Race times at Cheltenham

Desert Orchid

Desert Orchid

Senior Jockey
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Aug 2, 2005
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Has there been any word about re-scheduling any of the races today?

I ask because of the very unsatisfactory situation we had yesterday when the four fences in the straight were omitted and when the light was absolutely fine by the following race - the sun had gone behind the hill - it occurred to me that it wouldn't be the least sensible decision ever to swap the 2.30 and 3.00 races around. Were any hurdles to be omitted they would be fewer in number and the big chase would get its deserved, more climactic, slot.
 
Thanks for that, SD.

That's pretty typical of the BHA.

I know for a fact there are changes from the 5-day stage to the race days. You only have to check the scheduling in the Weekender and compare it to the eventual card. All that was required was a swap with the race immediately after. Was that too hard?

As for Simon Claisse's comment this morning about the study done almost 10 years ago... You don't need a study to tell you where the sun is in the sky. Just look up. Yesterday the sun was away by 3.00. I don't know enough about the solar system to be able to say if the sun will be in the exact place every year but we know the moon changes position in the sky throughout a month so if there are variations from year to year with the sun one big survey is going to be meaningless.
 
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Desert Orchid said:
Thanks for that, SD.

That's pretty typical of the BHA.

I know for a fact there are changes from the 5-day stage to the race days. You only have to check the scheduling in the Weekender and compare it to the eventual card. All that was required was a swap with the race immediately after. Was that too hard?
Click to expand...

Those are due to division of a race though, in the vast majority of cases.
 
The bookmakers would are behind the rule that you can't run a race earlier than it's printed time, though personally I feel if it's done the day before....

Might well be gold plating, BHA tend to do that where bookmakers are concerned.....
 
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