With the news that Kempton Park is likely to close in the not too distant future the alternative way of looking at this is too ask which racecourse(s) would you like to see the back of. Which ones do you want to see tarmacked over, built starter homes upon for the soaring population or used to, in some way, ease the ‘humanitarian crisis’ currently bringing the nation to its knees?!? It’d nominated: (i) Cheltenham. Its meetings are full of people who have no interest whatsoever in racing and are in attendance solely to get drunk as quickly as possible. The Cheltenham ‘roar’ has to be the most unspontaneous and bland thing in sporting history. Its Executive has no regard whatsoever for the welfare of the horses and the fatality rate there is truly horrendous (at the 2016 Festival, for instance it was 14 times larger than a normal meet with that number of runners. Stat courtesy of ‘The Weekender). Meanwhile, how can you take seriously a place that names its new stand after some minor Royal. And don’t give me that claptrap about it being a natural amphitheatre – for huge swathes of the year you can’t run a steeplechase there beyond 2 o’clock! (ii) Goodwood. The only racetrack I’ve ever attending with zero atmosphere and the whole place is as dull as ditchwater. Boring with a capital ‘B’. Again, is also another place full of people with no interest whatsoever in racing. Strange clientele, as well, who are seemingly doped up on Valium and unaware that a race meeting is even taking place! Very British place in that it continually tells you how wonderful it is but does absolutely nothing to actually prove the fact! Anyone got any views?!? Surely, we ain’t all going to go ‘New’ Labour and say each and every one of them is wonderful.
I'm not a fan of those NH tracks with unending home straights - Newbury, Chepstow, Haydock for example - but wouldn't go as far as shutting them down. In terms of race drama, they do detract from the spectacle. Similarly on the flat, those tracks where the horses just run in a straight line are dull. The Guineas on the Rowley Mile is invariably dull, I much prefer the mile of the round course at Ascot, or the turns and undulations of Epsom or Goodwood.
Abbot Chuckles, for God's sake, if you don't like any tracks other than NA (), then stick to the 'Weekender', a corner, and a bucket of water. Bloody hell, really! The other brothers should kick you off the top table.
I say, old boy, that’s slightly disconcerting that you know what my lunchtime plans are – no ‘top table’ frolics today but a quiet corner to read ‘The Weekender’ and drink my bucket of water! In fact I’ll be off in a few mins. Nothing wrong with Newton Abbot and I can never see it closing. In fact I’d lie down in front of any bulldozer. Will anyone do that at Kempton Park??? Serious question that actually. Will there be any attempt to ‘counter’ this closure decision???
Well, old chap, the three local tracks of my younger days were Hurst Park, Kempton, and Sandown. Now, there will be only one left. Two having gone the way of housing developers. Yes, disconcerting. However, I agree with you, it is true that big meetings (the days of Royal Ascot being the best example, IMHO) have loads of people in attendance who know nothing about, and have no interest in horseracing, they just want to be 'seen' there. My three local tracks were not like that at all. Kempton has seen many great racehorses in its time, both NH and Flat performers. It is therefore not correct to suddenly downgrade it. Hurst Park was a working man's track, frying-pan shaped and quaint, but it did host the Victoria Cup. What I did like about all three of these racecourses, was that I could readily walk home after blowing the lot on my selelections........
Southwell is surely next for the chop having lost most of it's AW fixtures to Newcastle. If the AW track at Newmarket goes ahead then Chelmsford may become obsolete - another spot of prime real estate there! I've not heard any rumours about other tracks yet (there were rumblings about Hereford and Folkestone for a good few years before they went), but the Kempton news has taken a lot of people aback. I had a meeting with someone from one of the large independent tracks yesterday and he had certainly not heard anything apart from a fleeting rumour 3-4 years ago.
Southwell. Have no idea what the venue is like or the accessibility. or indeed attendance; but it will only ever attract a low standard of races, due to its surface. If it's a nice venue with good attendance then re-surfacing could save it, I suppose.
Southwell is a tremendous track. Possibly the most reliable track to follow animals form wise if you are punting seriously.
If General Tuffo heard you say that. Southwell is by far my favorite aw track in Britain (maybe thats not saying much). Second favorite overall obviously. It's definitely one of the easier tracks punting wise with coarse form being so reliable.
Oddy the rowley mile is one of the most unique and testing racecourses in the world, that's why they've been racing on there for 350 years
Southwell is unique --and for the horses that act there and us who bet on them , would be a big loss --Lingfield would be the worst all weather track for punting, two furlong dashes for the line --i don't to see any track close , but the new ones are American styled , you certainly wouldn't get another Cartmel opening .....
Epsom - lets face it, the racecourse is a joke, it's biggest day is ruined by the funfair and it attracts the worst of our nation. Shut it, put the Derby on the hill at Cheltenham and let's turn to proper stout staying superstars also its closer for AOB and his masses so cuts down the costs. Then spend the money on raising Southwell by 5 metres and building it as the Santa Anita of the Midlands. Job sorted.
Please let us keep the discussion here (and elsewhere) civilised. No need to resort to personal abuse and foul language. Thank you.
I say ‘personal abuse and foul language’ on a thread I started! I was so shocked when I read this that I had to go and lie down in the sick bay for half an hour. I hope the perpetrators have been dealt with accordingly. There seems to be a bit of negativity on here re AW racing. And for a moment I thought I was going to hear the much missed phrase ‘racing purists’. Certainly concur that from a wagering perspective AW racing is much more reliable as I still maintain there hasn’t been a race in the Isle for several terms, with prizemoney of less than £10k in the NH sphere, where some sort of skulduggery hasn’t taken place. Meanwhile, I see that Kempton will be the 6th track since the end of World War II (that’s 1945 for those poor at History) to be sold for development. Makes you wonder which one will be next. I guess those close to London are the prime sites. Cor blimey can you imagine what Ascot would go for. The chance of it happening is probably the same as Leicester City winning last terms Premier League though – unless old boy Jeremy gets in, next time around, and then you can probably cut off at least two of those noughts!
I can't see why people are all up in arms over the future of racing, the simple answer, is that planning should be left to those best placed to serve the industry .... the rich and famous.
