They wouldn't need to be as quick as flat sprinters. That might be a bit fast for jumping. But it would be on a straight wide course. I think they should try it; could be exciting. Let's face it; the first 2 miles of the Gold Cup isn't that interesting. A 4 mile chase round Plumpton (if they have them) would be exciting for the first 3 miles.
Some interesting ideas... I like the idea of a national hunt Triple Crown with a big bonus. Perhaps substitute the Hennessy for the Lancashire Chase and have the Hennessy, King George and Gold Cup. That would be more of a challenge and achievement. I do think there should be break in the NH calendar. I have looked at the flat and AW seasons and would have the flat from the Lincoln meeting to mid-October, the AW season from August Bank Holiday to Good Friday. Both work out about 220 days or 60% of the year. Put that with NH racing and the season would start in mid-September and end with the Sandown meeting in April. I would also like to see more made of the meetings through out the season, maybe look at having a 3-4 day 'festival' each month Cheltenham - October; Newbury - November; Kempton - December etc I have suggested sprint hurdle races on other forums before maybe somewhere between 1m to 1m2f. There are plenty of flat horses that go jumping that don't stay/ do any good. This may be a better option for those horses. The only problem with these type of races is would they see more fallers because horses would be going faster? I would also like to see tradition races names kept even if they were the sponsor. I don't like the Feltham Chase becoming the Kauto Star Chase. By all means name a race after Kauto Star but not an establish one. Also the likes of the Racing Post Chase and Whitbread Gold Cup had much better recognition and the sponsors were synonymous with them races. Why not the Bet365 Whitbread Gold Cup?
If the horses didn't have jockeys on they would self adjust to the speed at which they jumped. Just needs jockeys not to screw up. Maybe the sprints would be more like greyhound hurdling (eg limited to 6 per race but more races)
Barney boy have you had too much to drink when writing this? I know it's about options but I'm quite disgusted with with comment (vii). As I have just recently left the Armed Forces after nearly 23 years I can certainly say I'm no fecking freeloading waster.
Yet you support them being given free tickets! Bit of a contradiction there, methinks. When you are paid from the same ‘pot’ as these types (as myself and many others on here are) I think you have very different views about the ‘marching and saluting’ brigade. I work with many people who for a long time now have been receiving no year on year salary increase or at most a ‘cost of living’ increment as their maximum yearly salary rise. No end of loot is made available though for that crowds ‘little overseas manoeuvres’, ceremonial dinners and marching up and down almost every High Street in the country. Hardly fair to tell a bloke with a family to feed that he can't have any more money but Sergeant Bombardier Lance-Corporal what-not, and his chums, can have a few hundred thousand to march up and down a few streets. The 'freeloading and waster' comment most deffo applies.
Way off mark there Barney I am afraid - Mick is not making a statement that he feels he should be given free tickets but rather that because someone else does and starts the initiative it does not make him a free loading waster by definition of his chosen profession. Without going into it too far this initiative is part of a broader campaign started around the time of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars which we were taken into by Mr Blair and his master Mr Bush. Much of the populous disagreed with this and became anti war and this appeared to be spilling into apathy and even disrespect and criticism of the armed forces in general, even the simple squaddies that simply do as told, so deserve no disrespect. Now the powers that be spot the huge problem if the nation turns on it's own armed forces - cue huge propaganda push with help from red top papers to take attention from the wars and how we got there to the 'heroes' fighting them. This did two things it took much needed and deserved criticism from the politicians who made the decisions plus got the average man to see soldiers as 'heroes' again, all nations need carefully portray the perceived view of the armed forces and do. It wasn't always the case if you read some of the Duke of Wellingtons comments however. So this is just a small part of the portraying soldiers as heroes again and it is for the benefit of propaganda and served up to the masses. It does not in my opinion and in any way open the door for any professional soldier to be called a freeloader just because someone says they don't need pay. Whether they should be called heroes simply for doing their chosen job is another matter, for whilst it is clear that soldiering certainly offers ample opportunity for displaying genuine heroism I would not say you become one by default as I am sure there are all types in the armed forces and all with different reasons for joining. I feel sure Mick wouldn't say everyone he met in 23 years was a hero, I am sure he certainly met some bullies and psychos among them, and probably some of the best men you could wish to meet. This part aside though Barney a very humorous post. One question however- What wins out when you see the master of the saddle AP (we need nothing more to denote who we mean) striding out in those green and gold silks on one of your beloved Mr Henderson's steeds, your love, nay, infatuation with naughty Nick or your disdain of the master McCoy?
