Over-Hyped Racing, Noisy Punters and Sanitiseds Channel 4

Apparently there has been some race meeting taking place in California for the past couple of days and judging by my Twitter timeline many, including people who I would normally describe as sensible racing journalists, seem to have fallen hook, line and sinker for the organisers hyperbole that the meeting is the “Worlds Championships” of racing.

It needs to be remembered that Americans have a strange view of the world – everything outside their borders is considered alien. Think that’s an exaggeration, have a look at US immigration, the queues are quite clearly labelled “US Citizens” and “Aliens”.

To them the USA is the world, ergo anything which happens in the United States is, by default, a World Championship.

Even in sports like rounders, sorry baseball, they call their domestic championships the World Series.

I recall watching the main TV news bulletin when I was in the States and after 25 minutes of frankly irrelevant “local” news there was a summary of world news led by a major earthquake in China which had killed tens of thousands. It barely warranted 20 seconds of coverage but the caption over the VT said it all, it read “CHINA (The World)” – I suppose that was for the benefit of any viewers who though China was part of the US.    

Get real, the Breeders Cup isn’t the Worlds Championship of racing, it’s a jumped up artificial surface meeting with a couple of races on wholly unsuitable turf going thrown in for good measure.

You can call a turd anything you like but at the end of the day it is still a turd.

Ah, it’s supporters will argue, if it is an over-hyped meeting then why do the top European trainers keep sending their horses over there?

The simple answer to that is greed. Make the prize money high enough and, like vultures round a carcase, the owners and trainers will send their horses to the races. Even if they are held on dirt or unsuitable turf conditions. More so when the meeting is held in California, where the Europeans don’t usually fare particularly well.

It’s the same greed that attracts owners and trainers to the racing in Dubai …. again the lure of big money but in the case of Dubai it’s worse than the Breeders Cup.

Owners, trainers, journalists, broadcasters all kowtow to the Dubai racing elite, happy to accept the lavish entertainment and vast prize money, conveniently forgetting these self-same people pay lip service to  human rights.

They are proud to show off their gleaming tower blocks, six star hotels, tax free shopping centres but are not so keen to show the shanty towns and slum conditions the labourers who build these great buildings live in. The foreign workers whose passports are held so they cannot return home until their employers / Dubai Government decide they can. Whose wages are frequently withheld and who, if they dare to protest, are imprisoned.

UK journalists are more than happy to go Dubai and extol the virtues of their generous hosts, yet turn a blind eye to the conditions local journalists have to work under. It’s true that journalists can no longer be jailed for publishing anything the government disapproves of but they can be excluded and banned from publishing anything in the country, which still amounts to state censorship.

None of that matters though because Sheikh Mo, his family and cronies are all good eggs, they give a huge amount of money to UK racing, so we can ignore their little foibles. Plus, of course, our Government don’t want to upset these chappies because we need their oil.

It’s all so nauseating.

One recurrent theme on the Twitter timeline these past two days is how much of a punters graveyard the Breeders Cup has been this year. It often is, especially when it’s at Santa Anita. If it is such a graveyard then why bet?

If you want to watch the racing why does it have to be with a financial investment?  

I actually do wonder how many people follow racing because of the sport and competition or just because it is a betting medium.

How many “followers” of the sport are able to enjoy or watch a race in which they have no financial interest? I have a feeling it may be a minority.

Yes I do bet but not in every race I watch, I may even go weeks without having a bet, yet I still generally enjoy watching the racing, even without having a financial investment.

Yes there are some races that are so bad it is impossible to enjoy, with or without an investment, the opening maiden at Newmarket on Friday being a recent prime example.

Of course betting also clouds the judgement of those watching the races, isn’t it amazing how many times a horse loses because the jockey is bad / useless / bent or the trainer has told the jockey not to try today etc. etc..

In other words I really hate the pocket talking whingers who will look for every excuse under the sun as to why their selected horse failed to win – of course they rarely ever come up with the correct answer, namely they just backed the wrong donkey.

Even more irritating though, are those who shout from the rooftops when they have backed a winner. Perhaps it is because it’s such a rare occurrence they feel the need to tell the world. Perhaps it is a form of narcissism. Who knows?

