Racecourse A-Z Part Three

The final part of my racecourse thumbnail sketches, R-Y plus the recently departed.

Redcar

My biggest problem is I am actually allergic to Redcar – I jest not. If the wind is blowing from the west and over the chemical works my eyes begin streaming and I get a sore throat. Last time I went the wind was from the north and I had no problems at the course, yet when I drove downwind of the works the rewactions began.

The trouble with Redcar is it isn’t in a pretty location.

Other than that it’s an Ok course. Most of the racing seems to take part on the straight course but the round course is a tight ellipse so even on the far side the runners are not that far away. 4/10 (would be much more if it was in a better location)  

Ripon

Described as the garden racecourse the grounds are very well maintained but the floral displays at Redcar, Lingfield and the defunct Folkestone would give them a run for their money.

Old brick stands add to the atmosphere of the course and it is always very popular with a decent crowd.

Some of my colleagues say it can be very rowdy but I have to admit it is not something I have particularly encountered myself – maybe I’ve been lucky. 7/10

Salisbury

Another jewel of a course on top of a hill with some stunning views, not least (from the right spot) the famous Cathedral in the distance.

I recall going to Salisbury one day and sitting in members for an elderly man and a companion to sit next to me. The man was none other than former PM Edward Heath and his security guard.

I tell the story as that sort of sums up the members enclosure at Salisbury, very much highbrow and they almost seem to resent the hoi poli joining them.

That aside it is a friendly course, viewing is hit and miss but on a sunny day it’s a good day out. 7/10

Sandown

A reasonably well laid out course with good viewing, although I have to admit I’m no fan of the centre chute sprint track – although it’s not as bad as the one at Longchamp.

Spacious enclosures can seem bleak on quiet days and on busy days there can be some problems with over indulgent racegoers. 7/10  

Sedgefield

Another of the true jumping tracks with a loyal local following.

I have to admit I do find the enclosures and stands somewhat sterile and uninviting and would rate the course as OK rather than special. 4/10

 

Southwell

I never go to Southwell expecting much and to that extent I’m never disappointed. The place is functional rather than inspiring.

Predominently an all weather course it makes an attempt at NH racing – whether it succeeds is a moot point. 3/10

Stratford

Being reasonably close I attend quite a few meetings at Stratford but I find it hard to gel with the place. 

Viewing is good but there is something I cannot quite put my finger on that puts me off the place – perhaps it’s the glass fronted members stand which looks incongruous in the setting?

Midweek meetings are relaxed with true racegoers, weekend meetings are beginning to attract the “wrong sort” of crowd – but the course encourage them by laying on extra booze selling points. Midweek 6/10, weekend 2/10

Taunton

Another of the no frills national hunt tracks catering mainly for a knowledgeable local clientele.

The place is functional without being flash. Viewing is pretty good and the place is welcoming. 6/10

Thirsk

For a “smaller” course the enclosures at Thirsk are surprisingly big and the meetings are well attended  with a strong local following.

My biggest gripe with Thirsk is their rule that gentlemen MUST wear a tie in the Premier enclosure.

Now I have no problem wearing a tie and I do so more often than not when I go racing but I do resent being told I must wear one. It almost stinks of pretentiousness on the part of the course. 6/10 (would be 7/10 without the tie rule)

Towcester

This is my local course and I used to adore the old wooden grandstand which offered great covered viewing. Unfortunately the stand was condemned and new stands were built.

OK they look pretty but the new stands were built very much with the corporate racegoers in mind and the regular racegoers was seemingly considered an afterthought. Yes there is some tiered viewing but it is exposed to the elements and on a wet day there is limited shelter and nowhere to watch the racing from the dry.

The course has free admission for most meetings but it doesn’t compensate for the fundamental shortcomings, which is a shame because the Towcester hill can result in some thrilling finishes. 4/10

Uttoxeter

This is another course which really frustrates me. A great jumping course, good facilities and what do they go and do?

They stick a bloody gypsy camp, sorry, caravan site in the centre of the course, seriously obstructing viewing of the racing – totally brainless. Money grabbing at the expense of those who want to watch racing. 6/10

Warwick

Let’s build a racecourse with a hill in the centre of the course. Sounds silly doesn’t it but that describes Warwick racecourse.

