Derby Day...popularity.

jinnyj

jinnyj

Senior Jockey
Joined
Jan 8, 2004
Messages
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For many years the Derby has been in decline in popularity (I personally liked the Wednesday version) so if they want to big it up, why don’t they just have one big day comprising of:

A two year old Stakes race
The Oaks
A top quality 1m 2f handicap
The Coronation Cup
The Dash
The Derby

Or would this not work?
 
jinnyj said:
For many years the Derby has been in decline in popularity (I personally liked the Wednesday version) so if they want to big it up, why don’t they just have one big day comprising of:

A two year old Stakes race
The Oaks
A top quality 1m 2f handicap
The Coronation Cup
The Dash
The Derby

Or would this not work?
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I'm not so sure that would work but i have to agree with you about the Wednesday. It was a stand out fixture then but these days it usually gets lost in a football tournament or whatever. We will probably both (and many more on here) remember the MASSIVE crowds that covered the whole course back in the day.

Nothing like that now.

(And John Batten isnt very happy about it :LOL:)
 
I can't have that it's better on a Wednesday - the number of races I've missed over the years cause I've been working at the time is ridiculous.
 
Very hard course for punters to win at.I amazed my friends by having a massive £16 on Nashwan at 13/8 but cannot think of a decent result I've had at the course in the last 35 years.
 
LUKE said:
Very hard course for punters to win at.I amazed my friends by having a massive £16 on Nashwan at 13/8 but cannot think of a decent result I've had at the course in the last 35 years.
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Wings of eagles 40/1 in the Derby springs to mind :lolup: :drink:
 
Just been on Wikipedia -my only Derby winner since Nashwan has been New Approach -and that was a modest enough bet.Mad considering the Grand National has been very kind to me.
 
LUKE said:
Just been on Wikipedia -my only Derby winner since Nashwan has been New Approach -and that was a modest enough bet.Mad considering the Grand National has been very kind to me.
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You didn't trust Caspian Prince!
 
simmo said:
I can't have that it's better on a Wednesday - the number of races I've missed over the years cause I've been working at the time is ridiculous.
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Echo.

Far better on a Saturday.

Not at all keen on a one-day card either.

Did they experiment with a Saturday-Sunday meeting a few years ago, with the Oaks on the Sunday?

I'd be in favour of that. It works with the Guineas.
 
Now that I'm long retired I can watch midweek events as easily as those at the weekend but, of course, there is rather more competition for my sporting attention at weekends. I can't help but feel that events like the Derby move to the weekend to get more coverage but end up being sidelined because of the competition.
Back in the day, the Derby wasn't an event, it was an Event. It was special because people took time off work to attend or simply watch on TV. The Melbourne Cup stops Australia because it's run on a Tuesday. On a Saturday it would just be a valuable handicap competing for media coverage. Cheltenham might like to reflect on this.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Did they experiment with a Saturday-Sunday meeting a few years ago, with the Oaks on the Sunday?
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The first Saturday Derby was a three day affair , with The Oaks Friday, Derby Saturday and the Dash Sunday.
Sunday was miserably wet so we stayed in London , watching events in a bookie's .
If I recall Jason Weaver did overweight in the sprint and was beaten in a photo; Mark Johnson was not best amused.
A Sunday Oaks would clash with either French Derby or Oaks , depending on the year.
 
archie said:
Now that I'm long retired I can watch midweek events as easily as those at the weekend but, of course, there is rather more competition for my sporting attention at weekends. I can't help but feel that events like the Derby move to the weekend to get more coverage but end up being sidelined because of the competition.
Back in the day, the Derby wasn't an event, it was an Event. It was special because people took time off work to attend or simply watch on TV. The Melbourne Cup stops Australia because it's run on a Tuesday. On a Saturday it would just be a valuable handicap competing for media coverage. Cheltenham might like to reflect on this.
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Totally agree mate. Obviously there will be plenty like us, just as there will be plenty who like it on a Saturday. Opinions eh ? :)

But Derby day years ago when it was on a Wednesday was basically an unofficial Bank Holiday. People took the day off in their masses. It was a big thing then. To me, nowadays, it just blends in with the rest of the Saturday sport and just like the Grand national, the start time is regularly moved so it doesnt clash with whatever other sport is taking place that day.

As for Cheltenham on a Saturday. Four days is too much, five would bore the pants off me.
 
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Just watched the draw on RTV.
The studio captions were a disaster, wrong draw accorded to City Of Troy, a mix of trainer and jockey beside each runner.
The town centre draw for the Greatest Race was worse than a village hall raffle for a box of biscuits.
Jesus tonight !
 
The Derby had a run of great winners but nothing has come close to equaling that period

Winners became heroes almost automatically like Santa Clause, Sea Bird, Charlottown, Royal Palace. Sir Ivor Nijinsky. Mill Reef.

In the last 20 years only Sea The Stars and Golden Horn have really crabbed the imagination.

I do like Jenny's idea but it won't do much to actually change the Derby.

I don't know if it comes too soon in the season or the prestige/stud value has declined for winner but something has to be done

Moving it from Saturday to a Wednesday is unimportant to the Derby itself and won't make an ounce of difference.
 
That has been the story of the Derby Tanlic.
Between the World Wars there may have been at best four decent ones, at best.
The race on a hump back track tests every nerve, every joint, every muscle of horse and rider.
That is the beauty of the race .
Epsom Derby 1977 had it's own stage show; I would love to see it sometime.
Derby Day is an old b/w movie based on raceday.
There are a myriad of history in the region, the stables, the Downs and the race itself.
The race has survived 245 years FFS; we need to see it reach 250 years plus before Global Warming, superbugs and mass migration take us all over and Father Time calls time for us one at a time or all together.
 
archie said:
Now that I'm long retired I can watch midweek events as easily as those at the weekend but, of course, there is rather more competition for my sporting attention at weekends. I can't help but feel that events like the Derby move to the weekend to get more coverage but end up being sidelined because of the competition.
Back in the day, the Derby wasn't an event, it was an Event. It was special because people took time off work to attend or simply watch on TV. The Melbourne Cup stops Australia because it's run on a Tuesday. On a Saturday it would just be a valuable handicap competing for media coverage. Cheltenham might like to reflect on this.
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What would be the sporting competition on a Saturday in early June, archie?

The football's finished.

The only competition I can think of is our town's Gala Day and that will be as good as finished by 4.30pm.

(I well remember hastily ushering my last class on Champion Hurdle Tuesday in 2003 out of the room bang on the bell so that I could switch on the portable telly I kept in my resource cupboard in time to catch Rooster Booster earn me 'herodom' among my colleagues as I'd persuaded them to get stuck in. Thank God for retirement.)
 
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