Will It Catch On?

I think The Racing Post were taken a bit aback by the announcement of the Sovereign Series. I took was excited when I heard about it straight away but on reflection the flaws are there for all to see. I think the first day the RP reported it was just that...they reported the media opening of it. It was after that when they actually looked at it in the cold light of day which I think is fair enough.
 
In fairness, they were spunking over it for a few days - it took up pages of their coverage for at least the first two days after it was announced, with quite a few articles in which different people were wittering on about what a wonderful idea it was.
 
Shadow Leader said:
Is it me or are his articles becoming more and more abusive and Down himself becoming more and more arrogant as time goes by......you wonder sometimes how he gets away with getting such articles into print.
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Well, since he'll be dead within 18 months, I reckon he'll get away with it ok!
 
Since the Sovereign Series idea has very little merit, and even less chance of actually getting off the ground, I don't see what is wrong with Down, or any other journalist for that matter, giving it a right pasting. Greg Wood has laid into it a couple of times in the Guardian as well.

It makes a change from the bumlick samba danced to by most of the stupid and lazy parasites that form the bulk of racing "journalists".
 
Shadow Leader said:
I've just read Down's piece on the Sovereign series and Gal wasn't wrong - he did a right hatchet job on it! Now, I think the concept is flawed, unrealistic and yes, utter bollocks, but Down really went to town on it. Is it me or are his articles becoming more and more abusive and Down himself becoming more and more arrogant as time goes by? When you look at the disgusting piece he did on The Listener's owner, and now to some extent this article, you wonder sometimes how he gets away with getting such articles into print.

(mind you I wonder - did a lot of the vitriol stem from him not getting an invite to the launch and it's free food/drink?! Just a thought!!!! :D)
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In fairness, beneath his usual hyperbolic guff, he has it pretty much spot on with regards to this particular idea.

Not surprisingly, he went completely over the top; I actually found it quite amusing, particularly the following line:

"It's the biggest cuckoo ever to be laid in racing's nest. Kill it or it will kill us."

:cool:
 
Down's article

Regardless of the pros and cons of the idea, I couldn't shake the feeling whilst reading it that here is a man who benefits from the status quo and refuses to countenance change. Same goes for Jim McGrath.

Also there's some real bullshit points in there:

The Sovereign Series, cunningly designed to coincide with the planet's most overwhelming sports event, the 2010 World Cup,
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Exactly two of the races will take place during the World Cup. Hell, schedule them during half time and get yourself a massive showcase.
 
Thanks for the link Gareth - very persuasive in fact... I loved 'wand waver's wet dream' :rolleyes:

<< [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]We all know the Flat season is desperate for a narrative, but you can no more impose one artificially than you can invent history. >>

The point for me is, that it's just these clowns running racing who have *already destroyed* the narrative of racing by allowing every race which used to have its recognised place int he calendar to be be called after some bookie or property company or some other fly by night commercial enterprise, so that even those of us who follow racing daily find it all but impossible to know what the ferk is going on or whose horse has won which significant race

And now they want to plug the holes in the dyke with this fanciful bit of sticking plaster
[/FONT]
 
Which flat races were you thinking of Headstrong? The Lennox has become the Betfair Cup (although at least it keeps the 'Registered as the Lennox Stakes' part) but I can't think of too many others off the top of my head. Certainly not Group 1s anyway.
 
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