The majority of my betting is just for fun with a few “serious” bets each year. However if you were standing next to me watching a race in which I have had a “serious” bet you would be absolutely none the wiser as to whether I had won or lost. I also take a view that a bet is going to be a loser and if it wins it’s a bonus.

For me punting is a very private matter, I’m surprised the number of people who ask me how much I bet, it’s a question I never answer, not even my close family or friends know how much I bet, how much I win (or lose).  The only person who knows how much I bet with my serious betting is my commissioning agent.

Finally I hope Channel Four Racing yesterday isn’t an example of how things will be when they have all terrestrial racing from January.

Yesterday was meant to be Michael Hills final day as a jockey yet they announced he would not be riding at Newmarket because he was “feeling unwell.”

The truth was he had failed a pre-racing breath test and was suspended from racing by the Stewards.

Why did Channel Four decide to mislead their viewers in not revealing the true reason for Hills not riding? 

Champions Day & Channel Four Presenters

There are, I admit, times when I’m standing in the pouring rain, on a wet Monday afternoon with a couple of hundred other racegoers when I wonder why I bother following this sport of horse racing.

Then again there are days, like last Saturday, when I know there is nowhere in the world I would rather be. 

I’m referring, of course, to British Champion’s Day at Ascot last Saturday, where I experienced one of the best atmospheres at a racecourse ever. For one it seemed over 90% of those present were actually there for the racing.

Although there were five championship races most were there to see the one race, indeed the one horse, the mighty Frankel who was there to make his last appearance on a racecourse.

However it almost didn’t happen as the wet weather threatened the horses participation in the race and was dependent on connections walking the course on Saturday morning.

As Racing For Change’s Rod Street put it to me afterwards it was “squeaky bum time” – imagine the sense of anti-climax has Frankel not run.

Both the pre-parade ring and parade ring were surrounded by massive crowds wanting to get a glimpse of the unbeaten wonder horse, something that added another irony to the day.

Excelebration after winning the QEII

The race before Frankel’s was the Queen Elizabeth Stakes over the mile, the very race Frankel won last year and it was won in devastating style by the horse who has lived in Frankel’s shadow, Excelebration. A brilliant, gutsy horse in his own right who would have been an undoubted superstar had he not been of the same generation as the once in a lifetime horse.

Even on Saturday, the day he wasn’t racing against Frankel he still managed to be overshadowed and many at Ascot missed the brilliant turn of foot, reminiscent of Sea The Stars in his Arc run, which salvaged the race from a seemingly impossible position.

As Frankel entered the parade ring he was greeted by applause, not unprecedented at Ascot, what was unprecedented was the cheers and applause as he came out onto the track, although there was an amusing moment when some racegoers applauded his brother Bullet Train as he led the runners out in the second colours of the owner.

After the parade the runners set off to the start, all apart from Frankel who held back and slowly cantered past the packed stands to milk the appreciation of the fans, it was almost as if he was doing a lap of honour before the race.

Of course the race itself was heart stopping as Frankel almost fell out of the stalls, giving four to five lengths to his rivals and Ian Mongan on Bullet Train, supposedly in as the pacesetter, had to do som quick thinking to drop back and find his stablemate.

Of course the worries were unfounded and the roar of the crowd told you what was happening as he pulled upsides the defending champion Cirrus Des Aigles before edging clear to make it 14 wins from 14 races.

The crowds went mad, looking from my high vantage point you could see people running towards the rails so they could get a glimpse of the superstar.

One thing I really like though was the second and third, Cirrus Des Aigles and Nathaniel were both given a rapturous welcome back from the crowd, who appreciated what good horses they were and their contribution in making it a competitive race.

It was a brilliant atmosphere, it’s a shame it cannot be bottled.

Channel Four have finally announced their presentation team for next year, a mixed bag with some surprises.

It is, of course, no surprise Nick Luck will be there as a main presenter alongside Clare Balding. There were some surprises in the “supporting” team.

The biggest surprise for me was the inclusion of Emma Spencer, who for me is the most lightweight member of the team, both physically and as a presenter. I’m told by many that she is considered pretty and “eye-candy” although that is something I fail to see, as the saying goes beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Graham Cunningham was the surprise inclusion in the team, he’s an astute analyst not afraid to have an opinion and I can envisage some chippy exchanges with Jim McGrath and Mick Fitzgerald who will be the other paddock commentators.

