AN EMPTY VOID THAT MAY NOT BE FILLED

Investment in National Hunt horses for keeping and racing is a costly hobby requiring a full on passion for the game and a willingness to accept that it's a pastime that will be operated at a long term loss, often a substantial one.

The big investors in the game have made their fortunes by entrepreneurship and shrewd business moves, and it will not come natural to them to enter a venture that is certain to result in a loss. Nonsense comments about age just being a number is no consolation to those who are alert to the fact of how big a worry for National Hunt racing it is, when the age of those who have been investing heavily long term is noted. These are supporters whose massive, sustained contributions are somewhat taken taken for granted.

Michael O'Leary announced that he would be winding down his substantial interest in National Hunt racing well before the Covid pandemic was even on the horizon. At the time he did not rule out a turnaround with fresh reinvestment at some stage in the future but in light of the devastating damage that the plague has had on the airline industry, that change of heart is very unlikely to ever happen. He is now 60 years of age.

J P McManus's continued support for yards up and down the country in both Ireland and England is something which no one really takes time to step back and consider that nothing lasts for ever. From the days of Jack of Trumps when Eddie O'Grady was his main trainer, McManus began to expand the trainers used and in many instances his support has been a lifeline for some operations.

McManus is now 70 years old. The time will soon arrive when he begins to wind down his interest and it is most unlikely anyone else will step in to fill the void. As a general rule the younger entrepreneurs would be less likely to become involved in operations were loss making on a large scale is assured, irrespective of the pleasures derived from.

Graeme Wylie became attached to racing relatively late on in life. After being part of the team that developed the Sage computer software, then sold his share off for an astronomical sum, he bought Lord Transcend who turned into a cracking performer at Howard Johnston's, the success resulting in Wylie investing heavily and being rewarded with some great equine contributors to the game, Inglis Drever and Tidal Bay leading the way, along with several other smart performers. 

He was faithful to Johnston in light of some sniping comments about how better he'd do if expanding the number of trainers he used. Once Johnston lost his licence, Wylie turned firstly to Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins, to train the horses in his colours, then lately Mullins alone. The success with Johnston was never reproduced though the Mullins trained On His Own failed by inches to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Wylie is back in business developing a product to compete with Sage. He is almost certainly not going to be returning to racing - and to think we took it for granted that he'd be a prominent player in the game for the rest of his life.

Robert Ogden once had a cracking string of jumpers and there was a period when he brought Paul Carberry over as a retained rider for a three year spell in the second half of the 1990's. After they split Ogden continued with a string of forty odd quality jumpers. The striking Marlborough a real star in his own way and an important part of the jumping scene, Voy Por Ustedes ( in picture) a cracking two miler, Exotic Dancer a player in the big championship events, and who can forget how well Ad Hoc was travelling when brought down four out in Bindaree's Grand National.

Ogden long ago wound down his jumping string and will shortly be reaching 86 years of age. While Trevor Hemmings had now passed and his colours will gradually leave the scene. Just have David Johnston's have, and soon the Andy Stewart colours will have gone.

Yes, it's all very gloomy but there is a point to this. All these owners had a passion for the game that drove them to blank out their normal strict requirement to reap a financial gain because the reward of watching a National Hunt animal realise its potential and make it to the high grades was privilege worth paying for.

Though it's more of a subjective hunch than an objective fact with figures to back up the argument, there is no doubt whatsoever that the emerging owners are much, much less likely inclined to want to own National Hunt owners and more drawn to finding a juvenile on the flat that will be ready to go and bring some money back in and maybe attract some big offers from other parts of the word.

Richi Ricci seemed to appear from nowhere and could just as easily disappear as quickly. His patronage cannot be taken for granted while who know how long Noel and Valerie Moran will stay on the scene. It's a humbling thought that it only takes a few of these names to drop out ( they all will eventually, some sooner than others) to create a void that finding new investors to fill it may just not be possible.

image taken by author 

A famous opening track from a vintage album released shortly before Bright Highway won the Mackeson, and would have been in thousands of households when he followed up in the Hennessey. A time when the future of National Hunt racing seemed perpetually safe and secure.

