Arse Cup

Originally posted by an capall@May 10 2008, 02:56 PM
It's hard not to love Emma.
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:eek:

Not my type at all. I don't think I could use the word 'pretty' when describing her looks unless it was to qualify the word 'ugly'.
 
Alice Plunkett was on form at Chester. Her post-race interview with Dettori as he came back after riding the first winner ("Well, I'm joined by Frankie, the winning jockey....whoooooooh!") was bad enough but this was followed by a brown-nosing interview of epic proportions with Richard Thomas about the racecourse's swanky new "1539" restaurant.

Her introductory "question" set the tone: "Now, you're a genius, you've not only organised the weather but the facilities, the new facilities here at Chester are second-to-none, I've never seen anything like this on a racecourse."

Astonishingly, Thomas agreed.

Plunkett followed up with this - reasonable - question: "Is this a private members' club or can anyone come here?"

Thomas gave a rambling reply about the number of diners who could eat there but failed to answer the question. Instead of pressing for an answer, Plunkett moved on: "One of the things I love about Chester is the great tradition, as you've said [he hadn't] this restaurant is named after when racing started here, one of the oldest racecourses in the country, in the world probably, but you're always moving forward and it's all about innovation..."

Again, Thomas could find nothing in that with which he could argue.

Finally, on the subject of the racecourse generally: "...and it has its very own style and class, the standard of what the customer can expect seems to be second to none."

Thomas concurred.

Nobody expects a Paxman-style grilling of these people but wouldn't it have been reasonable to ask what the restaurant replaced, how much it cost to eat there, whether it had been developed to the detriment of facilities for the ordinary racegoer, whether in fact the ordinary racegoer could actually eat there and so on?

It reminds me of Derek Thompson's interview with the grinning Kim Deshayes at Newmarket a few years back when Deshayes was showing him round the new Millennium Stand. In the course of the PR blurb from Deshayes, Thompson ventured a very tentative question along the lines of there being those - not Tommo, you understand - who had suggested that the stand didn't cater to the needs of the ordinary customer. Deshayes' response: "Of course it does, Derek." It didn't as it turned out and remedial work was later required but Tommo's relief at successfully negotiating this particular issue was almost palpable.
 
Entirely agree, Gus.

No need to Paxo the interviewee, but just listening to the answer (or non-answer), and then responding with an intelligent follow-up question is not asking too much, is it?

I well remember Thommo's embarrassing interview on the subject of the eye-wateringly expensive restaurant in the Millennium stand. If his tongue had been any further up Deshayes's arse it would would have been poking out of his navel.
 
Originally posted by betsmate@May 10 2008, 08:25 PM
And who is the winner? Is it an annual award? How is the winner determined? Are they notified of their success? What is the prize?

We need to know.
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The much-missed (although he can still be found on Final Furlong) Terry conducted the original Arse Cup on here a couple of years ago. It was a knock-out competition in which the Arse nominees competed head-to-head (or should that be arse-to-arse?) for our votes.

After much hilarity, Derek "Thommo" Thompson managed to hold-off a late rally from Wille C-arse-on and justify ante-post favouritism.

Since then, it has been suggested that The Arse Cup be repeated annually but it is probably not really necessary. Instead, this thread acts a never ending journal of Arse.

I think Terry tried to resurrect The Arse Cup on Final Furlong last year, but the concept didn't really catch on over there. For some reason, they just didn't quite seem to "get it" and it wasn't anywhere near as funny as The TH Arse Cup.

By the way, did anyone else notice Willie Carson cackling-on about "Christy" Milczarek yesterday?
 
Things were so bad on ATR yesterday afternoon that I was desperate enough to turn over to BBC's coverage, something that I very rarely do, don't cover much racing do they! and lo and behold Willie and Rishi!!!!...............oh my gawd.
 
Originally posted by Gamla Stan@May 11 2008, 12:32 AM
Anyone see the cringeworthy Hollyoaks feature on Friday?

Brutal.
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Worse than brutal - and that Irish bird wants murdering in her sleep. A fashion expert? Did you get an eyeful of what she was wearing every day?! Horrendous, truly horrendous.

I can see where you get your theory from Warbler - although maybe Ms Ramsden is planning on making herself the face of Ch4 racing rather than anyone else asking her to be?! Although her appearance has improved, she's still shocking with the rubbish that she comes out with - several times this week I've had involuntary outbursts of "what?!?!" after listening to a lot of the guff she comes out with. All the deferring to her by Jim McGrath at Chester viz-a-viz "well, you know all about the track having ridden round it" and making out she's the world's greatest jockey was cringeworthy too.