Notwithstanding the topological challenge Warwick is an enjoyable course to visit and on the flat course it’s only races over seven furlongs which are hidden from view. 7/10

Wetherby

The course haven’t been helped by the recent A1 re-alignment which resulted in significant changes to the track and damage to the racing surface.

Ignoring that Wetherby is a lovely course to visit. Good racing, good facilities and viewing. 8/10

Wincanton

At the risk of sounding boring, yet another country NH course although i=on a slightly larger scale than some.

Friendly and welcoming, plenty of space and good viewing 7½/10

Windsor

One of only two figure of eight courses, unfortunately the far loop is not visible from the stands.

The racing is of variable standard and one is left with the impression the course is more interested in appeasing the Monday night crowd and getting as much money out of them as possible. 6/10  

Wolverhampton

Another of those schizophrenic courses. Purely functional  and certainly not aesthetic it can be the most depressing place at the midweek meetings.

On Saturday nights the place is transformed as the place comes to life and, shock horror, there is a great atmosphere. Midweek 3/10 Saturday night 7/10  

Worcester

Ask many in the industry and Worcester will frequently appear in the bottom three. I wouldn’t go that far but it’s nothing to write home about.

The facilities are cramped and aged and they use those terrible portable obstacles, 4/10

Yarmouth

A course that probably would not survive without the summer holidaymakers which is the lifeblood of the course.

Open and spacious the stands are a bit too far back for my liking and when the wind whips in from the North Sea you need to wrap up.

Being relatively close to Newmarket it can attract some better horses than it probably deserves. 6/10  

York

This may be another of those controversial ones as I’m going to be a heretic and say I don’t like York and think it is highly overrated.

On the plus side it has a great infrastructure with some truly delightful stands.

On the minus side it has a terrible racing surface and’ like Chester, it attracts far too any racegoers who could not give a toss about the racing. Apart from the quieter days and the Sunday funday there is invariably an edge at York and you are left feeling one false step and you could end up in a fight. 2/10

And the recently “lamented” ……

Folkestone

Despite being close to the motorway network, Folkestone always seemed a long way away from anywhere.

The final access down a narrow lane was always frustrating. Once there the buildings had a neglected, unloved feel about them.

The highlight was the area behind the stands and the amazing pond. Racing was generally moderate 4/10

Great Leighs

I’m no lover of artificial surface racing but it was generally agreed Great Leighs had the best artificial surface in the country and the racing was passable.

It didn’t help the grandstand was in the centre of the course and the course suffered at the hands of crass, gross mis-management.

In the right hands and with some infrastructure changes it has the potential to become a really good course. 4/10

Hereford

Hereford was another of those courses where the stands were too far away from the track, although that didn’t greatly diminish the racing experience.

I quite liked Hereford, the facilities were basic but viewing was OK and it was generally a good day out. It was lost to politics unfortunately. 6/10

Clerk Of The Course and Darlan

I suppose after watching the news and seeing three feet of snowfall along the eastern seaboard of the United States it is rather churlish to begin complaining about the weather back here in the UK.

However I must confess I am beginning to get more than a little fed up with the ongoing weather we’re having this winter.

If it isn’t snowy and icy it’s persistent rain and even if the racing does survive the elements, the conditions are so testing the form book gets thrown out of the window.

Life is even more difficult for racings favourite whipping boys / girls, the Clerks Of The Course.

Sulekha Varma is Clerk at Huntingdon and Warwick and she would be forgiven thinking the weather Gods really have it in for her.

Having lost far too many meetings to the weather last year 2013 had started reasonably well but this week the weather twice caught her out. Racing at Huntingdon on Thursday looked to be fine until the temperatures decided to drop at the last minute forcing an unscheduled inspection at 10:00, which the course thankfully passed.

Two days later, at Warwick, Sulekha called a precautionary inspection for 10:00 due to a forecast of frost and fog. In the end neither materialised and the inspection was called off and racing given the go ahead.

A wet but snow free Warwick

Mother nature was only playing games though as within half an hour of the inspection being called off it began to snow. Initially it wasn’t a problem as the snow wasn’t settling but as time went on it began to settle. Again another impromptu inspection had to be called. Again luck was on Sulekha’s side and the meeting passed the inspection, with the caveat of there being no more significant precipitation as the ground was becoming saturated.

I know it is easy to criticise Clerks and let’s face it I’m one of the biggest critics of the rolling inspections, but they do have a difficult job at times.