CHRISTMAS READING

 

This is always a fitting time to restock on reading materials. In horse racing this is a process that offers a wider, historically deeper, and a more varied choice of delights than in all of the other sports.

And it's just as rewarding to track down some of the older publications than the recently reviewed offerings, some of which have been released to coincide with the Christmas period. Indeed, it's probably best for the dust to settle, then to consider a year or two down the line whether you think they are worth a read.

Two years to the month have past since the release of ' Our Honest Charlie Wood', a book that is clearly the result of author Josephine Carr painstakingly searching through the newspaper archives to chronicle the career of a rider originating from the slums of Hull to progress to be Fred Archer's greatest rival.

He won all five English Classics, including three Derbies, but his fortunes took a severe dip when he was away from action for a decade after being warned off. The book details his fight to clear his name, the powerful, influential cliques involved in the sport, and one cannot fail to be aghast at the the mind boggling amounts that riders bet on horses in those days. Well worth a read.

It's four years since the release of Henrietta Knight's  'The Jumping Game' which is a project that the former trainer set out to complete as part of the healing process after losing her long time partner Terry Biddlecombe. It involves her visiting twenty seven different trainers in Britain and Ireland, describing their training methods and adding personal comment.

These books are rarer than one would imagine. I can recall reading a book on training the racehorse by Tim Fitzgeorge Parker many, many years back, but off the top of my head am unable to name any similar books, which makes the Henrietta Knight publication even more welcoming.

It's notable how many handlers now, influenced by dressage, eventing and show jumping, work their animals in tack to encourage them to carry themselves in the correct shape with heads low, necks arched and backs curved. Some however stick to their traditional methods learnt from their masters, such as Alan King taking forward what he was taught from David Nicholson, including the short fuse.

Gordon Elliott originally picked up plenty from what he learnt from the Pipes, but turning full circle, David Pipe has now installed a short circular gallop made from Wexford Sand, which many have copied from Elliott who has utilised this gallop to maximum effect. Willie Mullins has a similar installation and there appears to be nothing out of the ball court in his modus operandi that accounts for his devastating run of big race successes.

Henry De Bromhead, like Elliott, has paddocks attached to each box, allowing the inmates to spend as much time in the open as they wish, while Venetia Williams's charges are turned straight out into fields after work and literally live outdoors during the day, are permanently caked in mud and only groomed before going to the races.

It's fascinating stuff, it really is, and it would great if a similar publication was penned on the top flat trainers. There can be no turning out in muddy fields for the big Newmarket yards and contrasting their approach with this return to nature approach, would be a thought provoking read. A retro publication looking at the  methods of  the trainers of the sixties and seventies would also appeal. 

On to an older publication but arguably one of the best racing publications ever, is ' Treasures of the Bloodstock Breeders Review' published in 1990 by the esteemed J.A.Allen & Co Ltd. The book is compiled by Ametican Leon Rasmussen who worked for Daily Racing Form for five decades, and former Jockey Club handicapper Miles Napier.

The Bloodstock Breeders Review was published annually from 1912 to 1979, and Rasmussen and Napier set about salvaging and reproducing the very best from the publication and have produced the best dip in and out racing book you can wish to read, and it's as good a read from start to finish too!

As an example of the delights contained in this book,there was a reproduction of an interview journalist Arthur W. Coaten conducted with legendary trainer John Osbourne jnr in 1917, the handler 84 years of age at the time. God knows what he would have made of the compressed weight range often seen in handicaps nowadays as he was bemoaning the gap from top to bottom a hundred years back and comparing it with the previous century, when a mare he trained, Alice Hawthorn, finished runner up in the Chester Cup giving away 5st 8lb to the winner!