The dropping of John McCririck has sparked some debate but it cannot really be a major surprise, he really is past his sell-by date and, unfortunately he has become a caricature of himself.  His rant at being omitted from the line-up exemplifies why he was omitted.

Three of the other droppings from the team are more questionable.

Alastair Down isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, like an avuncular Uncle, sometimes tetchy he wasn’t really a TV natural but his way with words and his passion for national hunt racing was unsurpassed.

Mike Cattermole is a very accomplished presenter and a very decent chap, as demonstrated by his very graceful reaction to his not being included in the line-up (Take note McCririck) and I think his omission is a mistake especially when Spencer is being retained.

The dropping of Derek Thompson is also something of a mystery, yes he is a Marmite man, but from a TV producers perspective he is an absolute Godsend. He will do the interviews nobody else wants to, he can get across the atmosphere and work the crowd and, most importantly from a TV production perspective if you need somebody to fill for 23 seconds he will give you exactly 23 seconds, not a second more, not a second less.

This brings us onto the other Marmite character, Matt Chapman – who isn’t in the team. This may come as a surprise but I am slightly disappointed by this.

Yes I know I have been Matt’s biggest critic over the years but a “tamed” Matt would have been a good addition to the team.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, when he plays it straight Matt is one of the best interviewers we have in the sport, he can get even the most reluctant of trainers to open up.

However Matt is his own worse enemy in that he tries to be controversial, he always denies this, but he does and it is so frustrating. If he could just calm himself, reign himself in, he would have been a shoe-in for a Channel Four role and a great addition to the team – it’s a terrible waste.

It’s good to see Simon Holt and Richard Hoiles will continue to be in the team, Richard once again showed why he is head and shoulders our best commentator with his excellent call of Frankel’s race as Ascot.

I am also disappointed there is no role for Stewart Machin in the line-up.

Leadership In Racing and Ethical Sponsorship?

Yesterday saw the “Leaders In Racing” conference, basically a big jolly for those who think they are ….erm  …… leaders in racing!

The trouble is, and it’s the sports biggest problem, there are no leaders in racing.

There are plenty who think they are leaders but thinking something does not make it so. Racing is beset by the “too many chiefs, not enough Indians” syndrome.  

I’ve said this before and I will keep saying it, racing is too fractured, too disorganised, to survive in its current format yet those supposedly charged with running the sport cannot, or more accurately, do not want to see it.

The leaders like their little fiefdoms and they want to hold on to their little power bases, even if it is to the detriment of the sport as a whole.

Paul Bittar??

Paul Bittar joined the BHA as the big hope for the sport. He has certainly shown Prime Ministerial qualities in his “leadership”. It is just unfortunate the Prime Minister he has chosen as his role model is the great appeaser Neville Chamberlain. Instead of kow-towing and appeasing the Nazis, Bittar has chosen to kow-tow to and appease the bookmakers.

One of the speakers at the conference was Channel Four’s Sports Editor Jamie Aitchison, who gave a depressing speech, including the classic lines.

"Racing is now with a broadcaster which can challenge perceptions and knows how to market to an audience," said Aitchison.

"We have carried out major market research which says you can't target the horse, it's got to be about the public and human heroes. To bring more people into racing, it has to be about the jockeys, the trainers and the stories."

Excuse me the sport is called HORSE racing . personally I couldn't give two hoots about the backgrounds, personality (or otherwise) of jockeys and trainers.

All I want from my TV coverage is to see the runners in the parade ring and decent coverage of the race without any fancy, arty shots - if we must have the arty shots then save them for the replays.

So is Aitchison seriously suggesting it's pointless concentrating on Frankel and that Queally and Cecil are really the story the public are interested in.

Just who was “market researched” – where is the evidence, or was it some New Labour style forum of trendy lefties?

It looks as though Aitchison is looking to seriously dumb down the coverage.

Equally as worrying Aitchison led the production of Channel Four's Paralympic coverage - well if that is going to be the template for the racing coverage it looks like terrestrial viewers will be subjected to irrelevant "talking heads" and minimal coverage of the actual action and probably heavily delayed. 

