Racing For Change

I'm sure there have been a few in their time, along with a rev in bev, a vicar in vino and a few pished bishops!
 
It was outrageous that Newmarket got away with letting the name of the Bunbury Cup go - sponsors are so short sighted and idiotic . Their sponsorship is not detracted from by putting it together with a historic name . The only way that sponsorship really gains is by a long term approach when the sponsor's name becomes inextricably linked with the race - like in the past the Clerical Medical Greenham Stakes and the Extel and Whitbread..

It should be banned - if a heritage handicap is to mean anything does that not include the name of the race .
 
There wouldn't have been an article by Greg Wood today if they hadn't changed the name. I see the sponsors get a name check in the article. In fact, 32Red have got plenty of coverage out of the name change. Moreso if they'd just switched to the 32Red Bunbury Cup.
 
I can't believe he's been arsed to write an article about something so trivial when there are much greater issues affecting the sport.
 
True but surely something like this is worth about a paragraph compared to the other issues like the fixture list etc.

They can name the races what they like for me. The same people who moan about these sponsors renaming things are the same people who moan about prizemoney levels. I agree on the point that it should've been named the 32red Bunbury Cup but I do think sponsors have a right to have their brand name in a very prevelant position in the race name.
 
The most annoying thing about reading the horse racing section in the Guardian is 80% of the time, their articles are on some problems in the industry or other - what is wrong with actually writing about the sport now and again?
 
James Willoughby has written a clever piece on page 14 of the RP, it has certainly got me thinking and parts of it reflect on the better aspects of this forum.
 
Any chance you can cut & paste it over, Gearoid? Does he appear on RUK still? He was a double act with Angus McNae for years - don't know if the latter's still active on the channel, either.
 
From the RP:

SANDOWN is introducing a pantomime theme to the Tingle Creek meeting on December 3-4. Racegoers are being encouraged to dress as their favourite character on Saturday, for the chance of winning tickets to see Sleeping Beauty, starring Brian Blessed, at Richmond theatre.


Words fail me.
 
Triptych said:
From the RP:

SANDOWN is introducing a pantomime theme to the Tingle Creek meeting on December 3-4. Racegoers are being encouraged to dress as their favourite character on Saturday, for the chance of winning tickets to see Sleeping Beauty, starring Brian Blessed, at Richmond theatre.


Words fail me.
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Oh dear God Anthony Camp will be unstoppable those days.
 
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It appears from the RP site that they are going to approve the idiot switch of the Champion Stakes to Ascot - bloody ridiculous - especially as the race often has had quite big fields and a low draw at Ascot is a disaster .

So expect less competitive fields - and Champions Day emasculated .
 
Not enough good horsess to go round anyway with the Arc weekend not far away from that weekend. Awful change if given the go ahead.
 
Ardross said:
It appears from the RP site that they are going to approve the idiot switch of the Champion Stakes to Ascot - bloody ridiculous - especially as the race often has had quite big fields and a low draw at Ascot is a disaster .

So expect less competitive fields - and Champions Day emasculated .
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Absolute farce, when will people realise that Ascot is not a nice track to A) Go racing to and B) Back horses on.

The Rowley Mile is a little charmless but it's a functional track with decent facilities and good viewing. I would rather them move it about each year to be honest like the Breeders Cup.
 
A bad move, the field will be reduced due to the proximity of the Arc weekend. It may also result in a dilution of the quality of the Sun Chariot the following week.
 
The 12f colts will be in the Arc, the fillies we've seen contest the Champion in recent years will surely go for the L'Opera and the French horses will stay at home for the Arc/Dollar/L'Opera anyway.

Not a good move for racing but then this is Racing For Change and it has to be expected of them.

Rotating Champions Day amongst a number of tracks would be a better idea (which Stan's touched on) - York, Ascot, Newmarket, Epsom (possibly), Doncaster and Haydock would be a decent list for me. All tracks which are used to staging top quality racing and know how to put on a Group 1 race.
 
I think the plan is to switch the Newmarket meeting to the Cornwallis weekend and Champions Day will remain on the same day

So we will have Cambridgeshire and Cesarewitch run on successive weekends.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Rotating Champions Day amongst a number of tracks would be a better idea (which Stan's touched on) - York, Ascot, Newmarket, Epsom (possibly), Doncaster and Haydock would be a decent list for me. All tracks which are used to staging top quality racing and know how to put on a Group 1 race.
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You couldn't have the Champion Stakes ran on Haydock ground in October though IS, would be a total farce.

Would also replace Epsom with Sandown in that list.

Don't see why they can't open the July Course for the day either as it's a vastly nicer track than the Rowley Mile.
 
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