Forum Replies Created
- Posts
The problem is not which trainer wins or where they are based but how competitive the race is. In the last ten runnings of the Champion Hurdle 8 favourites have won, 5 at odds on.
When Peter Easterby was winning the race were many possible winners as evidenced by the outcome when the horses met at various times during the season.
I have nothing against Willie Mullins. I do however regret the transformation of the Cheltenham Festival into Irish racing. Look at the small fields in the non-handicaps of day 1 and 2 and contrast with what was happening 10 or twenty years ago. The number of runners in NH racing so far this month show it is in serious decline. I used to prefer NH racing to the flat, but that has changed – Contrast how many trainers have won a Champion Hurdle in the past ten years with earlier decades, its getting more like Formula One!
How can one take seriously a race where 7 of 9 are trained by some one named O’Brien?
The favourite will win but it will prove nowtOf Sunday’s meetings, excluding Punchestown, 21 jumps races have a total of around 135 runners – though probably less than that by 2-00pm on the day.
Which lunatic makes these plans?
Yet again, on Saturday evening, there was the farce of jumps races with half the obstacles omitted, yet Chelmsford raced in the afternoon and would surely have been a better choice for an evening meeting.Nicholls made a fool of himself. That the going became heavy would have happened with or without the watering.
Since the arrival of Covid I have switched to a digital version of Racing Post and have saved £££££.
This format is very good value, though a recent update to the app works much better on iphone/ipad than androidDavid Allan and Tim Easterby ignored, cannot remember seeing a race where the winning jockey was not interviewed.
Probably to make room for the meaningless crap where we saw the public quaffing champagne and the extensive verbiage about Snowfall which how many of us needed.
Total lack of respect, had Murphy or Detorri been on board would not have happened.
I have parted with ever-increasing sums for a paper Racing Post daily for many years. The Covid-19 situation and my need to isolate meant I considered the online paper for the first time. The offer was irresistible and even when full price kicks in provides a considerable saving. I won’t be going back to paper, using a tablet is good enough for me.
I have a Sky Sport subscription because I want to watch football. 2019 saw racing added to the sport I can view. In the past few days I watched several races on Sky which have been delayed with the explanation being that it is due to waiting for a race elsewhere, i.e. in Ireland, to finish.
I watch Racing UK races via my bookmaker’s site or after the event with Sporting Life. What a shambles on Jan 1st! Races from Cheltenham and Fairyhouse being shown split screen! Later on there was the same with a race from Tramore. Why cannot Racing UK get its act together? I would not part with a penny for such an inferior service.
June 5th
Two afternoon jumps meetings 14 races 86 runners
One afternoon flat 8 races 96 runners (12 noon start finished by 3-45!!!!!)
Two evening flat meetings 14 races 165 runnersSTILL BONKERS
June 4
No turf flat meetings
2 AW evening flat meetings 13 races 139 runners
2 afternoon jumps meetings 13 races 99 runners (but how many non-runners on the day?)
BONKERS!
yeats, I understand your moral objections to FOBTs. Your reasoning around the economics of machines V horse racing is utterly wrong.
The cost of media rights (controlled by racetracks) and the level of knowledge and skill among punters has combined to make racing a product that is close to untenable from a business viewpoint, especially in shops with the attendant costs – rates, rent, staff etc. It’s not a choice for bookmakers between the ‘risk’ of taking bets on racing and encouraging FOBT use. Why would anyone sell a product on which they make no money or little money, and in many cases lose money?
FOBTs are keeping many shops open. Believe me, I’ve seen the figures. No FOBTs means losing about half the High St shops. If that happens racecourses start closing and racing’s demise comes closer. If you have no objection to that, then that’s fine. But don’t carry on in the belief that once FOBTs are gone, bookies will happily start selling racing again. That won’t happen.
I live in a medium sized town in the north Midlands. In the town centre there are 2 Ladbrokes, 2 Hills, 2 Betfred and 1 Coral and 6 others within a mile or so, not including independents. Punters would hardly be inconvenienced by losing half of them, The introduction of FOBTs incentivised more shops than were needed by punters, though I admit you are correct in doubting bookies will return to selling racing again.
The victories of Coneygree and Cole Harden stand out, for obvious reasons, while the ride AP gave Uxizandre has also rightfully been highlighted in this thread.
My major negative was the dominance of the Mullins stable; I’ve nothing against the guy but surely having one superpower steamrolling all the opposition can’t be good? Oh well; I suppose it makes the victories of the smaller yards all the sweeter.
I share to some extent your reservations about the Mullins stable, as I feel the same about similar dominance in other sports such as Tiger Woods in golf, it is a double edged sword. However I cannot fault Mullins in his attitude – his self-effacement and respect for his rivals do him great credit.
The highlight was Coneygree, not for who bred, trained or owned him but for what the horse did on the day. Look at the time for the race, despite the going. Look at the impact of the pace he set on most of his rivals. On similar going he has every chance of repeating his success.
Fat Al Down is a pretentious dullard who never uses one word where a whole essay (and one where banging on about Arkle is obligatory) would do. The man is incredibly boring, but sadly the Fryite-Pollingiste tendency get tumescent over every word the old **** says.
As has been said the recent article on J T McNamara was excellent. His writing may not be as consistent as it was 30 years ago but his humour and humanity remain. The poster quoted can hardly complain about literary style and comprehensibility. But knocking copy is very easy to write. Has Down not given you sufficient attention?
As a database developer I am astonished that usernames and passwords had to be altered/re-registered.
That does not mean I do not appreciate the efforts of Corm and others in sustaining this site
