Size Matters

I have this aim, as yet unfulfilled and probably destined never to be fulfilled, to try and visit every UK racecourse in a calendar year. Each year I get tantalisingly close yet something usually conspires against me.

This year I’m going to miss the target by four or five, mainly with the Scottish courses, which are always a logistical nightmare, made all the more difficult by airlines drastically reducing, or rather getting rid of, racing friendly flights.

Ryanair’s propensity to use strange destinations worked in my favour on occasion as what they called Glasgow was, in reality, Prestwick, located in Ayr and a ten minute taxi ride or 50 minute walk from the racecourse. It used to be ideal as there was a flight from Stansted on the Saturday morning of the Scottish National with a flight back in the evening. Both were very much racing specials, the last time I availed myself of the flights I had Choc Thornton sitting next to me and John Hunt a few rows back.

Now in the spirit of cutbacks Ryanair no longer have internal UK flights to Scotland and the few airlines that do are not racing friendly with their timetables. Ditto with trying to get there by rail.

So the alternative, for me is an unimpressive 6½ hour each-way drive.

It’s a similar problem for Perth and Kelso. Hamilton and Musselburgh are a little easier being close to Glasgow and Ayr respectively.

On Thursday this week I was at Taunton and was very surprised when I realised it was my first visit there since January 2010. How could I have been away from such a delightful track for such a long time.

Taunton will never win any prizes in a racecourse beauty contest but it is what NH devotees call a “proper” National Hunt track. It’s one of those courses where the patrons are there to appreciate the racing and not to be seen.   The racing is rarely top draw but some decent sorts can turn up and it’s handy for many of the big west country trainers.

It’s also a course you can get something to eat and drink and not walk away feeling as though you have been mugged   ….. it’s the sort of course it’s a delight to visit.

The only downside for me is it’s a devil to get to, it’s around 160 miles but it is, and if you are a frequent driver you’ll know what I mean, a long 160 miles. The alternatives are basically cross country then the M4 /M5 neither of which are enjoyable drives. The alternative is to do the entire journey cross-country and that can be very long, especially on a dark evening.

After the delights of Taunton the next day I was at, arguably, the biggest contrast in NH racing, Cheltenham.

Now there is absolutely no questioning the quality of the racing at Cheltenham, even the “smaller” races attract runners the likes of Taunton can only dream of.

However is Cheltenham a pleasant racing experience for the racegoer? I suppose it depends what you’re looking for.

Friday was a “quieter” day at the course with around 20,000 but it was still very hard to move around the place. Getting from the press room to the parade ring was an absolute nightmare.

I must admit I was on the verge of decking somebody by the end of the afternoon.

I get really irritated by people who think the walkways are good places to congregate for a chat with their mates as they sup their alcohol, not caring if they are blocking the way of others who want to move around – perish the thought anyone get in the way of their drinking.

On the subject of drinking I am genuinely bemused as to why people seem to be completely unable to socialise, or enjoy themselves without having to drink alcohol.

If not the drinkers there are those who are walking along then  decide, suddenly, to stop for no apparent reason, completely oblivious to anyone who is walking behind them. If I'm suddenly going to stop walking I will step to one side so I don't get in peoples way - that's it rant over.

I know several people who love National Hunt racing and want to see the best racing at Cheltenham but will not go because they find it so uncomfortable.

OK it’s not a problem unique to Cheltenham and I also have to say, even though there are some exceptions, the drinkers at Cheltenham are generally better behaved than at courses like Chester, York, Ascot and Newmarket to name but four.

Which begs the question is bigger better?     

Is it better to go racing at a smaller track where there is space to move around and get close to the action and the horses or go to a bigger course, where the racing is better class, but moving around and getting close to the equine competitors is much more difficult?

Indeed my experience at Cheltenham on Friday was so unenjoyably I didn’t bother going on the Saturday where crowds of around 30,000 are expected.

There is no pleasure to be derived trying to battle to the parade ring then get back to have a vantage point to watch the racing.

The “icing on the cake” on Friday was the drive home, the first 20 odd miles in really thick fog where you could barely see more than ten yards in front of the car.

I’m even going to desert Cheltenham on Sunday for the delights of Fontwell, my absolute favourite racecourse. It’s Southern National day and it will be quite buys but I don’t care it will be a lovely afternoon and I can’t wait to, once again, stand near the intersection of the chase course – one of the best places, anywhere, to watch racing close up and personal.

Yes, size does matter – small National Hunt courses win every time.

Weights, Drugs, Booze and Wrong Calls

There is so much to write about in what has been an eventful week.

There is one story which almost slipped through the net last Thursday and that concerns an appeal by Kieren Fox in relation to a four day ban he received for weighing in 1½lbs light at a Kempton meeting on 19^th September.

