Which races 'float your boat' and which are your ten favourite horses ??

Desert Orchid

Desert Orchid

Senior Jockey
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Between the freeing of the Evergiven and the thread on the Irish National, it got me thinking...

Which race or races do you most look forward to in any year? And why?

Flat, NH, doesn't matter.

It's obviously a very subjective matter, just as much as beauty lying in the eye of the beholder etc.

Top of the tree for me by miles is the Grand National. It goes back to my childhood when we were all trekked across to the neighbouring village to my Granda's house to watch it on his TV because we didn't have one.

The place was stowed with aunties and uncles and cousins - I had 40+ cousins at one point - and my father was putting sixpence each-way on Freddie for me at 11/4 or something ridiculous like that.

But then we all backed Specify at 33/1. I wasn't into racing at that point but my old man studied the book forensically ahead of the big races and told us he fancied it very strongly.

Maybe there's a psychological element to it for me. Maybe deep down I want to find a Specify in every race I study.

Round about that era my father was landing ante-post bets right left and centre: Spanish Steps in the Hennessy, The Fossa, Playlord, The Spaniard and Young Ash Leaf in the Scottish National, Ben Novus, Foggy Bell and Double Cream in the Lincoln, etc.

But I reckon the family get-together for the National is what does it for me and prior to the pandemic it was still a family tradition for us all to get together, rotating the venue among my brothers and sister.

Hopefully we'll be able to resume the tradition next year.
 
Gotta be the Derby even though I’m a jumps addict.

Rather like you it was a family outing - together with about half of London - on an open topped bus parked next to the rails.

Favourite Derby? 1965 and Seabird. I’d graduated to the Grandstand by then and bellowed “Seabird wins” when he was a couple of furlongs out and still around fifth or so. So loud did I shout that the chap in front spent more time remonstrating with me than watching the finish. Glennon never moved on his back and he won never coming off the bridle. He earned a Timeform rating of 145(?) which was the highest they’d awarded and wasn’t surpassed until Frankel.
 
Which races 'float your boat'?

July cup and the champion chase mostly - tingle creek is in there as well as are most sprint races on the flat.

Basically anything that involves going full pelt from start to finish [emoji16]


Having said that - I also love the cross country races and I adore the Melbourne Cup.

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The Ebor. Started going to it when a local pub ran trips there every year. Had started to get even more upset about fatalities in the National and wanted a long distance race on the flat in which I could follow horses throughout the season and look for dark horses, see old favourites come back year after year and in which smaller yards stood a chance of winning. Of course, back then it didn’t bother me when Willie Mullins had a winner as he wasn’t quite as all dominating as he is now. It helped that I was quite good at picking the winner for years, something that I have lost the knack of recently. And I don’t like it quite as much now it’s on a Saturday, although not quite sure why. I don’t fall into a slight depression these days after Grand National day which I used to thinking that I would have to wait another year for the next one. Plus being able to talk about the National all year round helps! I still love it beyond anything. Of the classics I like the 2,000 gns as it often springs a bit of a surprise and some of my stats about it still work.
 
As a kid yes the National, but with the changes they've made over the years the race just doesn't have the same feel to it.
I remember watching in awe the sight of Bechers etc, now it's a bit meh!
It would have to be top 2 mile chases.
 
Flat:
2000 Guineas. I was introduced to the sport by a friend in the Civil Service back in 1989 and it was around April time so the Guineas was my first time actually paying an active interest in the game. In those days the 1000 was on the Friday but the 2000 for me is the proper start of the season.

Arc. Alongside the Cheltenham Gold Cup the best race of the year.

Jumps:
Supreme just because of the magical week it introduces.
 
If I'm in attendence: any Handicap Hurdle at Killarney on a warm Friday evening in July

If not: Supreme Novice Hurdle. In the year I came out (as a racing fan) Golden Cygnet won it, head in chest, and I still remember the goosebumps.
 
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The Grand National is the race that drew me into racing, but the Cheltenham Gold Cup has always been my favourite since the day I watched my first one. The Dikler got up in the last strides to foil Pendil in the 1973 edition, a race I watched through a school window, watching the school caretaker, Mr Croft, watching it. For some reason, I was cheering on The Dikler, probably because I’d heard his name mentioned in previous races, and was trying to show off my knowledge to any who was watching with me. It’s also just so happens that The Dikler’s win was possibly the most dramatic of all.
 