Going back to books published even earlier, I managed to finally secure a copy of 'Classic Lines', to add to my copy of ' A Decade Of Champions' both narrated by Patrick Robinson with stunning template size paintings by Richard Stone Reeves. 

And for value, many of the old Timeform Annuals are available for buttons on eBay and I have now completed my collection for the 1960's. When good condition memorabilia is available so cheaply it is a sad sign of how the popularity of horse racing has dipped compared to half a century back. I also obtained a 1965 Raceform Annual from Lester Piggott's own library for sixteen quid, signed too. And anyone doubting authenticity should maybe try sticking a book on eBay, state that it's from the library of a famous person, and see how quickly they receive contact from a legal source.

Away from racing Roger Daltrey's ' Thanks A Lot Mr Kibblewhite' was an enthralling read for those who are fans of the traditional rock bands. And for the many who are still fascinated by the Cold War era,  'Stalin's Englishman' a metacilously researched book about the life of Guy Burgess, is unputdownable. And topically, books about Australian cricketers tend to be good reads and I'm presently enjoying Mark Taylor's 'Time To Declare'. It doesn't contain the shock and sleaze element of Shane Warne's ' No Spin' but is nevertheless very entertaining in its own way.

This multilingual lady from Switzerland has enjoyed a three decade long career on the European continent and is still going strong. Let's pretend this was released in December 1974 when Captain Christy prevented Pendil from achieving a hatrick of King George Chase victories.

SMALL DELIGHTS WITH BIG CONCERNS

You often have to search pretty hard nowadays to find aspects of horse racing to give credit to, particularly when it comes to visiting racecourses, something that on the majority of occasions has increasingly become more of a chore than a pleasure.

For those who now become unsettled amid the throngs who fill the cult courses or those the themed race days on almost any course, December is arguably the most suitable month to spend a day on track.There is something eerily attractive about National Hunt racing on those days when it never gets properly light, and the other seasonal elements come into play.

Aintree hosted an excellent card last weekend which included Grand National and Gold Cup winners of the past, plus plausible winners of those races in the future, along with an opening novice hurdle where the first three home all look smart animals in the making.

Although it was themed ' Christmas Party Day', there was thankfully no partying attendees on show - maybe they congregated in one of the indoor private suites but if they were they did not venture out. For those more than content to watch the action live outdoor, visit the paddock, view a race by the final flight of hurdles, view the first half of the Becher Chase on the embankment standing level with The Chair, and only going indoors to watch a race or two from Sandown, then the twenty quid paid for a Tatts ticket on the racecourse website was a bargain, a rarity to find given the types of attendees the courses openly court nowadays.

The Grand National course is a tribute version to the one that existed when the famous race provided a daunting test but it's still a sight to see a horse in rhythm leading the pack and Snow Leopardess ( in picture) being a grey in conditions where visibility was poor, added to the occasion.

Robbie Dunne has never had his name in lights more than at this moment. His mount in the closing event Pounding Poet was headed in the dying strides, and watching from railside as the two principals passing as they fought to the line, it crossed my mind that it could be a long time before Dunne was in the heat of action again - this less than an hour after Greaneteen had taken the Tingle Creek with Byrony Frost aboard. 

As things have transpired he had a losing ride the following day at Kelso, his last before his harsh punishment was handed out by the authorities, given that a good proportion of the evidence centered on in what context comments were made, on heresay, and even more bizarrely included evidence from a fence attendant relating to what he is supposed to have heard Dunne shout at Frost as the runners passed during a race.

ITV Racing have been discussing the case, along with the presently running Tylicki v Gibbons civil action case.Those fronting ITV racing claim that both cases are bad news for the sport and appear to be under the illusion  that they are bold in openly discussing them - even informing their ' younger audience' who in reality are non existent, that the weighing room hullabaloo is not the norm.