If you're looking for most improved female on Ch4 it has to be Tanya really. She has got a lot better than she was even if some of her reading of the "machine" can be dubious at best! I think she tends to big up what she wants to have been backed, rather than what has actually been backed sometimes....

I agree with Colin about Rishi and Willie though - they make the Ch4 lot look like a bunch of geniuses.
 
Well having taken a swipe at the sexism of the show, I suppose i ought to declare myself as a hypocrit in so much that if I were the Director, then Emma would probably be my choice to push forward and give her the chance to establish herself as the face of Ch4 racing purely because she is more televisual. Alright Desert Orchid might disagree with me, but some how I doubt we'll be reading that she's been found with a hosepipe attached to her exhaust any time soon at being denounced by Dessie :D .

As regards her illustrious riding career, I did check if there was anything in the RP database about her record round the Roodee, as it half occurred to me that she might have a better S/R than her husband, whose only had 4 winners in the last 5 seasons there. Alas, Miss E Ramsden is still registered as a jockey in their database it would appear, but they only go back 5 years

Tanya might very well have improved, but in truth I never thought she was that bad in the first place. She at least gave the impression that she put the homework in unlike some of the others who couldn't tip a waiter.
 
Originally posted by Warbler@May 11 2008, 04:58 PM
As regards her illustrious riding career, I did check if there was anything in the RP database about her record round the Roodee, as it half occurred to me that she might have a better S/R than her husband, whose only had 4 winners in the last 5 seasons there. Alas, Miss E Ramsden is still registered as a jockey in their database it would appear, but they only go back 5 years
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Emma Ramsden finished 2nd on her only ride at Chester on Maiden Voyage.
 
Originally posted by Warbler@May 11 2008, 03:58 PM
...but some how I doubt we'll be reading that she's been found with a hosepipe attached to her exhaust any time soon at being denounced by Dessie :D .
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I can't think of anyone that would. After all, I am to televisuality what Tommo is to tipping.
 
Originally posted by Warbler@May 11 2008, 03:58 PM
......it half occurred to me that she might have a better S/R than her husband, whose only had 4 winners in the last 5 seasons there. ....

Tanya might very well have improved, but in truth I never thought she was that bad in the first place. She at least gave the impression that she put the homework in unlike some of the others who couldn't tip a waiter.
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Which all goes to show how useless the fellow is at courses which favour front runners :rolleyes:

I think we just have to accept that Ch4 and BBC are aimed at the 'afternoon audience' - a totally different clientele from the kind of punters who join internet racing forums. At least they seem to grasped the nettle of these people not being put off by the Neanderthal attitudes of McCririck and his ilk. Alice's gushing at Chester was imo a concerted effort to 'get ordinary people to go racing' ie not be intimidated by it, and I think that's what the new slant of Ch4 is intended to achieve [whether they are going about it the right way remains to be seen!]

The real but different problem for most of us [you!] lies with the racing channels, esp atr
I'm stuck with terrestrial for now, but tbh I let it all wash over me except when I can't see the horses in the parade ring because they're focussing on g*ddam frocks - or even worse off ars*licking up at Michael Owen's gaff etc etc :angy:

I too like Tanya a lot, and I wonder if she didn't get tired of carrying McCririck and put her little foot down?
 
I did wonder whether there were any biscuits called Mariettas but I'd never heard of one! Must be a Paddy thing......:P

Tanya doesn't really mind McCririck from what I can see, the general attitude is sighing and laughing when he's rude or forgets things. I don't think she'd have a lot to do with it or indeed that she'd have the power in the first place to get rid of him. Remember that there is no question of cutting down his midweek performances which makes it look like it's a decision concerning the masses seeing him on a weekend rather than anything else.
 
That makes sense! ie Don't frighten the horses - the horses in this sense being old dears and flighty young ladies, and anyone else who might think Victorian-length sideburns and Sherlock Holmes hats are off-puttingly passee
 
Thompson's interview with Paul Howling in the paddock at York before Generous Thought's race was truly appalling. Discussing the horse's good run at Newbury last time out, Howling lamented the fact that the horse had gone up considerably in the weights for finishing a short-head second. Thompson's response: "Yes, but he's still a winner without a penalty..."
 
I have to say I missed McCricrick on Saturday - I couldn't understand a word that gabbling goon with Tanya was saying :rolleyes: At least McC enunciates properly
 
Was the surge in traffic on this thread the reason for the site crashing?

BBC Coverage of the Oaks and Derby, discuss.
 
Didnt see any of it, tell a lie, when RUK went to Musselburgh I did switch over for a short time..............Rishi and Willie.........say n'more.

Why would anyone with access to an alternative watch BBC coverage of racing?
 
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