Money for jumps

[Quixall Crossett]

The clowns with the "Road To Cheltenham" (shouldnt that be the road to Benidorm and the Costas now ??? ) will be along in a few weeks and as has been mentioned, podcasts aplenty will be popping up to focus on the only meeting of the jump season.

What morons !!!!!!

I can guarantee that the only time i will be mentioning the Cheltenham Festival is to moan that it takes away the spotlight from those four days at Sedgefield, Huntingdon, Hexham and Fakenham.

 

[Gullible]

Some are heralding the demise of the point to point scene and they may be right but if it does go NH will very soon follow

 

[Danny]

Some are heralding the demise of the point to point scene and they may be right but if it does go NH will very soon follow

Is the demise more over in England Gordon ? I thought over in Ireland it was still going well with a lot of big money being paid for Irish pointers ?

I know very little about point to point so excuse if im wide of the mark.

 

[Ian_Davies]

For if they all knew what they were talking about we'd be fucked.

% - back in the days when I had a career in London I was once at a supermarket check out one lunch time in Canary Wharf with a colleague buying our lunch.

The young lady on the check out was struggling and he started berating her.

I pulled him to one side out of earshot of others and said: "Number one - you're a 40yo man and she's a teenage girl, you were a bullying **** in there and I will never spend another second in your company if you ever behave like that again. Number two, she was doing her best and, with the best will in the world, she's probably not the sharpest knife in the box. That's why she does the job she does. Who do you expect to serve you at a supermarket checkout - Stephen f$%^ing Hawking? Just be glad not everyone is the smartest in this world otherwise it might be you doing a job like that instead of the well paid, piss easy, fun job we do."

The more idiots spouting off about racing and betting and the more idiots listening to them the better for punters who know what they're doing - exact same principle.

 

[Jayhawk]

Some are heralding the demise of the point to point scene and they may be right but if it does go NH will very soon follow

I wasn't looking for it particularly, but the 2025 Point-to-Point annual report is viewable at pointtopoint.co.uk/news_articles

Figures for 2025 show that the average number of runners per race in points was 5.59 compared to 8.28 in NH races. The decline in horses taking part is much more marked in points than under Rules. The number of Hunt certificates in 2014/15 was 2716, reducing to 1441 in 2024/25. Over the same period horses running in NH races reduced from 5115 to 4844.
Point-to-point attendances increased from 349,000 in 2024 to 368,000 in 2025 though the number of runners reduced from 4488 to 3994. The prolonged dry spell this spring had a big impact on the number of runners and field sizes.

Trainers getting their under-Rules licences this year were Max Comley and Liberty Stone. Jockeys taking out their conditional licences were Tom Hutsby, Rian Corcoran, Toby McCain-Mitchell, Robbie David, Alex Chadwick, Jack Andrews and Freddie Keighley.

 

[Gullible]

I wasn't looking for it particularly, but the 2025 Point-to-Point annual report is viewable at pointtopoint.co.uk/news_articles

Figures for 2025 show that the average number of runners per race in points was 5.59 compared to 8.28 in NH races. The decline in horses taking part is much more marked in points than under Rules. The number of Hunt certificates in 2014/15 was 2716, reducing to 1441 in 2024/25. Over the same period horses running in NH races reduced from 5115 to 4844.
Point-to-point attendances increased from 349,000 in 2024 to 368,000 in 2025 though the number of runners reduced from 4488 to 3994. The prolonged dry spell this spring had a big impact on the number of runners and field sizes.

Trainers getting their under-Rules licences this year were Max Comley and Liberty Stone. Jockeys taking out their conditional licences were Tom Hutsby, Rian Corcoran, Toby McCain-Mitchell, Robbie David, Alex Chadwick, Jack Andrews and Freddie Keighley.

Yes agree it is worrying but having got to the age I am with the “losing post” in sight I am certain that I will not witness the demise of pointing. However I also certain that what is happening in Points currently will be reflected in NH racing in 10 years time. I have always been a small punter and take an amount of money that I can/prepared to loose so if I win I am happy if I am even I am happy and if I loose so what will still be eating the following month . I am very lucky in that I have very good friends that I go pointing with so these days it is definitely more a social occasion as anything else instead of decrying “the picnickers” (who have funded the sport for years) I have joined them and have a great time enjoying what racing there is in between.

 

[NH_Andy]

Who wants to follow a flat horse who goes out to stud in 18 months after a handful of sprints. Must be a zennials thing.

Add to that that a race can be won or lost at the gate I just fail to see what the attraction is.

If you fancy a NH horse off its mark and like its jumping it has over 2 miles to set up a finish. No one to blame but your own poor judgement or a Skelton non-trier.

 

[Ian_Davies]

I like both Flat and Jumps tbh and find the tribalism about both bizarre.

From a UK Point, to UK Jumps, to UK Flat, to the same trio in Ireland, to French Flat and Jumps to USA dirt and turf, it's all horse racing and there's betting edges to be had in, and arising out of, all of them - especially the niche ones - if you put the work in.

 

[Frankel]

Who wants to follow a flat horse who goes out to stud in 18 months after a handful of sprints. Must be a zennials thing.

Add to that that a race can be won or lost at the gate I just fail to see what the attraction is.

If you fancy a NH horse off its mark and like its jumping it has over 2 miles to set up a finish. No one to blame but your own poor judgement or a Skelton non-trier.

The flat horses are the elite beasts.

That said, I like both.