Blue, I’ve no problem with soldiers being depicted as heroes what gets me is the way that so many of them, and their hangers on, are so keen to elevate them and put them on some sort of pedestal way above everyone else. They have a contract of employment and a job and they do it. So do I and so do millions of others in this EU member state. Let’s leave it at that. So many people in the land go to work, clock off and that’s it. No more. But for some reason they want loads of ‘additions’ as well such as ‘freebies’ and special days where there are honoured and feted like some sort of Gods. That’s what I have the problem with. The money spent on these events, freebies and the like, could instead be filtered into so many other causes and people in need of the dough. As I say I’m paid from the same ‘pot’ and how do you think some of my colleagues feel who are told ‘no more money for you this year, matey’ and then go for a walk in their local town centre only to see a load of subsidized ‘marching and saluting’ taking place or read in the paper about a local ‘regimental dinner’ taking place which has obviously cost a bloomin’ fortune to put on. And no prizes for guessing the taxpayer has footed the bill. Going back to the free ‘Tickets for Troops’ what on earth gives them the right to get into racecourses for nothing?!? Are they any more noble, or do a better job than doctors, nurses, surgeons, teachers, ambulance personnel, fire fighters, the Police, farmers, council workers, etc, etc. In my opinion a resounding ‘No’. The list of people equally as eligible is endless. But it’s another example of them again wanting themselves put on a pedestal and also getting to receive a freebie. Re the McCoy point. Fortunately, we’ve only a few more rides left of him to endure. I bet Mr Henderson’s delighted as McCoy’s riding has, of course, in recent years cost the great man another 3 Champion Hurdles. Something McCoy’s followers never like admitting to.
Barney, you have a point about who should and shouldn't get tickets ( whether it be Troops or the general public, I think Windsor did last night but I disagree with most of what your saying regarding everything else regarding military life. I'm not going to go into detail as the thread is not about this, but I will continue to read your humorous posts which appear most days even if I disagree with what you say (sometimes).
Sorry for getting back on topic but isn't the problem with English jumps racing simply there's far too much of it? Today for example there were 5 cards, 2 of which were jumps. Exeter had an average of 4 runners, which is pathetic for the low standard of racing that was on. The bleeding racecourse should have been paying people to go not charge people! Diluted quality throughout, about 80% of the midweek stuff they have on over there is dross/very low fare racing tbh and the whole things making the BHA look the usual shambles. Ireland has the game spot on, fewer cards and far better prize money. Simples, and it's obvious jumps racing over here is thriving, certainly in relation to England.
I don't disagree with the points you have made Barney - my only real point was that the soldiers themselves did not ask for the powers that be to create some of these ludicrous propaganda schemes such as free tickets for troops etc, and so they themselves should not be called freeloaders. I totally agree it's a job like any other and chosen of their own free will, the idea is ludicrous that you become a hero by definition of the job, even though as I have previously mentioned as jobs go it has a greater outlet for heroism than most. Apologies Beef - back to topic now I promise.
I don't have to much issue with the ground conceded at the start, it's more when the horse I've backed in a big field race ends up travelling 5 wide, thanks to the start of the race. This is why I often wait until the race starts, and bet in running once I've seen the position the horse I fancy has taken up. Look at any big handicap at the Cheltenham festival, or even worse the Champion Bumper, and you will see my point. If starting stalls where introduced atleast punters would know where their selection was going to line up
One very simple change that would make sense and be so easy to implement is that the stewards have the power to state a non-starter and invoke a rule 4 in all races at their own discretion. If a horse does not start and plants himself he is a non runner, if a horse does not leave the stalls or unseats upon leaving, he is a non runner, very easy and deals with that infuriating scenario in which you place a bet and get no run. None of us mind losing I am sure, but we all hate not having had a run for our money.
Surely something needs doing about the size of some races. For example Exeter yesterday had 3 races which had 2 runners in and 2 races with 4 runners. All races should have a minimum of runners, i,e 6? Maybe I should go and see local traveller John Treagood and see if I can borrow his horse Misty and enter her in one of those Exeter races yesterday, could have won over £400 for a clear round of jumping.
The fiasco at Exeter was a symptom of a problem in race scheduling and geography. Simply, there are too many NH racecourses in the south west putting on too many fixtures. At this time of year when the ground is drying up, there are ample opportunities for a small number of horses and this will always result in small fields that make little appeal to the racegoer (therefore, poorly attended uneconomical meetings) and little appeal to the betting public (therefore, reduced betting turnover and Levy from the industry). According to the BHA’s own figures the other day, the horse racing industry is suffering a serious decline as the number of horses in training falls, which is having a knock-on effect in all areas of the industry. The BHA is reaping the harvest from the seeds that it has sown – more and more poor quality racing that has little appeal to the public but that is perceived to generate more revenue from the bookmakers.
