Racing For Change

Grey said:
Have I got this straight? Two weeks before the Arc, one week after the Irish Champion Stakes, and they are expecting agreement that a major new 10f race will fit into the Pattern?
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Plus you've already got the Juddmonte International just 2-3 weeks before the Irish Champion.
 
It's so bad you can't imagine it's true.

Agree about Ascot - I can't think of a course I would least like to be used for any proposed Champions day (noting the irony there already is a Champions day which works perfectly well and is always packed to an almost uncomfortable level).
 
Absolutely idiotic and I hope the European Pattern Committee tells them to f **k off .

The real problem is the putting up of the white flag in the face of the Breeders Cup - but how many of the top horses actually go for the breeders ?

Turning Champions Day into a two day spectacular that complements Arc weekend and particularly caters for the horses not benefited by the Breeders Cup would be a much better idea or even ending our domestic season instead of with the damp squib day that is the November Handicap with races where there has been a gap for horses - say Group One races over seven furlongs , a five furlong sprint a mile and a half race ( there is no G1 after the KG in the UK ) a seven furlong fillies 2 yo race , a ten furlong 2 yo race , the November Handicap and the Flying Childers upgraded again to a G1 .
 
According to today's Post, it is in fact the intention to move the meeting, but not the Dewhurst and Cesarewitch, to Ascot. However, it will take place in mid-October and not September.

The article simply states that "Newmarket would have to be found a prestige slot for the Dewhurst Stakes and Cesarewitch which will remain at the venue."

Newmarket MD, Stephen Wallis, is quoted: "We sense a growing momentum for this to happen..."

This is absolute madness. If they want to do anything, increase prize money for the Champion Stakes but they should leave everything else well alone. This will only alienate those who follow the sport already and will do nothing to increase its appeal to the wider public.
 
As I've said before, I don't know why the BHA and France Galop can't get their heads together and put a European Championship day together over Arc weekend.

Keep the Foret, Opera, Arc, Cadran and Boussac at Longchamp on Sunday and have the Dewhurst, Abbaye, Cambridgeshire and maybe a 9f Group 1 at a British course (preferably not Rowley Mile or Ascot) on the Saturday. The trouble is that the French have more to lose than the British but I'm sure it could be met with consolations in other areas of the calendar.
 
According the the RP, the plan seems to be:

New 7 race fixture at Ascot in mid-October (no change from current Champions Day).

Sprint: Diadem (currently Group 2)
Mile: Either the QEII will move from September, or a new race will be established (!)
Middle: Champion Stakes moves to Ascot
Stayers: Jockey Club Cup could move to Ascot (currently Group 3)
Fillies & Mares: Pride Stakes could move to Ascot (currently Group 2)

Plus 2 handicaps

Also:

Fillies' Mile could move to Newmarket
Dewhurst stays at Newmarket
Cesarewitch stays at Newmarket
 
I have never, ever seen such a ridicuous idea.

The QE2 could now be almost a trial for the new 1m race!

Clueless.

All jokes aside, something needs to be done about this - it can't be allowed to happen.

Am I right in thinking there is no earthly way the European Pattern Committee will let this through?
 
They won't let a 10f Group 1 take place mid-September surely.

Isn't their criteria about how long a race has been established, the average OR of the forerunners of said horses before it can be made a Group race let alone a Group 1?

Think that's the problem that they had in Dubai with the Guineas, Derby, Oaks, Al Shindagha etc. and getting them into the pattern and they could only be listed races to begin with.
 
Irish Stamp said:
They won't let a 10f Group 1 take place mid-September surely.
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That seems to be off the table, the RP report today suggests that they'll keep the current date.

Isn't their criteria about how long a race has been established, the average OR of the forerunners of said horses before it can be made a Group race let alone a Group 1?

Think that's the problem that they had in Dubai with the Guineas, Derby, Oaks, Al Shindagha etc. and getting them into the pattern and they could only be listed races to begin with.
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Yes, prize money is just one of the factors. Even with Sheikh Mohammed throwing silly money at his World Cup card, it took a few years for the races to hit Group 1 status.

However there is scope to make big changes - remember when the French completely re-organised the 3yo pattern a few years back?
 
Surely this is something the Racing Post needs to get active about - and not campaigning to keep the BBC producing dross racing coverage!!!
 
Gareth Flynn said:
That seems to be off the table, the RP report today suggests that they'll keep the current date.



Yes, prize money is just one of the factors. Even with Sheikh Mohammed throwing silly money at his World Cup card, it took a few years for the races to hit Group 1 status.

However there is scope to make big changes - remember when the French completely re-organised the 3yo pattern a few years back?
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Good point - the Jean Romanet was a totally new race wasn't it? Straight into the Group 1 category as there was no 3+ Group 1 Fillies and Mares race to compete with in August.
 
Actually that as well - they upgraded a ton of fillies races right across the continent in order to encourage owners to keep them in training longer.
 
This year, I'm left wondering why the Derby is 'so early'. It's the first time I've thought so - perhaps it's to do with the lateness of Spring.

Regardless, it is rather early. I know it's the tradition, but for
such a major race ... if you were planning a calendar from scratch (with the French joining in), would you go for early June - or perhaps you'd go for mid July?

Just saying .....
 
Being the first of the major Derbies is a big advantage because of the glorious uncertainty about what will be up to the required standard, get the trip, handle the track, etc.