Truth is, many indifferent to the sport fail to appreciate how brutally dangerous and competitive it actually is. When riders are killed in action the amount of newsprint the reports take up are a small fraction of the coverage a fatality would receive in other sports. Furthermore, those taking no more than a passing interest in racing do not appreciate how dangerous falls in flat racing are.

As for the weighing room carry on - well, the more publicity it receives in the wider press, more of the general public will realise that it's a deadly serious sport swirling with bitterness, jealousy and some intimidation which are aplenty in all top level sports. In fact, this is not something that will turn potential fans away from the sport.

It cannot be repeated enough that the area in which the sweeping under the carpet takes place is that of the high wastage rate within the thoroughbred industry, something which is now out in the open and will eventually do untold damage to the game as apart from the betting angle, it's the animals themselves that form the biggest attraction in the game.

Admittedly, those within the thoroughbred section of the sport, many who have links with farming, will understandably wonder what all the fuss is about, coming into contact with abattoirs on a regular basis or even having to dispose of animals themselves - but at the end of the day horses stoke up sentimental feelings in many, unlike pigs or poultry, and until the Panorama programme was broadcast ( other documentaries  are sure to follow), it's amazing to how few realised how many animals leave training each year and how difficult it is to find second homes away from racing, with many such establishments relying on charitable donations and having no room at the inn.

There was a pleasant enough lady handing out small, rainbow patterned ' Racing is for Everyone' badges at Aintree last weekend.This alone can do no harm but one can't help wondering that with the political leanings of the rainbow groups often close to those of some of the animal liberation factions, those being invited in might take a look around their new sport then wish to lobby for radical changes that would at the very least put National Hunt racing in even more peril than its already in.

image taken by author 

This from another household name in Central and Northern Europe who is almost unknown here. This from 2005 but we can return to when racing was in better shape and pretend it was released the weekend when Father Delaney won the Massey Ferguson.

A SPORT FACING DANGERS FROM ALL CORNERS OF SOCIETY

One wonders at what point the momentum building 'war' being waged on betting will reach its ceiling. Those with horse racing at heart once hoped and even believed that those actively opposed to the most addictive forms of gambling would pat themselves on the back for a job well done once the war on FOBTs was won.

Surely they could see the difference between speculating wildly without reflection time, and putting in hard cash to support an opinion as a hobby, albeit one that can be costly when wrong decisions are made. Surely they would realise how LBO's had been taken over by a different breed of gambler with no interest in wagering on anything equine

But those of us who naively in support of the ultimately successful campaign to limit the stakes per spin on these sinister, gaudy machines, and who ignored warnings that once they unarm the most damaging aspects of the FOBTs they would turn their attention to betting on horses amongst other things, now wish   the FOBTs remained as soul destroying as they were, and remained at the core of anti gambling campaigns.

Most worryingly, it is becoming increasingly clear that those jumping aboard this interfering anti gambling bandwagon who consist of cross party MP's, anti gambling organisations, and some sections of the national media, will not stop until a regulatory system is in place that will monitor and impose affordability limits on an individual - this after nosing through their personal finances.

Right now the bookmaking firms have some very concerned bigwigs pulling the strings. Having to play along with the game, put on a soft, warm game face, concerned for the welfare of the clients. One upon a time stories were abundant involving the big firms wining and dining their biggest players (well the careless ones at least), accompanying them to live sporting events while accommodating their erratic betting patterns, then completely cutting ties once they had drained the client of his whole disposable  wealth.

This still remains the inherent instinct of those running the these big national firms. It's a ruthless business model and one that will also stamp on smaller, rival firms that set up nearby. Right now they are frantically considering all possible options to prevent this meddlesome enemy from removing their clout - lobbying and strengthening their ties with MP's who may have ulterior motives for offering their support. to undercutting McDonald's on morning snacks and coffees, ostensibly to portray a mumsey image but in reality to hook in who they hope will become addictive gamblers.

