For those of you with nothing better to do than follow my blog all this week I will begin with an update on the “dongle” situation.
I am now the proud owner of a brand new dongle and am therefore able to once again send copy from the racecourses who still do not have wi-fi.
In the end it was actually an anti-climax. I was expecting a big battle, in the end they said “yep it’s broken.”
I had already told them that.
“It cannot be repaired,”
Yep I could have told you that as well.
“So have a replacement.”
Thank you – but why couldn’t you have given me a replacement straight off in the first place?
Anyway today was another “working from home day”.
It gave me a chance to catch up with yesterday, writing a course review for Thurles. Updating yesterdays blog and finally finishing off the race cards for Cheltenham.
Oh yes doing the homework for Doncaster tomorrow – and this is how I spend a “day off”!!!
People say to me “it must be great fun being a racing journalist?”
Well, yes it is but it isn’t all glamour. The hours are long. There is a lot of travelling involved.
Working conditions are variable.
So what is involved?
There is a great deal of prep work involved. It isn’t just a matter of turning up at the racecourse and reporting what goes on. You need to do the prep work. Having the background info makes all the difference.
Prep takes two or three hours and is normally carried out the evening before. This involves producing race cards with areas for recording the race reading. Checking form and trying to identify winners.
On the day travelling can take a fair part of the day depending how far I have to travel. The aim is to arrive about 1½ hours before racing, two to three hours at the big meetings.
On arrival it is a matter of catching up on the latest news. Finding the clerk of the course for the latest going. Finding out any changes, non-runners and the like and, if time, walk the course.
Then, depending on the course, a quick bite to eat.
Down to the parade ring to see the horses for the opener, then off to find a vantage point to watch the racing.
During the race it is a matter of making notes about what is happening during the race.
As soon as the race is over it is back to the press room to write it up. If there are up to ten runners and no incidents the race report can be written up pretty quickly. For larger fields or where there has been an incident it is a case of watching a replay on the press room TV.
The aim is to get the report written and uploaded and still have time to get to see the runners for the next race in the parade ring.
Sometimes there is a grand debate in the press room over an incident which results in a discussion and takes a great deal of time.
…. And the process continues for each race.
Sometimes if there is time I will try and get quotes from connections.
After the last race it is then decision time. If escape is easy it is a case of writing up the last race and escaping as soon as possible.
If there is a big crowd or exit is difficult then it is a case of staying for about an hour to miss the crowds. Using the time to prepare for the next day.
I am now the proud owner of a brand new dongle and am therefore able to once again send copy from the racecourses who still do not have wi-fi.
In the end it was actually an anti-climax. I was expecting a big battle, in the end they said “yep it’s broken.”
I had already told them that.
“It cannot be repaired,”
Yep I could have told you that as well.
“So have a replacement.”
Thank you – but why couldn’t you have given me a replacement straight off in the first place?
Anyway today was another “working from home day”.
It gave me a chance to catch up with yesterday, writing a course review for Thurles. Updating yesterdays blog and finally finishing off the race cards for Cheltenham.
Oh yes doing the homework for Doncaster tomorrow – and this is how I spend a “day off”!!!
People say to me “it must be great fun being a racing journalist?”
Well, yes it is but it isn’t all glamour. The hours are long. There is a lot of travelling involved.
Working conditions are variable.
So what is involved?
There is a great deal of prep work involved. It isn’t just a matter of turning up at the racecourse and reporting what goes on. You need to do the prep work. Having the background info makes all the difference.
Prep takes two or three hours and is normally carried out the evening before. This involves producing race cards with areas for recording the race reading. Checking form and trying to identify winners.
On the day travelling can take a fair part of the day depending how far I have to travel. The aim is to arrive about 1½ hours before racing, two to three hours at the big meetings.
On arrival it is a matter of catching up on the latest news. Finding the clerk of the course for the latest going. Finding out any changes, non-runners and the like and, if time, walk the course.
Then, depending on the course, a quick bite to eat.
Down to the parade ring to see the horses for the opener, then off to find a vantage point to watch the racing.
During the race it is a matter of making notes about what is happening during the race.
As soon as the race is over it is back to the press room to write it up. If there are up to ten runners and no incidents the race report can be written up pretty quickly. For larger fields or where there has been an incident it is a case of watching a replay on the press room TV.
The aim is to get the report written and uploaded and still have time to get to see the runners for the next race in the parade ring.
Sometimes there is a grand debate in the press room over an incident which results in a discussion and takes a great deal of time.
…. And the process continues for each race.
Sometimes if there is time I will try and get quotes from connections.
After the last race it is then decision time. If escape is easy it is a case of writing up the last race and escaping as soon as possible.
If there is a big crowd or exit is difficult then it is a case of staying for about an hour to miss the crowds. Using the time to prepare for the next day.
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