Heaven knows I'm miserable now!

Sorry guys, got totally drawn in to watching the shenanigans in Washington yesterday on CNN.

MDG: So do I, but I think Cheltenham are resigned to running it without a crowd. Last thing they'd want is more bad publicity after last year, although I think some of that was after-timing. One of the two highlights of the year, along with Royal Ascot!

Helen: York can be a quiet Wednesday at the May meeting with a crowd of 8,000, or a boozy Saturday afternoon in June/July in front of near on 40,000. I prefer the former! As for the appeal, it's absorbed me for 46 of my 62 years! I think on occasions it's what's kept me sane, but some would say it hasn't!

Egham: Although Al Boum Photo has won the Gold Cup the last two years I don't think the standard he's set on form has been that high. I think Champ has superstar potential, and Nicky Henderson seems to be bringing him along quietly. I'm hoping he wins the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham at the end of January, in which case he'll shorten a good deal for the Gold Cup itself.

 

Always liked Ripon racecourse..Lovely place..

 

The Garden Racecourse, they like to call it. It's a nice spot, although I think the facilities are a bit basic. The racing surface is surprisingly undulating, which can catch some horses out. I particularly like the Great St Wilfrid meeting and the one in August when they run the Champion Two Year Old Trophy. My favourites are York (flat) and Cheltenham (jumps), although I'd tend to go on the quieter days (first day of the Dante Meeting in May and the Sunday of the Cheltenham November Meeting). Doncaster is a fantastic racing track, but it has been spoilt a bit by the obscuring of the view from the grandstand by the marquees in St Leger week and by the trees at the bottom end of the course, which have been allowed to get out of hand. I also loved the Curragh and Longchamp, but in both cases I visited before the recent redevelopments. The track I've visited most is Pontefract, although that usually involves a titanic struggle with the form book!

 

Ponte got a bit spoiled I thought from my last visit on one of their theme sorta days. Just ended up full of hammered men and women who probably never even watched a race take place.

 

My local course these days is Windsor but not too keen as you're watching the horses coming more or less head on at you up the home straight and too many drunks about at the Monday evening meetings
Another little track just up the road at Ascot isn't too shabby though , but it doesn't half blow through the ground floor of the main grandstand on a winters day
Been to the football ground , Ascot Utd, quite a few times and that's up near the 6f pole on the straight course. Obviously no football on when the flat racing is on

 

Never understood that about Ponte Races. Why they go from the comfort of the town centre and make a hefty trek to the racecourse to pay over £4 for a can and more for over inflated spirits just to get hammered when they can do that in town. You're right they spoil it for the hardened punters. I pay extra and go into the members enclosure. It's upholstered seats and glass pots in there too.

Calibre of horse has got a bit **** last few years though. That said anytime a decent one comes up from Newmarket it isn't worth backing anyway.

 

This is the problem with many courses these days. They all seem to want to turn themselves into the biggest pub in the world. One of the worst I saw was 2,000 Guineas Day at Newmarket a few years ago (2009 to be precise). A few hundred or so had got the train or coach up from London and after getting totally wankered they conducted what resembled a pitched battle on the land down behind the old stand. A bit like a mediaeval re-enactment really!

 

Been to Royal Ascot a couple of times and the before and after racing state of some people has to be seen to be believed

 

I've been to the George meeting Friday was exceptional and we upgraded. However on the Saturday it was ****. I was looking forward to seeing Enable run but because it pissed it down all the lushes and that came indoors. It was nice to look at but couldn't get near the horses, a bar or a bookies so left put my bets on at the Coral in Ascot and watched the racing in the pub and waited for our bus back to Staines (where we were staying at the Mercure Hotel).

 

The Queen's Hotel just before you get to the course used to be a good pre-race watering hole but it appeared to have been sold off for offices last time I was there. One of the better afternoons I had there was in 2001 when I baled out of work at lunchtime and dashed over. Newmarket was also on that afternoon but in the paddock I spotted Mark Tompkins, a Newmarket trainer and reasoned that he hadn't come all that way for a change of air (although he is in fact a Yorkshireman and supports the Massives). His horse Mumbling was 20/1 but I found a bookie going 33's. The horse won a short head, which made for quite an exciting watch. The bookie didn't look too cheery when I went back, and it took him and two of his oppo's to rummage through their pockets in order to pay me out. Not too often that happens, but happy days!

 

Helen's going to be even more miserable now we've hijacked her thread for Tales of the Turf

 

I've a feeling The Quiet One could tell us a tale or two!

 

Carry on. Its all going over my head but its nice to have some talk that isn't doom.and gloom.

 

Does he drown in a vat of marmalade?

 

It's usually "doom and gloom" when I go to the races (sorry, I couldn't resist).