Let's be honest, all punters, even those who concentrate in the main on horse racing and who consider themselves genuine fans, will from time to time show a degree of irresponsibility. Often coming in the form of getting a bit too cute when things are going well and placing some careless wagers when the bank is big, or at the other end of the scale trying to smash your way out of a poor run, which in the worst case scenario results in an enforced sabbatical during which everything you want to back but at the very best can only afford a fraction of normal stakes, wins.

Moreover it's something that all lifelong punters are able to take on the chin - never too happy during a good run, never too down during a bad one. If these proposals that these anti gambling lobbying groups are introduced, such as being allowed to lose, say, £200 a month, punters will be sent insane, using up their allowance in the first week then painfully watching from the sidelines as a host of horses in your mental notebook go in without carrying any of your money which you know you could have afforded to bet, but live a life were out of choice having a bank for Cheltenham is a bigger priority than a new three piece suite.

And what of the destruction such measures will inflict on horse racing? Take no notice of those who say racing doesn't need punters to survive. It's not just the levy; media rights would not be worth a box of matches if punters deserted the sport as no one would want to watch racing anymore. Yes, it's fine us genuine racing fans say they can watch racing all day without having a bet, and would happily spend life reading historic racing books, but for the funding of the sport to be maintained at any sort of reasonable level at a time when racing's share of the betting pie continues to decrease, it will not be able to overcome a scenario where affordable limits are imposed.

For starters a majority of racing bettors, probably a significant one too, would just tell any operator to stuff his checks up his jacksie. And even those what comply would, from reduced levels of wagering, have collectively a detrimental affect on the money that can be harvested for the sport.

There exist serial spenders who run up huge debts on their numerous credit cards, buying clothes with the in vogue labels that may be worn just once;  there are amateur stock market players who lose devastating sums by going in heavy on Blue Chip 'investments', the stock market equivalent to big race odds on favourites, then there are those who through lack of knowledge and preparatory research, invest all they have in a franchise that goes backwards.

But the attention is on gambling which is becoming the new smoking. Just like the 'smoking can damage your health'  messages on the sides of a packet of Players No 6, we had the ' bet responsibly' slogans. Then in line with pictures of diseased lungs on the ciggy packets, we had adverts showing angry characters betting, leaving a subliminal message that this was a first step to mental ruin.

In the case of cigarettes, the anti smoking lobbies took a while to really gain control as for literally decades it was slogans and pictures, even the removal of tobacco advertising from sport did not hold any clues to what was around the corner for the banning of smoking in indoor public places including pubs, allied to a price hike out of proportion to previous ones, has set the way for a move to outlaw smoking outdoor, with the ultimate aim of removing cigarettes from the shops.

For those of us old enough to recall aunties and uncles who'd smoke up to 80 cigarettes a day, every day, and who lived to ripe ages, this villifying a habit of choice is a little disturbing even if it will assist the collective health of those it targets.

It appears that the anti gambling brigade have now quickly reached the equivalent of outlawing smoking in public indoor places. And if they are able to install an affordability check system in place they would have reached the same stage in just a few years that the tobacco opponents took decades to reach. 

This is a real worry.And it's so ironic that there are innovations in racing to get the emerging generations involved at the same time that other bodies are brainwashing them on the evils of punting. Have no doubt, the future of this sport is in peril.

Advent has begun so on to some xmas music - this from a talented Belgium singer who is a household name in many mainland European countries. It's from the late 1990's but reverting back to a better time for racing let's pretend it was released the weekend when Bregawn beat Captain John in the 1982 Hennessey.

THIS SPORT IS ON ITS WAY OUT

This present weekend is a reminder that ten years have now passed since Kauto Star was beginning his last hoorah. Four or five decades back you could guarantee that such an illuminary, along with his monster rival and stable companion Denman (in picture), would have refuelled the racing fanbase and put untold mileage on the future well being of the sport.That is sadly no longer the case.

