Be brave?

Desert Orchid

Desert Orchid

Senior Jockey
Joined
Aug 2, 2005
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I'm just curious about whether any forum contributors had an input into the discussions that arrived at these reforms?

New 'Premier' top tier for British racing as wide-ranging fixture list reforms revealed | Racing Post

I'm open-minded about them, happy to see how they unfold but slightly worried that they will involve more form study for the 'premierised' racing.

I would also have liked to see a cap on entry fees - say £20 generally or £25 to the festival meetings - because one way to get the public to engage with the sport is to get them to go to the track.

For this reason I would also want to see a cap on the prices of food and drink.

(20 or so years ago one of my fourth year pupils told me she made 'about £200' per day per weekend selling fast food from a van at events. At the time I was knocking my pan in trying to get through to 150 kids per day five days a week plus all the evening work for a lot less than that.)
 
Another sop to the bookmaking industry.
What a crazy way to run a railway.:nono:
 
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I think today was a good example of why Saturday's need de-cluttering

There was a delay at Chester and twice races at 3 different meetings went off at the same time

They are saying there will be better quality on Sundays so there will be some meetings moved, again tomorrow is a good example of why we need better Sundays

3 jumps meetings of absolute fodder, there's only 30 odd declared at Kelso over 7 races

NH racing is not a Summer sport and needs binning from May until mid September
 
I moaned this morning but actually I reckon Cartmel was probably a better watch than Haydock. Kirkland needs fuckking for the watering - I was there for Harry Angel's Sandy Lane not that long ago and the ground was firm but fair. The rail bias the last two days basically ruined the straight track racing.
 
Truncheon said:
I think today was a good example of why Saturday's need de-cluttering

There was a delay at Chester and twice races at 3 different meetings went off at the same time
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So what? I doubt those in attendance at Chester and Cartmel were all that bothered by this and I don't think people watching on ITV4 would have cared.

The smaller courses will be put out of business without lucrative Saturday fixtures for very little gain elsewhere. Indeed racing may actually lose engagement as if people can't attend a local track then they will just spend their money elsewhere.
 
I was against Sunday racing when it was introduced (partly because I felt the industry should have a day off and why not a Sunday), then when it was introduced I realised how poor the far on offer was. I recall Doncaster - I think - put on a £20k handicap on a Sunday and that got me more interested but the racing by and large on Sundays is still betting fodder.

I'm still in favour of the idea of a blank day for health & wellbeing reasons.

The recently introduced Sunday League piqued my interest when I read how much money was being pumped into it but when I started looking at the racing I was disappointed - from a purely personal point of view - that most handicaps had a rating ceiling of 90 or so. It's good for owners that donkeys can run for decent money but I don't have the time or inclination to extend my studies to lower levels. I seldom even watch the Sunday League when it's on.

As I said at the start, I have an open mind about the new proposals. If they prove successful then they will justify themselves but the bottom line - for me - is that racing as an industry will not progress until we get rid of bookmakers, at least off course. So long as they are running racing and taking out huge amounts of money the industry is donald-ducked, just like all the other industries from which money is being syphoned away.
 
Euronymous said:
I moaned this morning but actually I reckon Cartmel was probably a better watch than Haydock. Kirkland needs fuckking for the watering - I was there for Harry Angel's Sandy Lane not that long ago and the ground was firm but fair. The rail bias the last two days basically ruined the straight track racing.
Click to expand...

I only had the racing on in the background yesterday when I was watching the fitba' and I ended up wondering about a golden highway up the nearside rail. I take it it wasn't my imagination kicking into overdrive again?
 
Kelso a bit grim today .. and of course the old favourite at Uttoxeter to pull in the interest of the public ... the 2 horse 3miler opener

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