Custom and practice has dictated the jockey and the jockey alone is responsible for ensuring he carries the correct weight throughout the race. Yet, as soon as he weighs out the jockey hands his saddle to the trainer or head lad so the horse can be saddled. He will not see the saddle again until he sees the horse in the parade ring.

Aided by his very eloquent boss, John Best, the appeal panel found in Fox’s favour stating, “that there was not motive, opportunity nor evidence that Kieren Fox was responsible for the loss of 1½lb lead which was found to be missing on weighing in.”   

It is a very wise and sensible decision . . . how can a jockey be held responsible when the saddle is out of his direct control?

Let me say there is absolutely no question of nefarious goings on in this case and the likelihood is the weight accidentally dropped out of the saddle cloth as it was being carried from the weighing room to the saddling area.

However this decision of the disciplinary panel must result in a change to presumption that the jockey is presumed responsible, even when the saddle is out of his control.

If not the only solution I can see is the jockey is made to carry the saddle to the saddling area himself and he watches the saddling process himself, somehow I cannot see the likes of Fallon and Dettori doing that.   

When I fly, for example, I am quite happy to accept responsibility for what is in my baggage up until the point I check it in. Thereafter I would not expect to be held responsible for anything added or taken from my bag.

It was a busy day for the disciplinary panel last Thursday as also before them were Jack Mitchell and Franny Norton.

Jack Mitchell was before the panel for having traces of benzoylecgonine, a diagnostic metabolite of cocaine and a banned substance in his urine. In other words it indicated he had taken some cocaine in the previous 48 hours. To his credit Mitchell admitted the offence and was very contrite in his submission to the panel.

Norton was appearing before the panel after he failed a breath test for alcohol at Chester in May, indeed the alcohol reading was at a level higher than the allowed limit for driving.

Mitchell was banned for six months, Norton for 40 days.

Both bans are perverse and wrong.

Yes Mitchell was stupid and I am in no way condoning the taking of illegal drugs and what he did was wrong. Yes there were traces of benzoylecgonine in his urine but the actual taking of the cocaine may well have been 48 hours earlier so his ability to ride would not have been impaired that greatly, if at all. Yes he needs to be punished but a six month ban is excessive. If Mitchell’s assertion that this was a one off is accepted, and there is no reason to doubt what he said, then a shorter ban plus attendance at a drug rehabilitation program at his own expense should be sufficient deterrent.

Jack Mitchell

Mitchell is young and youngsters make mistakes, draconian punishments for such mistakes are excessive. To deny somebody of their livelihood for six months for using seems harsh. Firstly when you consider the police, automatically give a caution for a first offence.

Secondly the dealers, who are far more culpable than the users, receive an average sentence of 3 years 3 months and a £167 fine (of course that means they will 19 months in reality).

Turning to Norton he was about to ride a horse whilst over the permitted limit for alcohol – in other words he was drunk. He judgement must have been impaired and he was potentially a danger to himself, his mounts and to other riders. Especially at a tight turning course like Chester.

Yet he was handed a ban of forty days.

I’m sorry but I consider turning up at a racecourse drunk, potentially endangering other riders to be far more serious than Mitchell’s offence.

Norton does not even have the excuse of youth, he is 41 years old and should know better.

Whilst some mitigation factors can be made for Mitchell, none can be made for Norton.

As a footnote it is worth noting Norton was found guilty of having benzoylecgonine in his urine in 2003 and he only received a four month ban.

Finally the normally dependable Stewart Machin made an uncharacteristic mistake when calling the wrong winner at Warwick on Monday afternoon, Mistaking  Rio’s Girl for the very similarly coloured Straboe.  I was at Warwick and I can say the professional man that he is Stewart was absolutely shocked and devastated at the mistake he made.

The press room can be the cruellest place at times but even the most cynical hacks, and there were some at Warwick yesterday, were so taken aback at Stewart’s reaction that all offered him words of encouragement and not the extreme micky taking I’m sure he was expecting. The reaction from the guys in the press room indicates the respect we have for Stewart’s commentating.

Of course there was the inevitable verbal diarrhoea being spouted on Betfair, although to be fair it wasn’t as bad as it can be when we get the race mistakes from commentators.

Apparently one punter lost some £38k on Rio’s Girl based of Stewart’s call and many posters were rallying to that punters cause.

Sorry I have no sympathy for the punter at all, indeed I would actually go as far as to say he actually deserves to lose the money.

No commentator, no matter how good he is, is infallible and to rely on a third party when risking such sums of money is insanely stupid.

Also is there not a perverse contradiction here. Stewart is being criticised for mis-identifying two horses, yet the defenders of the punter are not criticising him, yet he too clearly failed to identify the two horses.     

No wonder the Betfair forum is considered such a joke.