NH Racing in Crisis

I randomly came across Gaye Brief winning at Hereford on YouTube last week.The notion of a Champion Hurdle contender winning at Hereford these days is incredulous.
Royal Gait won his trial at Nottingham -there was a trial at Wolverhampton when it raced on grass.The Haydock trial is a shadow of what it was -the Bula amazingly doesn't attract Champion Hurdle horses.The Welsh Champion Hurdle is now a bang average handicapand the Scottish Champion Hurdle no longer attracts top class horses.
Where have all the top class hurdlers gone.
 
LUKE said:
I could go through nearly every week of the NH season and point out how it is significantly worse than it was 30 years ago.The Hennessey and Schweppes cards have deteriorated massively.Haydock used to have two top class midweek races where Gold Cup winners would regularly clash.Ascot had 2 or 3 excellent Wednesday fixtures which were covered by the BBC.The best Wincanton card of the year was the Jim Ford and Kingwell Hurdle which was a Thursday fixture has now been moved to Saturday with the Jim Ford having disappeared from the calendar and the Kingwell completely irrelevant to the Champion Hurdle.
Is there any top class jump racing midweek away from the big festivals.
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How true. And Cheltenham has been the assassin ably supported by the BHA. Paradoxically, Cheltenham is now in throes of committing suicide as it gradually turns from being a celebration of champions into a highly expensive circus. No wonder they couldn’t sell all the tickets this year. Unless they change tack, I’d say to them “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
 
I read a quote from a bookie during the week saying Cheltenham is now a place you go to see really good horses.That might appeal to a certain element but how many people are going to take a week off work to watch a succession of short priced favourites win.Most despicable things I read over the last few weeks were children over the age of 5 must pay full price and an old guy being forced to empty his hip flask of 20year old whiskey.
They are killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
 
When I used to work I always took a weeks holiday for Cheltenham week, it was the highlight of my year. But I wouldn’t now. Not sure if it’s because I no longer go there for one day as I used to.
 
LUKE said:
I read a quote from a bookie during the week saying Cheltenham is now a place you go to see really good horses.That might appeal to a certain element but how many people are going to take a week off work to watch a succession of short priced favourites win.Most despicable things I read over the last few weeks were children over the age of 5 must pay full price and an old guy being forced to empty his hip flask of 20year old whiskey.
They are killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
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As a huge hip flask fan when not driving I find that highly irresponsible and repugnant behaviour .
The people you get to meet when offering a nip with tea/coffee is one of the joys of racing.
Having been to Punchestown on family day however keeping the smallies out is no bad idea imo.
Charging kids over 5 full whack must have been learned from their sponsor Ryanair methinks.
You are making me more glad by the minute I stayed home these past few years Luke.
 
If a mans enjoyment of a day at the races is enhanced by a hip flask it seems incredibly mean and petty to force him to empty the contents.I understand cocaine was a major problem last week.
 
edgt said:
As a huge hip flask fan when not driving I find that highly irresponsible and repugnant behaviour .
The people you get to meet when offering a nip with tea/coffee is one of the joys of racing.
Having been to Punchestown on family day however keeping the smallies out is no bad idea imo.
Charging kids over 5 full whack must have been learned from their sponsor Ryanair methinks.
You are making me more glad by the minute I stayed home these past few years Luke.
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its the race day public who miss out when you are not on parade Ed
 
Everytime I visited a mens room last week the trough urninals were very sparesly inhabited. Meanwhile, sockless young men waering suits two sizes too small were queueing 3 deep for the cubicles.

Are tight trousers a cause of diarrheia or could there have been another reason for this imbalance?
 
an capall said:
Everytime I visited a mens room last week the trough urninals were very sparesly inhabited. Meanwhile, sockless young men waering suits two sizes too small were queueing 3 deep for the cubicles.

Are tight trousers a cause of diarrheia or could there have been another reason for this imbalance?
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Ain't that the truth.
 
an capall said:
Everytime I visited a mens room last week the trough urninals were very sparesly inhabited. Meanwhile, sockless young men waering suits two sizes too small were queueing 3 deep for the cubicles.

Are tight trousers a cause of diarrheia or could there have been another reason for this imbalance?
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Sniffer dogs should be outside the loos. Then see how many still risk it. Too many people going in for the dogs to pick up the scent by the entrances. I know someone who took in both weed and coke and they weren’t stopped despite walking straight past the dog.
 
jinnyj said:
Sniffer dogs should be outside the loos. Then see how many still risk it. Too many people going in for the dogs to pick up the scent by the entrances. I know someone who took in both weed and coke and they weren’t stopped despite walking straight past the dog.
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If they placed 'sniffer' dogs in the loos at Cheltenham the RSPCA would be summoned to investigate cruelty.
 
I attended the annual student day at Leopardstown yesterday. Must have been a crowd of between 12-15k in total. It looked like a cross between a Debs ball and the fall of Saigon, but the atmosphere was brilliant.

Why not allow U23's in free to all meetings?
 
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an capall said:
I attended the annual student day at Leopardstown yesterday. Must have been a crowd of between 12-15k in total. It looked like a cross between a Debs ball and the fall of Saigon, but the atmosphere was brilliant.

Why not allow U23's in free to all meetings?
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Was there a helicopter on the stand roof with a queue of students trying to get in?
 
an capall said:
I attended the annual student day at Leopardstown yesterday. Must have been a crowd of between 12-15k in total. It looked like a cross between a Debs ball and the fall of Saigon, but the atmosphere was brilliant.

Why not allow U23's in free to all meetings?
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My daughter and her friends went last year but left it too late to get tickets this year-I think it was sold out a month ago.The Tramore student night last year was also a massive success.
 
Cork student is the meet before Easter so the lads and lasses meet up again there on Easter Sunday.
They take no heed of the weather nor the forecast when going either.
Dan "Missunited" Hutch phoned Liveline, the RTE Radio chat show to comment on their behaviour at Limerick student day when his famous filly ran there .
 
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