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Mind Games: What turns you off (or on)

barjon

barjon

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Joined
Aug 2, 2020
Messages
4,535
Daft things really, but they all cost.

I can’t bring myself to back Johnston or Skelton horses because I think they are too hard on them, so don’t pay them enough attention.

Don’t pay enough attention to horses with daft names (eg: ahorsewithnoname or whenthedealisdone) either, because it irritates me that such noble beasts should be so disrespected.

Conversely, show too much loyalty to those whose name strikes a chord (eg: Sacred) without giving due attention to how they have run.

Get over-fixated that a horse trained by a “big gun” must have something about it.
 
Shite racing more than anything turns me off.

I reckon between the ages of maybe 20-30 I learned not to be influenced by such things in general.

Horses with awful names can win top races.

Horses bred in the purple can turn out to be donkeys.

I do probably have an over-fixation with the big handicaps, going back to the time faither landed an each-way ante-post double on Specify and Double Cream (both 33/1) in the Lincoln and National. I also remember him saying for weeks in advance that Young Ash Leaf was a certainty in the Scottish National that same year. I'm not sure how much he had on it but I recall he backed it several times in the lead-up to the race.

He also told me he packed in betting shortly after that because he had another big double ready to land but he was sure the second leg (the first won at a big price) wasn't off an inch and it sickened him. I was told years later that wasn't the truth; the truth was my mother's health took a serious turn and that my father then made a promise to God that if she pulled through he would never bet again. She did and he kept that promise till he died aged 80 in 2001, even though my mother died five years earlier aged just 69.

Jockeys like Jamie Spencer I usually let put me off but not always.

Other jockeys I see as public work riders and I usually let them put me off but not always. I'll usually double check to see if they've been successful on the horse, for the trainer, owner etc before deciding. But I'll always reduce my stake, unless they have an exceptional record for a trainer/owner, in which case I'll assume it's a 'job' and increase it.

At the risk of being accused of after-timing, my early betting successes tended to be in the bigger handicaps, starting with Specify, when I was 15. That was one of my first bets and wasn't influenced by my father. I remember being told I was the only one in the bookies who was on Bronze Hill when it won the Lincoln at 50/1. I had a 'fitted' raincoat I bought with my winnings off Ocean King in the Ces at 25/1. And that all carried on down through my betting years. The big handicaps, Flat and Jumps, have been very kind to me so hopefully my fixation for them is understandable.
 
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I was put off big handicaps by Alex Bird who was a friend of my father. “Whatever you do, young man, do not bet on handicaps if you want to make serious money at this game.” The only one he touched was the Grand National in the days where you could write off over half the field because they wouldn’t get round. Then it was really a play the market job for him, where his ante post bets virtually ensured a winning position whichever of the remaining horses won.
 
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Realising that the one that I backed was not off, trendy expressions (game as a pebble, pro cush etc). Red Rum (the fawning of basically a handicapper), not being old enough to be turned on by Himself (not really a turn off, just disappointed that I was too young)

Turn on's - Crisp's magnificent round of jumping round Aintree (stop watching after he jumps the last), Grundy v Bustino (broke track record by over 2 1/2 secs, that year's Arc winner tailed off etc etc), Frankel's Guineas (esp the commentator's "but at the bushes Frankel is 15 LENGTHS CLEAR!!"


Also we have an aftertimer double at huge odds , I also backed Bronze Hill (Split Second's?). I think that Southwark Star a couple of years later was also a SS sel, I remember backing that one too
 
Small fields
Non runners in 8 runner race ,rule 4 and only 2 places.
Trainers or commentators who say 'I think it should have a good chance today's when the horse is 5/4 fav.

I love big hcaps over up to a mile.so much excitement even if it doesnt always go to plan,like the 1.15 at the curragh.

Another thing that racks me off is when there is exceptional prize money and only 3 or 4 run.
 
I got a thing about Richard Hughes who to my mind is a bad trainer bprobably I'm wrong but I just don'back his.

On the otherhand William Buick to my mind is the best since Steve Cauthen. His timing is impeccable.
 