As in all walks of life there are varying standards of Clerkship, some clerks you trust implicitly, a few have taken so many happy pills their optimism verges on the obsessive and their utterances are taken with a cellar full of salt.

I can think of one clerk who, even if the course was under three feet of water, would still manage to find one patch of “good” ground.

Sulkekha is definitely one of the clerks who falls into the first category so it’s a great sham she’s the one the weather Gods have chosen to play around with.

Any discussion about Clerks would be incomplete without giving a mention to Fakenham’s redoubtable David Hunter. His going reports are legendary amongst the racing media and have been known to include heartfelt pleas for the snow to go away, he’s even resorted to verse on occasion – at least with David you know even if the weather is going to win, there will be something in his going report to make you smile.

AP McCoy

The unfortunate loss of Darlan at Doncaster on Monday has caused a great deal of debate, some of it frankly nauseating to the extent that some are blaming AP McCoy for the accident.
McCoy is a very driven jockey with a strong will to win, however he is also an excellent horseman and the finest judge of what he has underneath him.

Yes he can somehow get horses home to win when they “shouldn’t” but he also knows when a horse he is riding has no more to offer and when that point is reached he does stop pushing the horse.

Whilst the loss of Darlan was, of course, sad it has been almost forgotten two other horsespaid the ultimate price the same day.

Sadly losing horses is something which goes with this sport of ours and it doesn't, indeed shouldn't, ever get any easier, when it does happens.
If I ever reached a stage where I wasn't moved by an equine fatality, no matter how good or bad the horse, then I know it would be time to walk away from the sport.
Darlan has hit the headlines because he was a horse with great potential and we will now never know how great he would be.
It's human nature that we concentrate on the "high profile" casualties.
Hundreds of people die in car crashes every day across Europe, most barely get a mention in the local rag, but if a Princess is killed in a Parisian car crash it makes headlines round the world. Why? because of who she is - it does not mean any of the other deaths in car crashes are any less poignant or tragic.
In the same way when a high profile horse gets killed it hits the headlines more than one known only by its connections and a few punters.
I also don't think constantly looking for someone or something to blame is the answer. These things happen.
Darlan's loss was upsetting but, frankly, I was a lot more upset by the loss of Function Times at Catterick on the Friday before in what was simply a freak accident in a bumper - her leg went as they turned for home and that night, in bed, every time I shut my eyes I could still see her leg dangling as they waited for the vet to arrive.
One thing to bear in mind is horses can be killed by accidents anywhere. At Leicester the week before last, a runner broke down and had to be put to sleep.
I mentioned to the judge, Di Clarke, that was one side of the sport I really dislike but her reply was very sensible, she said, "at least at the racecourse the vet will be will be straight away. I had a horse break a leg at home and had to keep hold of it for 45 minutes before the vet arrived."

The Morning After The Day Before

After deciding not to go to Leopardstown yesterday I had the relatively simple choice of going to either Newbury or Warwick instead.

In the end I plumped for Warwick, simply on the basis with Newbury being such a big meeting all the great and good of racing journalism would be there and the press room would be full to bursting.

Whereas at Warwick it was a near deserted press room with three of us there, plus Stewart Machin popping in between races.

As I write this the morning after the nightmare events in the Newbury parade ring I am pleased I made the decision to go to Warwick. Yes, part of me thinks it would have been a good professional challenge reporting from the scene of a breaking news story but being close to a story can cloud ones judgement.

One aspect that particularly struck me is the incident occurred pretty close to where I do my paddock observations at Newbury. So there is a strong chance, had I been there, I would have witnessed the incident first hand.

Would that have been a good thing? Clearly from a purely emotional aspect it certainly would not, how could anybody witness such an event first hand and not be impacted?

Moreover I think having witnessed such an event first hand would make reporting on what happened all the more difficult. Yes, it would have been possible to report what happened from an involved perspective but that would also make looking at the wider picture much more difficult as there would have been too much emotional baggage attached and I know I would have struggled to be objective.

That is why I have greatest admiration for the broadcasters who were able to report on such a horrifying incident so well. They provided understanding and informative coverage striking a great balance conveying the tragedy of what happened, without over sensationalising events.

Particular praise should go in the direction of Nick Luck who, once again, showed what an excellent broadcaster he is – dare I say it was his finest hour.

