key focus. But as a horse racing lover and visitor to Towcester for about 40 years I find the move sad, and just hope it doesn’t mean the complete demise of the track for the sport. The free admission has pulled in huge crowds. Even when there’s been a £10 charge the crowds have been good – testament to the atmosphere of the place and the challenge of the course. So, let’s hope this is just a temporary diminution of fixtures and more can be restored to the list by 2016. It would be nice to be reassured the management aren’t so bowled over by the dogs that they forget the core appeal of the place.
Couldn’t agree more with all that’s been said. I think the coverage lacks warmth and humour. Yes racing is a serious business, but it is a sport, it should be fun, certainly for the viewers. Derek Thompson was an essential player in the line-up. John Francome too. And let’s not lose sight of Alistair Down, briefly caught on camera yesterday at Chepstow. His knowledge mixed in with his avuncular approach made him an ideal presenter. As the first year of the new regime is up the only consolation is that Simon Holt is still in the commentary box.
Agree it would be great if C4 decided to cover every race at other festival meetings, notably Cheltenham and maybe Aintree.
Think the overall coverage by C4 was good. Somehow the ads didn’t seem as intrusive as on other days.
Top prize has to go Simon Holt for his immaculate faultless commentary. Surely a first in itself for a TV commentator to call every race, and given the huge fields for all the handicaps this was a huge achievement.I was in the stands right by the run-in and I could see no time that Nick S had to stop riding or was impeded. There was great surprise at the reversal. It looked a straightforward placings remain unaltered, with maybe a telling-off/warning for the jockey on the first past the post. Kim Bailey who trained the horse declared the winner seemed surprised, perhaps a little embarrassed that he’d got the race in the stewards room. It does raise the question of consistency of decisions, a bit like football refereeing.
I agree that the new…it is almost six months old..Channel 4 set-up remains a work in progress though I think Graham Cunningham’s incisive comments are a bonus. What would help was if we saw Clare Balding more often. She is supposedly the head honcho but her broadcasting talent, which is rightly being rewarded at the academy TV awards tonight, is spread too widely and with the BT channel even more so. Racing coverage needs to see its programme anchors regularly. The old C4 set-up was perfect from that point of view. When Clare is on duty there is an added gravitas to the show…and yes I believe she was right to ask that question after the Guineas. Had she avoided it, she and the programme would have been rightly criticised.
