Has anyone here filled in the survey on their site? I just have. Back on 606 we used to have lots of views as to what could and should be done for the good of horse racing and I think we were virtually, if not totally, unanimous in agreeing that, following some of their early initiatives, Racing for Change was an expensive waste of space. Well at long last they are committed to listening to the views of people like ourselves through their website. So, if you haven't already sent in your suggestions or filled in their survey here is your opportunity to be heard.
Here's a suggestion for them Ron: Why not give us the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in September when there's a far better chance of having decent ground, instead of running it (or should I say ruining it) in the middle of October where the ground is more likely to be a bog? And another really novel idea would be to run the Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes on separate racedays a couple of weeks apart from one another. That sounds like a really sensible idea to me.
I thought Alistair Down was interesting in Friday's Racing post re the Ebor moving to Saturday. He said the biggest opponents to moving feature races to the weekend were the racing enthusiasts who would benefit most as it would mean not having to take time off work or slope out to watch it. I think judging by the views on here he's right. I wish they'd stop tinkering with the top end of the sport (especially national hunt) as i don't think there's anything to be gained from it.
As somebody who has gone to the Ebor Festival for the last twenty-five years, I did not mind taking days off to go, so I do not agree with Mr Down’s simplistic rationale. Presumably he favours them moving the Cheltenham Gold Cup to Saturday next! I did not go to the Saturday of this year’s meeting as it was always very full on the Wednesday and cramming a few more beer-and-a-bet coach parties in on a Saturday was not going to improve anything except bar takings and bookies’ profits (although a load of favourites obliged). When I first went to York it was a Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday meeting with seven-race cards. They cannibalised one of their other race days to create four six-race cards to add the Friday and now they have moved it. Generally, I do not oppose some of the changes that have been made to move big races to Saturdays. I thought that moving the July Cup to Saturday was a good move as running it on a Friday (which has been seen as a dead racing day for years) did not make sense when some other key races that used to be run on Fridays – like the Lockinge at Newbury – moved years ago. The Racing For Change fixture improvements have eliminated quite a few race days that I used to pencil in on the calendar (e.g.: Newmarket Champions’ Day). The only thing on my 2012 calendar at present is the Guineas meeting at Newmarket. My association with York has come to an end for non Racing For Change reasons. I am with Chance Gardener regarding the scheduling of all the Championship races in October. Kauto Star and Denman will be running in the long distance race!
QM - sorry, I didn't make it clear. He was saying that the very fact that people like you don't agree that it should move to saturday made it look like they were wrong. He never really had a view one way or the other.
I think they really need to stop the tinkering with the top races. The idea of a Champions day is good but the way they have done it is not great. Similarly with Future Champions day. Because of the current format a horse that could potentialy win the Middle Park and the Dewhurst can't this year, ditto QE2 and Champion Stakes. Mind you maybe the numnuts at RFC think a good horse can run in 2 races in a day!
I want them to spread the better race fixtures out over the week, most weeks you get ****e racing throughout the week, particularly on Monday and Tuesday, then you get sometimes 4 realy good fixtures on a Saturday, and that's to much form reading to fit into one morning, so I sometimes have to ignore good fixtures. Yet on a Monday I almost bore myself to tears studying an all weather card at Kempton
Interestingly (and, apologies, slightly off topic for this thread), the Racing For Change fixture mangling to create Champions’ Day has had an impact overseas. I know that changes to the Pattern have to be agreed with our European colleagues, but I have just discovered that a fixture that I am going to in France has changed notably. On 11 September, it is ‘Arc trials’ day at Longchamp. This normally features the Prix Niel, Prix Foy, Prix Vermeille and a couple of other Group races. The entries for these races were due to close on 24 August, so I went on France Galop’s website to see what had been entered. At the time of writing, the entries are not available, although the entries have closed. The surprise discovery that I have made is that the Prix Vermeille is not the only Group 1 race on this card now. They have moved the Prix Du Moulin De Longchamp – the Group 1 mile race – on to the same card, making it nine races now. I can only imagine that they have been able to do this because the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot is no longer in September, so pushing the Moulin back a week does not create a fixture clash.
I have emailed Racing for Change advertising this forum and inviting them to be represented on here. I've supplied direct links to this forum and also to the BBC606 thread on Future of Racing and have also summarised my views as expressed in the latter. I doubt they will take up the offer but I thought it was worth a try. Racing for Change.
Interesting this Ron... Think i will have a look at the site and put my thoughts down, for what they are worth... Will come back when im done...
Some simple questions and at least you get to have your say at the end... Intersting one about the betting. Years ago people who bet prob where only betting on the horses or the dogs, but nowadays you can bet on anything, literally... So it would be interesting to see how much of the pot goes back into racing from the bookies. I know we have a lot of bookies all sponsoring some of the high profile races in the calander as well as some lesser races, but how much do they really put in...??? Its not my biggest concern but the prize money is what they go in for and i think the prize money for some of the winning trainers/connections is poor...
