Thinking on from the topic on initiatives - what's your idea of the perfect fixtures list?
Personally, I'd like to see an end to 8-race meetings, and a few really mixed summer cards where multi or dual purpose tracks (as an example) offered racegoers two hurdles, two AW sprints, and a mile and a distance race on turf, thus offering a little 'something for everyone'.
I'd prefer not to see any jumps racing in summer, but recognise that that particular phase in British racing's evolution is probably going to stay, so I'd prefer to see it tilted more to hurdles, with a reduction in chases, which still incur the more frequent injuries on firmer ground.
I'd like to ensure that we didn't have one end of the country with a dearth of one type of race (say a distance or a sprint), while the other was oversubscribed, which is currently happening.
I'd also like to see more intelligent scheduling of racedays, so that there aren't as many difficulties for jockeys and trainers in trying to ferry themselves to two close-together meetings in one day. This also puts a strain on transportation, especially for smaller yards with fewer boxes. Since OFSTED ruled against the old 50-mile radius as restricting competition, we've seen more and more clashes of neighbouring courses, no doubt to the detriment of connections who have horses at both and to crowds, who can't be in two neighbouring places at once.
I think I'd like to restrict the length of 'festivals', too - I realise it wouldn't be popular with some courses, which are extending these all the time, but I don't see how you can offer five days of all top-class racing. There aren't that many top class horses to fill the races, but a false cachet attaches to all who race, regardless of their ability. I'd like to see Cheltenham cut back to three days of really superb entries, and cut out the 'more is more' approach it's been adopting for some time.
I'd also like to employ restrictive measures (which possibly OFSTED would grumble about), and reduce the number of racedays. If most non-AW courses can't stage more than 22 racedays without their ground being affected by too much poor grass re-growth, divoting, sanding, etc., then let's not go for 24, 25, and so on. We want horses to run on safe ground, so I'd cut 'em off at 21 days. More than enough racing there, I think.
I'd also take a look at the field sizes for AW courses and, where they weren't getting more than six or seven per race, tell them to cut back racedays to where they could ensure max fields - after all, they can't line up more than 14 or 16, so it isn't as if I'd be asking them to slaughter themselves - just provide a better betting prospect for their customers, and more competitive racing as a spectacle. Otherwise, it ends up too like the USA, with sample-sized fields!
Anyway, those are my initial ruminations. What would you like?
Personally, I'd like to see an end to 8-race meetings, and a few really mixed summer cards where multi or dual purpose tracks (as an example) offered racegoers two hurdles, two AW sprints, and a mile and a distance race on turf, thus offering a little 'something for everyone'.
I'd prefer not to see any jumps racing in summer, but recognise that that particular phase in British racing's evolution is probably going to stay, so I'd prefer to see it tilted more to hurdles, with a reduction in chases, which still incur the more frequent injuries on firmer ground.
I'd like to ensure that we didn't have one end of the country with a dearth of one type of race (say a distance or a sprint), while the other was oversubscribed, which is currently happening.
I'd also like to see more intelligent scheduling of racedays, so that there aren't as many difficulties for jockeys and trainers in trying to ferry themselves to two close-together meetings in one day. This also puts a strain on transportation, especially for smaller yards with fewer boxes. Since OFSTED ruled against the old 50-mile radius as restricting competition, we've seen more and more clashes of neighbouring courses, no doubt to the detriment of connections who have horses at both and to crowds, who can't be in two neighbouring places at once.
I think I'd like to restrict the length of 'festivals', too - I realise it wouldn't be popular with some courses, which are extending these all the time, but I don't see how you can offer five days of all top-class racing. There aren't that many top class horses to fill the races, but a false cachet attaches to all who race, regardless of their ability. I'd like to see Cheltenham cut back to three days of really superb entries, and cut out the 'more is more' approach it's been adopting for some time.
I'd also like to employ restrictive measures (which possibly OFSTED would grumble about), and reduce the number of racedays. If most non-AW courses can't stage more than 22 racedays without their ground being affected by too much poor grass re-growth, divoting, sanding, etc., then let's not go for 24, 25, and so on. We want horses to run on safe ground, so I'd cut 'em off at 21 days. More than enough racing there, I think.
I'd also take a look at the field sizes for AW courses and, where they weren't getting more than six or seven per race, tell them to cut back racedays to where they could ensure max fields - after all, they can't line up more than 14 or 16, so it isn't as if I'd be asking them to slaughter themselves - just provide a better betting prospect for their customers, and more competitive racing as a spectacle. Otherwise, it ends up too like the USA, with sample-sized fields!
Anyway, those are my initial ruminations. What would you like?