 

[Quixall Crossett]

We all have our likes and we all have our dislikes. We are all different and we have our differing opinions. And if we have an edge in one part of this game but not in another, it would be mad not to concentrate solely on the positive part.

I am National hunt thru and thru. I just cant entertain the flat.

 

[Danny]

Betting wise by the end of one season im ready for the change of code. The constant cycle of letting the form settle down early doors followed by a busy middle period and tread carefully at the end of each. I used to be more of a national hunt fan but it's evened out now although I will say I always prefer a national hunt crowd they are more my sort of people.

The national hunt with constant cancellations of meetings, small fields and more importantly a reluctance to race the good ones against each other before the festival does the game no favours. I also think the Willie Mullins domination is making a mockery of most events. I also quite quickly tire of horses being gifted a 30 length lead or for that matter when youre on one that decides to hold himself up 30 lengths off a slow gallop Also the amount of races that aren't really races as they dawdle around at a married man's gallop and hope for the best in the last furlong or 2.

 

[Gullible]

To be honest having been on this forum for a couple of years now I am noticing that to many on here that it is not about the horses it is all about betting and if horse racing stops they will find other ways of having a bet not many actually enjoy the spectacle of a horse race unless they have won money and you only have to visit the "look at me aren't I good thread" ...sorry the After timing thread to see what I mean

 

[Quixall Crossett]

Betting wise by the end of one season im ready for the change of code. The constant cycle of letting the form settle down early doors followed by a busy middle period and tread carefully at the end of each. I used to be more of a national hunt fan but it's evened out now although I will say I always prefer a national hunt crowd they are more my sort of people.

The national hunt with constant cancellations of meetings, small fields and more importantly a reluctance to race the good ones against each other before the festival does the game no favours. I also think the Willie Mullins domination is making a mockery of most events. I also quite quickly tire of horses being gifted a 30 length lead or for that matter when youre on one that decides to hold himself up 30 lengths off a slow gallop Also the amount of races that aren't really races as they dawdle around at a married man's gallop and hope for the best in the last furlong or 2.

Totally agree about the Willie Mullins domination but as someone who only concentrates on the lower grade chases and hurdle events, it doesnt affect me.

 

[Danny]

unless they have won money and you only have to visit the "look at me aren't I good thread" ...sorry the After timing thread to see what I mean

You just know Jinny is going to kick you in the balls for that one.

 

[Danny]

To be honest having been on this forum for a couple of years now I am noticing that to many on here that it is not about the horses it is all about betting and if horse racing stops they will find other ways of having a bet

For me personally I wouldn't switch to other betting I only really bet horses (apart from occasional playing around on the dogs) but half the joy for me is attempting to solve the puzzle and hopefully being right at the end of it.

And tbh its a good job most of us do like a bet im not sure what the horse racing industry would look like if we all packed it in.

Never bite the hand that feeds you.

 

[Gullible]

You just know Jinny is going to kick you in the balls for that one.

I realise that Danny can't beat a bit of masochism but that lady really does understand and love her horses and would not bet on anything else should racing finish

 

[jinnyj]

Just walked in for lunch and suddenly my name is being linked to violence and then BDSM.........how did that happen? I'm really very mild mannered despite what Mr Sitwell said in his Saturday piece. He just can't handle a strong, independent woman.

 

[simmo]

To be honest having been on this forum for a couple of years now I am noticing that to many on here that it is not about the horses it is all about betting and if horse racing stops they will find other ways of having a bet not many actually enjoy the spectacle of a horse race unless they have won money and you only have to visit the "look at me aren't I good thread" ...sorry the After timing thread to see what I mean

In what way does a desire to share the knowledge of a good win equate to an ambivalence about the medium in which the win was achieved?

 

[barjon]

To be honest having been on this forum for a couple of years now I am noticing that to many on here that it is not about the horses it is all about betting and if horse racing stops they will find other ways of having a bet not many actually enjoy the spectacle of a horse race unless they have won money and you only have to visit the "look at me aren't I good thread" ...sorry the After timing thread to see what I mean

I couldn’t disagree more with almost every word.

Firstly, the vast majority on here make it crystal clear that they really enjoy the spectacle of a horse race regardless of the betting opportunity or not.
Secondly, what people seem to like is the exercise of their judgement in unravelling the often complex nature of a horse race. And profiting from that judgement.
Thirdly, the second is what floats their boat so I doubt many would start betting on other things for the sake of it.
Fourthly, if you’ve been properly watching for a couple of years you should have noticed by now that there are very few on here with inflated egos.

 

[Danny]

very few on here with inflated egos.

There is at least one

 

[2017diary]

There is at least one

As long as you don't name me Danny

 

[Danny]

I think you're safe.

 

[Gullible]

I couldn’t disagree more with almost every word.

Firstly, the vast majority on here make it crystal clear that they really enjoy the spectacle of a horse race regardless of the betting opportunity or not.
Secondly, what people seem to like is the exercise of their judgement in unravelling the often complex nature of a horse race. And profiting from that judgement.
Thirdly, the second is what floats their boat so I doubt many would start betting on other things for the sake of it.
Fourthly, if you’ve been properly watching for a couple of years you should have noticed by now that there are very few on here with inflated egos.

That is fair enough

 

[Slim]

Some of us have been around racing long enough to know it’s full of deplorable people and rich people taking the piss. I make no apologies for being very cynical about racing. Oisín Murphy being shoved down our throats, and then behaving like a knacker, is one glaring example.

 

[jinnyj]

Ah but you can now read his book and obviously the credible reasons behind his behaviour.......