On the other hand by being so early it is not always the best horse of its year that wins it and by the end of the season the Derby form sometimes seems irrelevant. And very often it is the Irish Derby winner which goes on to have a higher rating.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Good point - the Jean Romanet was a totally new race wasn't it? Straight into the Group 1 category as there was no 3+ Group 1 Fillies and Mares race to compete with in August.
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Isn't it the upgraded D'Astarte ?

It is not quite so bad if it is a move of Champions Day but without the top class 2 yo old races how is this meant to be an improvement with 2 handicaps . Why another G 1 mile only weeks after the QEII - a 7f race G1 ( which the Foret winner may go for ) and a 5f sprint would be a better idea

Where will the Dewhurst go ? If the Ascot meeting is in essence shifted away from the weekend before the Cambridgeshire and Cesarewitch meetings would be a week apart ?? Madness .
 
If they do this they should have a juvenile end of season day at Newmarket.

Dewhurst, fillies mile, and two 6f G1's or G2's for each sex.

They could move one of the sales races as well..... and put in a nursery with a good purse and roberts your father's brother..
 
Once you get in there they have this article, which i've copied - In essence folks we should give up and starting picking names we like because on average for every £7 bet we'll earn £44.... You couldn't make it up... I didn't realise the game was so easy.


.HOUSEWIFE’S FAVOURITE
13 Apr 2010 / Racing For Change /


Forget studying form, women have more chance of winning money on the horses by gambling on the colour of a jockey's jacket or a nag with a funny name, a study has revealed.

Researchers found more than half of those who placed their bet because of the horse's name have walked away with cash in their pocket.

And almost one in five who have based their punt on the jockey's silks have done the same.

It also emerged the tried and tested housewives bet often yields a better return than one placed in the wake of studious research.

Five per cent of women said they had enjoyed success purely by picking out the best looking jockey.

A spokesman for horseracing body, Racing for Change, which carried out the poll of 2,000 housewives, said: “This just goes to show that Lady Luck does play an important part when having a flutter on the horses. I've been studying form for years but I might have to change my strategy”.

What this survey reveals is that you don't need to be an expert in order to find winners.

“Lucky names or racing colours are just as valid for those who're not in the know. Last year's 100/1 winner in the John Smiths Grand National was a great example of the experts getting it wrong. Perhaps there'll be another big priced winner this year.''

The study also found the average recreational female gambler will land a £44 windfall from a £7 bet by placing money on colours or names.

Those who had faith in a trainer or jockey won less, but had to shell out more to do so, it emerged.

And while just under one in four said they tried to work out the horse's finishing positions in previous races, only one in ten said they put time and effort into looking up the trainer's recent record.

Nine out of ten women said they never gambled on the same and a similar amount said they never opted for the same jockey.

The study was carried out by Racing for Change, the organisation tasked with modernising the sport and broadening its appeal.

TOP 10 SURE WAYS OF WINNING

1. Name of the horse is funny or it means something to me

2. Had a tip

3. Previous performance of the horse

4. Pattern or colour of the jockey's silks

5. Choose randomly

6. Whether it's favourite to win or has good odds

7. Trainer"'s reputation

8. Colour of the horse

9. Name of the jockey and/or how good looking he is

10. Where the horse or jockey is from (e.g. local to me)

ENDS


.
 
I'm sure someone who specialises in locking themselves into a darkened room, poring over thousands of Excels, would eventually concede that if 500 people picked a horse based on any of those criteria, then all of them would be right at some point. I have raceday colleagues who are almost as demented over ratings and times as some members on here, but they were in the company of a non-racing female friend of mine a few years back at Brighton, when she picked - a winner, because it's owned by Mystic Meg (and she's well into astrology, Tarot cards, etc.); a No.8 which won - because she's very friendly with some London Chinese people, and it's considered to be the Chinese's lucky number; Nos 2 and 4 in a race of 7 (no 8 available), because - youv'e got it - 2 x 4 = 8; a horse with a name that sounded a bit like her Mum's, and something else based on the same criteria. She took home just under £1,000 from the Tote, her outlay being about the price of a tray of chips. My oh-so clued-up raceday friends? All about £3 down to £12 up on the day.

I won a tipping competition on another website, quixotically based on the names of horses related to alcohol or Africa - cue wins from FAMOUS GROUSE, TABLE MOUNTAIN, et al, and a nice prize for me.

The facts are that you might just as well go with my own theory of the No.1 horse winning the first and the No.7 horse winning the last more often than not (try it - it's true!), back Joe Cole's POPPANAN because you love your grampa and nanna (hence his horse's name - which won today), or go in large on No.8 in race 8 (especially if it's on August 8th). As many times as your wodge on the odds-on goes straight down the pan, your timid little fiver e/w on the 33-1 shot called I'm With Stupid will hack in 2nd or 3rd.

It's no doubt all down to the law of averages or something, given the number of horses running at any given time throughout the year. But don't be too quick to diss what works as often as anything you've spent 10 hours doing ratings for! :mad:
 
Highlight of my week was Sandown last night, a meeting which really should be better attended given the standard of racing, it only cost £25 to get into Premier if you booked in advance (£20 on the door without the following perks) and got a free racecard, £10 food and drink voucher and £10 in Tote betting vouchers. That combined with it being 20 minutes from Waterloo should have seen it packed to the rafters, it wasn't at all unfortunately. Hats off to Sandown for making an effort with admission packages though, they had offers for RUK viewers (£10 premier entry) and Facebook fans (£10 entry with free Pimms!).

Yet today I went to Brighton and paid £19 to get into the Premier enclosure to watch horses which would have got lapped in the Sandown races.
 
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