It's not really that long ago and was a most welcoming era that coincided on the level with SeaThe Stars career and the beginning of Frankels, and witnessed a continued run of years that was a gift to racing, something that in another era would have consolidated the standing of the sport, even without promotion from within.

However, times had already changed in a sport that had fallen a couple of tiers in real popularity (which is not measured by a head count of the weekend and evening attendees at the cult crowd courses), and the number of new genuine racing fans the era attracted is now comparatively small as the decline has continued.

There was a TV interview after one of Frankel's victories with Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Lord Grimthorpe, who was full of beans and cheerily proclaiming that Frankel will have created a whole new generation of racing aficionados.

The problem for those who are within the confines of the racing circle is that they overestimate the popularity of the sport outside of their cliques. It's regrettable but true that the horse who surpassed the Timeform rating of the mighty Sea Bird, something we never thought would happen, would not break into the outside world and be lauded like a Pele,Viv Richards, Mark Spitz, Mohammed Ali, Eddie Merckx, Ayrton Senna did in their respective sports. For truth be told, outside of the sport there is no Frankel legacy.

In the case of Kauto Star, the best chaser since Arkle, more hope could be clinged on to for it is invariably the great National Hunt horses that stoke up admiration for the game and reign in new fans. Grundy was a distant background figure compared to Red Rum in the popularity stakes, the same could be said when comparing Nashwan to Desert Orchid, or Sea The Stars with Kauto and Denman.

Alas, no long term benefit had been derived from that wonderful period for steeplechasing that concluded nearly a decade back. Just look around racecourses now and see what a rarity if is to spot a book stall, or one with paintings and photos.These were once standing dishes at almost every course and appeared to be attracting a strong, steady stream of business throughout the day.

It's a sign that the tracks are being populated by an increasingly 'cold' audience who have no feel for the game. You saw them at Cheltenham last weekend when ITV randomly picked out a group of twenty somethings on course who were going on about backing number this and number that. This really is how it is.

And those pictures from Haydock Park today - yes there were plenty crowded around the paddock but it was hard to pick anyone out who looked under forty, a sign that the attendees born after1980 are a different species from the fans who have sadly either passed on, are seriously ill, are infirm, or who have gone mad with age.

Some may say, well, what's to worry about if they call horses by numbers or don't buy old racing books? The worry is that these emerging generations will wager their betting money on things other than racing away from the course. And as the share of racing's percentage of the betting pie decreases, the financial shortfall will deepen.

This can't be repeated enough, nor can the certainty that anyone becoming hooked on the sport and developing a real passion for it, will be a punter for life and a contributor as most, no matter how knowledgeable, lack the iron clad self discipline to squeeze out a long term profit.

The attempt by the TV broadcasters to allay an impression that the sport is thriving is total illusory. It's wilting. And what is scary is that we exist in an era were customs, beliefs and habits don't change gradually anymore, they change overnight. 

The most ridiculous concepts are being forced on society and rapidly moving tide of change will leave horse racing behind. It's not a sport that can modernise and keep its place.To those who make things move within populations, any sport that involves animals is not one that is acceptable to have links with.

Whether it be in the area of betting turnover, or in the sphere of the high equine wastage rate within the sport, no amount of cajolery from smug TV frontmen will improve the standing  of the sport. It's merely  papering over cracks that can't now fully be hidden. 

That Panorama programme has done more damage than those within the sport think. Try talking to normal everyday people who once thought that the so called welfare issues within the sport were confined to the Grand National and whips - the programme really proved to be an eye opener for them.

ITV racing addressed it once, raised it as a concern, but have gone quiet, preferring instead to portray a John Craven's Newsround image of the sport, probably hoping that the wastage issue is back to how it was - out of sight, out of mind. 