I get what an capall says about the Supreme. It's the start of the festival, it draws a big cheer and it's a moment of truth for the worth of the Irish form (which sometimes used to mean watching the race with a sense of dread).

But nearly every year the most anticipated race on this forum is the Champion Hurdle. It's a classy race, the holder is usually back to defend their crown and there's always a newcomer being touted as ready to take over. Its roll of honour also includes my favourite horse of all time, Monksfield.
 
2yo maidens
Staying races on the flat (licence to print money)
2m hurdles/chases (no one wants to watch 3m chases)
 
Grey said:
I get what an capall says about the Supreme. It's the start of the festival, it draws a big cheer and it's a moment of truth for the worth of the Irish form (which sometimes used to mean watching the race with a sense of dread).

But nearly every year the most anticipated race on this forum is the Champion Hurdle. It's a classy race, the holder is usually back to defend their crown and there's always a newcomer being touted as ready to take over. Its roll of honour also includes my favourite horse of all time, Monksfield.
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My immediate response would have been a top level chase but on reflection I'd agree with this. The cheer for the Supreme is a cheer for the meeting and being alive for another year. The Champion Hurdle is what it says on the the tin. The first clash of the Champions and Pretenders.
 
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Probably very few will agree but I look forward to the Cambrigeshire. Always a difficult puzzle to solve but if you can find the future Group horse it's quite a buzz.

Did find a nice winner many years ago. King Midas, a lovely grey 3-y-o trained by Derrick Candy, had been winning regularly in handicaps at Newmarket over 8-10 furlongs. No surprise to see him well supported for the big one, 6/1 I believe. Ridden by his regular jock, the excellent light-weight Des Cullen, he was easy to spot in the middle of the course and looked the winner from some way out. Happy days.
 
QM Champion Chase for me ever since the incomparable Viking Flagship won it in 94 and 95. Sprinter regaining the crown made me love the race even more


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Colin Phillips said:
Probably very few will agree but I look forward to the Cambrigeshire. Always a difficult puzzle to solve but if you can find the future Group horse it's quite a buzz.

Did find a nice winner many years ago. King Midas, a lovely grey 3-y-o trained by Derrick Candy, had been winning regularly in handicaps at Newmarket over 8-10 furlongs. No surprise to see him well supported for the big one, 6/1 I believe. Ridden by his regular jock, the excellent light-weight Des Cullen, he was easy to spot in the middle of the course and looked the winner from some way out. Happy days.
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Agree with much of this ,Col. Halling was possibly the biggest certainty ever to look through a bridle, and the likes of Pasternak, Prince Des Gqlles, Rambo's Hall, etc have kept me endeared to the race since
 
My top ten, in no particular order would be:

Supreme
Arkle
Champion Hurdle
Ultima
Grand National
Hennessy
Champion Chase
Cheltenham Gold Cup
King George
Mackeson

Clearly I’m not aware who most of the current sponsors are
 
Novice chasers

Bumpers as a crystal to the future

2m chases especially but with the changing demographic of buyer, growth of P2P sales, 3M races have become much more interesting to me
 
I used to love the Spring meetings at Newmarket to see the three year old maidens in the pre parade ring especially those unraced ones with impeccable breeding. I also found it a good time to use my eye on fitness levels. Something I still use in early season Point to Points when I have been known to get 5 winners on a card just based on how fit they look. One of our local bookies always gives me much better odds in exchange for “paddock knowledge”
 
I'll take a tangent and list my favourite 10 horses

Moscow Flyer
Hurricane Fly
Kauto Star
Sizing Europe
Kicking King
Faugheen
Florida Pearl
Flemenstar
Limestone Lad
Vautour

My kind of horses, my kind of racing
 
Battaash
Generous
Finsceal Beo
Bago
In the Groove
Minella Indo
Denman
Apache Stronghold
Well Chief
Doran's Pride
 
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Mill House (briefly!)
Arkle
Kauto Star
Denman
Sprinter Sacre
Sea Pigeon
Persian War
Night Nurse
Bula
Honeysuckle
 
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