York Going

International heads to newmarket

From the Sporting Life....

INTERNATIONAL HEADS TO NEWMARKET
http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?...cing/08/08/20/RACING_York_Rescheduling.insdat
By Martin Kelly, PA Sport

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=racing/08/08/01/manual_165928.html Newmarket will play host to the International Stakes on Saturday after the British Horseracing Authority worked frantically to re-schedule nine of the races lost from York's abandoned totesport Ebor meeting.


Headquarters will also stage the Festival's other Group One events - the Darley Yorkshire Oaks and the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes - on Friday.
Joining those key contests will be the DBS Sales Race to form a bumper 11-race card.


The Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur will take place at Goodwood on Saturday, while the Ebor becomes the totesport Newburgh Handicap and will be run at Newbury on Friday.


The Berkshire track is also offering free entry to anybody holding tickets to any of the four days of the York meeting.


Tote chief executive Trevor Beaumont said: "Totesport are delighted to sponsor the replacement race for the totesport Ebor now scheduled to be run at Newbury.


"Of course, there is only one Ebor - and that race can only ever be run at York, but the totesport Newburgh Handicap (the original Norman name for Newbury) will give the owners and trainers another opportunity to win a valuable staying handicap over the same trip.


"We are obviously disappointed to lose this week's Ebor Meeting at York, but look forward to renewing our association with this prestigious and historic race again next season."


BHA director of communications John Ryan added: "Ruth Quinn (director of racing) has performed minor miracles in getting this done at such short notice.


"A lot of the sponsors have been fantastic and the owners and trainers she has spoken to have, in the main, been incredibly helpful.


"Out of the loss of a four-day meeting like this there are some wonderful positives to racing in terms of what people can do in a crisis, and this is a crisis."


Discussions are on-going to save the Gimcrack, while the Lowther and Lonsdale Cup look like falling by the wayside.
 
Gamla Stan said:
Do you mean by making the stands side ground like Nad Al Sheba and the far side like York?
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far side like river ouse you mean? ;)

events are off all over the north (cricket at durham too) so cant just blame york's poor drainage

my first post - and its about the weather, how typical :D
 
Yeah it will be interesting to see which of the big two turn up. Think the likelihood of good ground is a massive plus.
 
Will it be run over 10f or will they get the measuring sticks out and try and make it the right distance?
 
Quite possibly incorrect, but I had the impression that AO'B stopped DOM flying for York on the morning of the race, when he hard the track was unusable (whereas NA was already there ...?)

Anyway, I wonder if a horse would be flown over to race on the same day, or is this quite wrong?!

Please comment.
 
Controversial..

Well, I'm going to put my head in the lion's mouth on here...:D

In my view, these races should NOT be "rescued" or "re-routed" and should simply be left for another year.

Running them at Newmarket and Newbury on Friday isn't a sign of flexibility or forward-thinking. It's a sign of good old-fashioned greed on the part of racing.

Who cares about the history and tradition of races like the Ebor and Nunthorpe - let's just stick them on another card somewhere in the hope that they'll get the same attention they would have had at York.

Go down that route and you could run any race anywhere any time - why have a Pattern or a season at all ?

The weather has always played a part in racing so why try to go round it in the name of bookmaker profit and the profits of the sport's new parasites, the racecourses ? Suddenly, an average Friday afternoon at Newmarket and Newbury looks like an opportunity for the respective courses to gouge more punters.

These races should have been left - another year York could be the beneficiary of abandonments elsewhere. There is enough redundancy built into the season without frantically re-arranging every major race at the drop of a hat. IF the BHA wanted to show it cared about the reality of the sport, why not put on extra cards to replace the lost fixtures at Carlisle and Hamilton ?

I won't bet on these "new" races but I'm sure the RP will work itself into a frenzy prising the BHA and the parasites for their flexibility.

Well, I won't...:mad:
 
Moving Races

but if you had aimed a horse all year at the Ebor I'm sure you will be happy that it's been re routed
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I'm sure but that isn't, in my view, the point. You could aim a horse all year for a race for it to suffer a virus or a slight injury a day or two before the race,

The connections then have to acept it and look for an alternative and alternatives do exist. They may not have the value of the Ebor but a race like the Newbury Autumn Cup isn't insignificant. The art of the trainer is to re-prepare the horse, bring it back to a state of readiness so it can run for its life on the new date.
 
Sorry stodge, but this is hardly something new. Should the Leger have been skipped in '89 when Doncaster was abandoned? Should Royal Ascot have been skipped because they needed a new stand? It's an extraordinary situation; I'd be pretty pissed off if they didn't make every effort to run them.
 
A lot of owners live abroad. They will have planned their trips months ago, with air fares, hotels etc or their own homes here geared up for a house party. Of course they will want the races to go ahead if at all possible

I agree the races will not be 'equivalents' though - how could they be? Our courses are so different
 
Response...

Sorry stodge, but this is hardly something new. Should the Leger have been skipped in '89 when Doncaster was abandoned? Should Royal Ascot have been skipped because they needed a new stand? It's an extraordinary situation; I'd be pretty pissed off if they didn't make every effort to run them.
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Gareth, you're comparing apples and oranges at least as far as the Ascot situation was concerned. The redevelopment of Ascot was known about months, if not years in advance and contingency plans (in this case running the meeting at York) were well advertised.

As far as the 1989 situation was concerned, as I recall, the Doncaster meeting was abandoned on the Wednesday and the Leger was re-staged some ten days later. This time, there is an unseemly scramble to run all the races as close to original date as possible.

I also recall that in 1989 only the Leger was saved (which I can understand). Races like the Park Hill, the Doncaster Cup and the Champagne were all lost and no one cared, minded or complained.

Nowadays, the BHA seems to think every Group race is worth saving (which it's not). There is redundancy built in to the pattern and the race programme - it is ONLY the greed of the racecourses, bookmakers and television that is driving this, not common sense.
 
I can see both sides of this argument. I'd be somewhat concerned that a race like the Juddmonte International could carry Group 1 status despite the fact that because of the circumstances that have unfolded, genuine Group 1 horses may not turn up in it.
 
...or even Friday, when they're hosting an 11 race extravaganza?? Saturday's 9 race card looks miserly in comparison!!!
 
I rang Jim but he was having a nap. Aidan O'Brien said "Listen..." and then put me on hold to take another call. I don't think this means they're considering a surprise entry for their 3yo filly.
 
stodge said:
Nowadays, the BHA seems to think every Group race is worth saving (which it's not). There is redundancy built in to the pattern and the race programme - it is ONLY the greed of the racecourses, bookmakers and television that is driving this, not common sense.
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Considering that 90% of the races that take place in any given year are shit, I think it`s worth preserving the good ones.
 
Oh joy it's just starting throwing it down again in York.

Whilst nothing like the floods of a few years back it is thoroughly depressing stuff.

Went to the course at dinnertime and my feet were squelching on the course enclosure area and it was even worse on the Knavesmire with many waterlogged areas.
 
Arkwright said:
Oh joy it's just starting throwing it down again in York.

Whilst nothing like the floods of a few years back it is thoroughly depressing stuff.

Went to the course at dinnertime and my feet were squelching on the course enclosure area and it was even worse on the Knavesmire with many waterlogged areas.
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I'm stranded in York for the rest of the week Arkers ~ can you recommend something to pass the time, as the Ramada Fairfield Manor is a bit of a dive and (like a steering column in my boxer shorts) it's driving me nuts. Much appreciated :cool:
 
Just waiting for comfirmation of the last minute addition to the Olympic rowing events on the Knavesmire tomorrow afternoon!
 
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