posted Mar 24, 2007

Aw is rubbish,it should be outlawed,it has taken over the fixture list and virtually rules modern day racing.There is no spectacle to it and if my one venture to Southwell is anything to go by, it has no atmosphere,i fell asleep after the 2nd race!!!
With the flat proper starting next week i reckon its time to start thinking of my summer hybination.

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posted Mar 24, 2007

James Willoughby in the RP today...

"Today at Lingfield, however, the BetDirect sponsored card shows exactly what can be achieved when good races are framed"

In itself, there is nothing wrong with AW racing. Today's Winter Derby was by no means a great Group 3, but neither was it appreciably worse than many Group 3s run during the Turf season proper, and it produced a winner who may well be up to winning at a higher level still. Equally, the Spring Cup featured a decent array of 3yos, 5 of whom hold entries in the 2000 Guineas. There is no doubt that these days we are seeing a better class of animal running on the all-weather. Les Arcs, Echo Of Light and current 1000 Guineas third favourite Rainbow Promises are just three who have run on the AW over the last year or so.

The problem, then, is the low-class racing itself, which is admittedly more common on the all-weather, notably during the winter. However, low-class racing on the all-weather is no worse than similarly poor racing on the turf. I have as little interest in a summer evening card at Brighton as I do in a February card at Wolverhampton. As such, my prejudice has nothing to do with the racing surface. That is immaterial. It is (or at least should be) the quality of the racing that is the prime consideration.

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posted Mar 24, 2007

This is one of my favourite subjects to have a rant about.

It's the worst thing that has happened to the racing industry. The Winter "derby" today was the first time I have ever seen every horse a trier in an AW race. If there are any truly dodgy races its AW races. Remember the Ballinger Ridge incindent? I couldn't understand why people were up in arms. My first reaction was - its all weather, why do people care if he dropped his hands, its all weather what did they expect?!?!

Its a lottery anybody who bets on this is eating into the bookies hands. They are having a laugh so they are. Between AW, virtual racing & FOBT they bookies will noy, get richer but then some people will bet on anything, sadly.

I did see this on another forum & found it funny but it also rang true a little...

Top 10 rules for AW racing...
1. Mark Johnston horses always find loads - dont lay in running
2. The won down the outside always wins
3. The going is worse on the inside - lay lay lay these horses
4. George Baker, Jamie Spencer and Eddie Ahern always look they have loads under them - beware they may not
5. Market movers always win - get on
6. Drifters are always un placed - lay them to cows come home
7. Horses drawn wide never win - lay these too
8. Front runners never win - lay them in running (or pre race)
9.1.01s never get beat on the AW - lump on
10. If u see any spotlight tips with (GW) next to them lump on - they are certs

Of course there should only be one rule - STAY AWAY FROM IT.

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posted Mar 24, 2007

Winter "Derby" my backside. What's that all about? Next we'll be having Virtual derbies & virtual grand national! Meh!

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posted Mar 25, 2007

Hope there are no Bookie execs trawling this site B01 .
Imagine a virtual Royal Ascot or Cheltenham Festival showing every week! The Bookies would absolutely coin it in!! Though judged on this years Cheltenham I would probably have more chance of finding a winner with any virtual fare on offer
This would be a disaster for the ordinary shop punter with no willpower. You can just see them now, jumping about, cheering their "horse" home in the 60 runner Coral Cup
Regards

Apieceofcake

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posted Mar 25, 2007

Can't stand all weather its not traditional and its not what I call proper racing.

Leave it to slow horses running through the winter to enable racing continues, nothing more.

The day the all weather begins to rival the turf is the day I'll pack the game in.

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posted Mar 26, 2007

"The problem, then, is the low-class racing itself, which is admittedly more common on the all-weather, notably during the winter. However, low-class racing on the all-weather is no worse than similarly poor racing on the turf. I have as little interest in a summer evening card at Brighton as I do in a February card at Wolverhampton. As such, my prejudice has nothing to do with the racing surface. That is immaterial. It is (or at least should be) the quality of the racing that is the prime consideration."

this is the perfect summary of this discussion in my opinion, i agree fully with simon!!

i would say saturdays lingfield card was superior to much of the racing we'll see on turf this summer, particularly in the evening meetings. the only difference is with turf racing you have the major races never too far away to look forward to but on the whole the everyday standard of racing is not much different between the AW or turf.

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posted Mar 26, 2007

farmerjack2411 To me it has nothing to do with quality at all. I couldn't care if it were Nijinsky vs Sea Bird on the all weather I still wouldn't have a bar of it.

All weather isn't traditional racing its an Americanism once again that we have adopted, its a false surface and its not what racing is all about.

The Turf - That's what racing is about, turf racing both on the flat and over the jumps.

I can see the point in all weather through the winter when the weather dictates that proper racing can't go ahead but other than that there's no place in my world for all weather.

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posted Mar 29, 2007

There are 4 all-weather tracks. Kempton, Southwell, Wolverhampton and Lingfield.

Sedgefield want one. Musselburgh have planning permission and Newbury are thinking about it.

# Less injuries for the horses.
# The going is known.
# Most trainers have run a horse an the AW.

You'll all soon come round, i'm sure. I am biased though I guess, because I am editor of a an all-weather blog.

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