Think she was the exception to most people’s! I worked for her husband and she was not an easy person....
 
The fawning overkill on ITV racing reached a new low today, with her majesty levered into every conversation; even the most tenuously connected
 
Marb said:
Turn ons.

Each and every female ever broadcast on a television set from Emma Ramsden to Megan Nicholls. :)
Click to expand...

I'm as randy and hot-blooded a male as you'll ever come across (no disgusting pun intended) and can usually find an attraction in most women (whether it's their looks, wit, intelligence, etc) but seriously? Certainly for me, "turn on" would be far too strong an expression to apply.

I could probably count on the one hand the women I've met in all my years that I'd consider a "turn on" and they have all been very special.

But back to the cuddies..

It was probably Titus Oates and Nijinsky that really got me heavily into racing. I loved the way Titus Oates ran with his head close to the ground and Nijinsky's triple crown was news beyond the racing pages.

Red Rum was another equine hero for his Aintree exploits and I could never muster anything more than passive acceptance about Tiger Roll which is a shame because the wee fella wouldn't have known anything about how big an arsehole his owner is and it was the owner that made me shun the great wee horse.

Yes, commentary cliches and forced imagery do my nut in, eg "whips them in". Fvck off.

Seeing my horse not trying is definitely a turn-off but I've come to accept it's as likely as not an occurrence these days.

Some good stuff on this thread.
 
This is not intended to be sexist (but, as I'm a dinosaur you KNOW it will be:(). I hope that racing doesn't go the same way as football in that I could never imagine listening to the finish of a hot sprint race by a female commentator. I just think that in general a male's lower pitched voice is more suited to commentating. (I have no issue with female presenters)
 
I have no issue with women commentators so long as they're good at the job. Some of the women golf commentators are brilliant.

The one the BBC uses for football is awful but no worse than the men. The level of commentary these days is pretty awful. In truth, it pretty much always has been bar O'Sullevan at his peak (and he took 20 years too long to retire).

But then again, I am a genuinely very fussy bastert.
 
I do agree about racing male commentators being better to listen to. There are some excellent and very knowledgeable female presenters but a naturally higher pitched tone does not work well for a finishing commentary for example in my opinion.

But listening to Tina Cook (daughter of Josh Gifford and an excellent horsewoman) who commentated at Burghley Horse Trials last week was fine. I think it’s probably to do with the fact that women’s voice get higher as emotions kick in so it’s hard to listen to a higher tone.

Incidentally as a female, I know I get accused of “getting hysterical” if I get annoyed because my voice goes up...but I am probably no more heated than a male in the same situation....it just sounds like I am and it really annoys me. Especially as I cannot actually control how high my voice goes!
 
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jinnyj said:
Incidentally as a female, I know I get accused of “getting hysterical” if I get annoyed because my voice goes up...but I am probably no more heated than a male in the same situation....it just sounds like I am and it really annoys me. Especially as I cannot actually control how high my voice goes!
Click to expand...

Boot him in the baws and see how high his voice goes...
 
Desert Orchid said:
I'm as randy and hot-blooded a male as you'll ever come across (no disgusting pun intended) and can usually find an attraction in most women (whether it's their looks, wit, intelligence, etc) but seriously? Certainly for me, "turn on" would be far too strong an expression to apply.

I could probably count on the one hand the women I've met in all my years that I'd consider a "turn on" and they have all been very special.

But back to the cuddies..

It was probably Titus Oates and Nijinsky that really got me heavily into racing. I loved the way Titus Oates ran with his head close to the ground and Nijinsky's triple crown was news beyond the racing pages.

Red Rum was another equine hero for his Aintree exploits and I could never muster anything more than passive acceptance about Tiger Roll which is a shame because the wee fella wouldn't have known anything about how big an arsehole his owner is and it was the owner that made me shun the great wee horse.

Yes, commentary cliches and forced imagery do my nut in, eg "whips them in". Fvck off.

Seeing my horse not trying is definitely a turn-off but I've come to accept it's as likely as not an occurrence these days.

Some good stuff on this thread.
Click to expand...

I reassure you I was only joking, DO!
 

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