Mention should also be given to the BBC’s Cornelius Lysaght. I know I have been a strong critic of some of Five Lives racing coverage but, credit where credit is due, Lysaght’s description of the events he witnessed in the parade ring was radio reporting at its very best, you almost felt you were there and the tone was spot on.

Investigations are still on-going and whilst all the known evidence so far points to an underground electrical cable it would not be constructive or helpful to speculate further. Enquiries are still on-going both within and outside racing and in due course I have no doubt all will become clear.

Lessons will clearly be learned but I believe it will transpire this was a terrible freak accident.

Unbelievably, although sadly not unsurprisingly, I have seen suggestions online that the incident was no accident but a case of deliberate sabotage . . . . you really do wonder if inmates in the asylums should be allowed internet access?

I do have three points to look at further concerning yesterdays events.

Should the first race have gone ahead?

On the whole I believe those responsible handled this unique situation as well as they could in the circumstances, the one exception being running the first race.

As we now know the decision was taken to run the first race, albeit 20 minutes late. This happening after one trainer, Nicky Henderson, went to the start and decided to withdraw his runner, Kid Cassidy, who had been affected by events in the parade ring.

There was clearly confusion as to what had happened in the parade ring and the first race not have taken place until it was clear what had happened.

In an interview stipendiary steward Paul Barton, speaking about the decision to run the first race, said, "They were extremely unusual circumstances. We were reacting to things as they occurred at the time - we didn't know if the horses had had heart attacks or what had happened.”

The final part of the statement is the most pertinent “we didn't know if the horses had had heart attacks or what had happened”

They did not know what had happened - in which case the decision to race was crass.

What would have happened if either Kid Cassidy or The Merry Giant (another horse involved in the parade ring and reported by connections to be “badly traumatised” after the race) had collapsed during or after the race?

Barton also said, “…..after the race, as we got more information, the decision-making process changed."

Doesn’t common sense dictate that if you do not have the information then you err on the side of caution?

There were suggestions regarding a possible electrical cause before the first race was run, that must have rung alarm bells.

Barton added, "The horses were examined by the veterinary surgeons before the race,” but my understanding was this was only a heart rate check. How thorough were the examinations?

The bottom line is they did not know what killed the two horses in the parade ring, nor what led to two other horses to stumble, yet the race was allowed to proceed.

The decision to run the first race was, at best, crass bad judgement, indeed I would go as far as to suggest negligent as it raises serious horse welfare issues.

Undoubtedly the BHA will enquire into the circumstances, however I also believe an external enquiry is also required and I trust this is a matter which will be investigated by the RSPCA.

Were broadcasters right to show footage of the incident?

Another topic which set the message boards and Twitterland alight.

For me this is a simple issue, what happened at Newbury was a breaking news story, with relevance to a wider audience. The pictures put the incident into a wider contest and clearly illustrated what happened.

I have no doubt the audience figures will show people will have switched to Channel 4 Racing as the afternoon progressed and word spread, hence the need to show the incident on more than one occasion.

It was not a pretty sight, it looked horrible but that is what happened, it cannot be ignored.

Should broadcasters not show news coverage for fear it may offend somebody? If that were the case the only pictures we would probably see in news bulletins would be of sheep frolicking in fields – then again even that may well offend somebody.

News is reporting of what happens in the real world, it should not be sanitised.

Are those complaining about the pictures being shown also saying broadcasters should not have shown pictures of the planes hitting the Twin Towers, or show film of JFK being assassinated?

I would suggest the planes hitting the Twin Towers is far more distressing than what happened yesterday.

Some complained the incident was shown repeatedly and they found it upsetting – my question to them would be, if you find it so distressing then why were you watching it repeatedly?

You will find your television has an off or channel change switch.

Are there double standards with some of the reporting?

Some final thoughts to ponder - which I make without comment.

Two horses died at Newbury in unusual circumstances and it becomes a major news story not only within racing but on the wider news agenda. It even made news bulletins overseas as well.

Also yesterday afternoon, two horses died at Warwick and at least two died at Leopardstown.

Are the losses at Newbury any greater than the losses at Warwick and Leopardstown?

Shouldn’t the same amount of passion and column inches be dedicated to the deaths of the other four horses?

Are deaths in-running just an accepted part of our sport?