- - - - - - -

A fortnight ago Newmarket staged The Sun Chariot Stakes, or to give it its full name The Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes.

The very same Kingdom Of Bahrain, which murders those protesting peacefully for basic democratic rights.

The very same Kingdom Of Bahrain which throws doctors and nurses in prison for between 5 and 15 years because they treated protestors who were beaten up by the state. Not forgetting raping and sexually assaulting some of the women doctors and nurses during interrogation.

The very same Kingdom Of Bahrain whose minority, but ruling, Sunni Muslims  operates a system of apartheid against Shia Musims, who form two-thirds of the population.

The very same Kingdom Of Bahrain who denies many migrant workers basic human rights.

I could go on.

Yet it seems Newmarket and, by association, racing seemingly has no qualms in accepting such tainted money!!!

Are there any ethics when it comes to sponsorship or is it a case of give us the money, we don’t care where it comes from.

What next the Jimmy Savile Nursery? 

Tinkering, Rebuilding and Diesel

Well I go away for a week and come home to find the powers that be have once again tinkered with the Grand National – this year’s grand plan involves shortening the race by around 90 yards to take the start away from the crowds and to shorten the run-in to the first fence.

Is this a radical move or another shuffling of the deckchairs as the ship sinks?

I suppose all will be revealed next April.

There is no change to the field size which, in my view, is a major issue. It would still be as spectacular a contest were the safety limit to be reduced to thirty.

I also note no changes have been made to make the runners respect the fences more, although I do welcome the decision to review the structure of the underlying structure of the fences. I think if people saw a “naked” National fence, before the spruce is added, they would be shocked.

Work is also going to be undertaken to ease the landing side of the fences – will this make the fences more inviting to jump and in the process increase the risk of falls.

Again it’s just my view, I think the fences should be higher so they are approached with more care and respect.

As I have previously written I have, in recent years, fallen out of love with the Grand National. Sod tradition but I think it is becoming a liability to the sport as a whole and I would happily see it sacrificed if it was for the betterment of the sport as a whole.

Others disagree with me and they are entitled to their view as I am to mine ….. time will tell as to which view turns out to be the right one.

It seems Newbury were unlucky with the cancellation of the Lionel Richie concert planned after racing yesterday, or should I call them “The Racecourse Newbury” as in a fantastic piece od spin they have announced a partnership with a building company to re-develop the site basically adding a couple of housing estates and a Hotel. Of course the announcement has been crafted by the spin doctors but it cannot disguise what is a crass decision.

One of the great “innovations” is moving some of the car parking to the centre of the course – how will that be accessed – by a tunnel then it may be OK, although there will be a pinch point. If not a tunnel then it will involve crossing the track which will a) potentially damage the track and b) restrict times when racegoers can arrive and leave the course.  When will courses learn that centre course parking does not work.

Also can you imagine the disruption there will be whilst all the construction work takes place?

Time for a non-racing rant now. I’ve just spent a week driving on the continent and one thing that struck me was the disparity in fuel prices between the UK and Europe. Before setting off I filled up the car with diesel and I paid £1.429 a litre at my local supermarket.

Whilst on the subject of fuel prices what is the point of the 0.7p or 0.9p that is added onto a price of a litre. If I bought one single litre of fuel would I be given 0.1p change?

Anyway in France, Belgium and The Netherlands the price of a litre of diesel was between the equivalent of between £1.09 and £1.17 a litre …. why the disparity in this country?

The other thing was just how good the motorway service areas were on the continent. The services visited in both Belgium and The Netherlands put ours to shame. They were spotlessly clean, including the toilets and the food prices were no different than in the local towns and the food was edible and they were relatively close together.

Whereas our service areas are "fast food” outlets and/or food I wouldn't feed to an animal, never mind eat myself, sold at an extortionate mark-up. Unfortunately motorway service areas are an occupational hazard for me, although I tend to use them only for "relief" stops as it were.

When I lived in The Netherlands the food in the service areas was so good people actually went out for dinner in the service area restaurants.

The only decent service area in the UK, in my experience, is Tebay on the M6 in Cumbria - it's still quite expensive but it does serve decent food.