Well I gave 4 horses to the Wycombe Forum for the GN and got 1st, 2nd, 4th and Refused. Haven't been able to do that for a while. But at least I banged all my £1,000 on them in the comp. Don't bet so didn't have a penny on. Still enjoyed it just as much, apart from the sad news afterwards which kinda makes me feel guilty cheering mine home.
According to reports Synchronised sustained a fractured leg at the 11th fence - 5 fences after he and AP parted company. RSPCA are up in arms about the Grand National again. I just wish they would spend the same amount of column inches speaking about some of the real animal cruelty that goes on.
even though he beat one of my horses by a whisker i can't resent the lovely neptune collonges for that really. i'm well chuffed for him. gone are the days when he ended up dropping behind KS and denman. really made his own name in the end. i think he's retiring, hope he has a happy one. sad for the losses of synchronised and according to pete. according to pete's jockey made a wise move in the middle and took him out of the bunch for a clear view and i thought he was in with a place chance at that point. maybe there are just too many entries and a reduction of ten would help. or widen the course, but that's probably not possible. a very mixed day, i can't quite settle still.
For the first time in my life I am starting to think they have a point. I know horses die almost every day of the week on racecourses and gallops up and down the country but for this blue riband event to be marred by tragedy again and again is close to becoming untenable. I find it amazing that so many good judges on this forum were saying that Synchronised was not a National horse yet his professional team deemed the race suitable. If you watch him after his fall he makes two more shocking mistakes riderless the second of which I believe was the one that has cost him so dearly. According To Pete did very lttle wrong yet got knocked over by a faller and fatally injured. Killyglen and Weird Al have also suffered what sound like career ending injuries. Maybe it is time to call it a day. I dont think I could find a decent argument if confronted by an animal rights activist this evening. An extremely sad day for racing when it should be a glorious one. I cant find the words to convey my feelings eloquently at this time but I feel extremely emotional over todays sad events.
How must Jonjo be feeling tonight, haunted by memories of Alverton. It is getting to the stage where the National is moving from being the great showcase for the sport to a major problem. As others have said, racing fans would not miss it especially. With the continuing growth of the Cheltenham Festival that is now the highlight of the season rather than the National. The danger is that the deaths in the National will undermine the whole of the National Hunt sport and for me that is a risk not worth taking. Perhaps it is time to accept that the National was an event for the 19th and 20th centuries but does not fit in with the world of the 21st Century. Also, now that the Beeb has lost the National we can expect negative coverage of the race, especially when there are further tragedies. It would be a brave decision to ditch the race but I can see it happening in the next decade.
I hate the National. Said so before the race, will say so next year, will say so the year after. I ignore it. Barely look at the race, would never dream of betting in it and genuinely don't understand why people I consider good punters have the time of day for it. That's from a welfare and punting perspective. Does any of that matter? No. It's a bookies benefit. They love it. They run the sport.
One more quick point. If the race was shortened from 4.5miles to 3.5 miles would anyone who bets in it as their once a year punt choose not to? I think you could turn it into a 2 miler but call it the Grand National and the crowds would still come. You could change the fences to French hurdles and the crowds would still bet their £2.50 each way.
Shortening the race would make the race even more dangerous, as you would have 40 horse's travelling even faster
You could turn it into a one runner race for all I care Shergs. The point was more along the lines that you could make drastic changes to improve safety and the people who watch one race a year would not really care and would probably not even notice.
I would rather see the race go altogether than watered down by shortening the distance or continuing the make the fences easier. I grew up loving National day but it now seems an anomoly in today's world. The next few days could be tough for the sport. The move the Channel 4 will significantly reduce the TV audience and that may actually be the saving of the race in a strange way as its profile will be lowered and it will be below most people's radar.
Anyone remember the Clare Balding quote about Synchronised before the off "he doesn't look up for it" or something like that. I agree with Stick and Fulkes. This race is not for fans of this sport. Us lads on here come on a discuss this sport day in day out. I look forward to the likes of the Aintree Thursday/Friday, Cheltenham, Kempton, Newbury ect not some glorified handicap for staying freaks which have been aimed at one race all season due to the excessive prize money. We don't need this race, the general public and the bookies are the supporters and as great as it is when the National throws up stories like Aldaniti (sp?) Red Rum ect it's not worth the tragic loss of life. Particularly NH racing which I like to think of as a sport and not a business.
Apparently Chicago Grey had a heart attack in his stable and passed as well. Another very sad story to come out of the GN. Got to agree with the sentiments on here that the GN is a black spot on the sport.
Can't believe all this negativity. Do none of you have incredible memories of watching it as a kid? The thrill of the damn thing? It's just an exaggeration of any jump race, if you want to get rid of it then you need to scrap all jump racing. It's a dangerous game. Do you consider yourselves, along with the antes, to know more, feel more, and care more than those who are closest to the horses lost? If the race is too hard then people won't let their horses take part, as some don't. Do you really want to take the decision for everyone, to say that the magic they and millions of other people feel is not worth the hassle? If no horses had died would you be calling for it to be banned, even tho it would be the same event with the same risks? I for one am a lifelong lover of horse racing and I am prepared to say that I also love the national, and think it an incredible and unique spectacle. If you take it away you take away a hell of a lot from the greatest sport on the planet and it's a short walk to the end of jump racing entirely.
stick I did not say it publicly before the event, but I was concerned that Synchronised’s style of racing would not be suited to the race. Even when he won the Gold Cup, he was not up with the pace for much of the race, which puts the horse at risk of interference from horses in front of it; however, I am no good judge on National Hunt racing. Quelesprit Having worked in the bookmaking profession, I can assure you that the Grand National is not a bookies’ benefit. Because of the betting patterns involved, they effectively pay out on four winners if they offer standard four place betting terms. King Shergar What should be done is the run to the first fence should be shortened to try and stop the field picking up too much speed before encountering the first few fences.
Chesney, well expressed. Many sports have risks and, as you say, owners have the choice whether their horses take part. We're a strange race of people. There are other sports, pastimes, and activities which endanger human life- and yet we say nothing. If people climb dangerous mountains, go down silly potholes, or go sailing solo round the world in dangerous waters, then we welcome them back as heroes- even though they often put other people's lives at risk when they have to be rescued. I'd be more concerned about banning these and other activities before dumping a great race and tradition like the Grand National. As for the animal rights activists getting up in arms, I couldn't give a toss . I've personal experience of them and the majority have never done a decent day's work in their lives. No doubt the RSPCA will be mouthing off as well- sat in their plush offices with all their millions of pounds of assets- given by a public which gives and cares more for animals than it does on behalf of children. QED.