They are very mistaken. It's a subject now out in the open and one that won't be going away. 

image taken by author

This previously unreleased track appeared on what was in most part a compilation album released the day before Terry Biddlecombe partnered the Fred Rimmel trained future Grand National winner Gay Trip to success in the Mackeson. As well as the horse racing being in a better place, so to was music. Anyone who has read Roger Daltrey's ' Thanks A Lot Mr Kibblewhite' will be aware how much respect he had for the singing ability of Steve Marriott.

CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE IN PLACE FOR AN ENJOYABLE DAY AT THE RACES

There has to be a set of circumstances that fall together to make it bearable to go racing nowadays, particularly on weekends, given that we clearly have emerging generations who have considerably less enthusiasm for horse racing than those preceding them.

Aintree looked a good opportunity. There were no themes attached to the programme, the weather forecast was a gloomy one with grey skies and showers forecast throughout the day. All in all it had all the ingredients to offer an enjoyable day for those who still go along for the actual racing.

As things turned out, the fact that the crowd was modest in size made things bearable but evidence was all around of how, in those months when the climate is more friendly, staying at home is the better option.

Finding a speck down by the rails to watch the opener I was joined by a large group of twenty somethings,  well groomed lads and girls with their drinks in hand, bottles of what looked like Prosecco, bottles of beer, all very vocal, all with southern sounding brogues. They were referring to the horses they backed by their number as opposed to name. As the runners passed the stands for the first time one of the group was yelling  "fall over! fall over! fall over! " - the others seemed to find this amusing.

This is how people develop when brought up on the modern, sanitised comedy, while those of a certain age will recall being able to laugh together with the family at the likes of On The Buses, The Two Ronnies, Rising Damp, and many more in that mould. Timeless, still funny, and you have to be pretty retarded not to be able to chuckle at such classic comedy. In fact, good advice would be to make a point of not associating with such dreary characters who cannot find amusement in these shows. 

The only pleasing moment was when a gust picked up and a heavy shower broke out during the late stages of the races. But they hadn't had enough and were back out for the second race, shouting encouragement to number this and number that. I hardly heard a horses name mentioned never mind the name of a trainer or rider.

The racing industry are reaping what they've sown. These characters will not betting on the horses away from the course thus are not contributing to the pot that racing desperately needs to survive. Media rights are are interwoven with the public betting on horses so it's ridiculous to think that racing's share of the betting pie can continue to decrease without threatening the value of pictures from the tracks.

Admittedly some venues make their largest chunk from party type crowds, particularly in the summer months. But at the end of the day these 'racegoers' feel no attachment to the sport and are fodder to be drawn away to the next in vogue rival attraction. They are merely sticky plaster papering over the cracks.

Another way of losing decent attendees is the fact that everthing bar exchanges with the small number of racecourse bookmakers in attendance was payment by card only, as I discovered when purchasing a coffee  and a Fanta. Whether this is a way of using covid as an excuse to make these transactions the only option I've no idea as only an airhead would truly believe that it reduces the spread of infections. 

Maybe, it's just an empty, nannying, ' caring' gesture though it would be certain that there would of been one or two elderly people in attendance who went without any form of refreshment for the duration of the meeting. It's measures like this that half make you wish racecourses harm and lack of prosperity.

On popping inside to watch a couple of races from the off meetings there was a group of half shot lads chanting football songs. I've no idea the team they were singing about but they were not local and again had southern accents, sounding as though they came from as far down as south of the midlands at least. The only warming sight was to spot someone with Betfair on his phone watching a race from Donny while glancing at the in running prices. Another racing fan! They are a rarity.

It crossed my mind that none of those downing the booze can have been racing fans. There was a certain Breeders Cup to look forward to in the evening and those beginning their sessions at noon clearly had no intention of watching the action from Del Mar, though truth be told most were probably unaware of its existence.

Two further examples of the glaring lack of enthusiasm for things racing are that all those who bothered to view the animals in the paddock seemed over forty at the very least. And as I always wander down to the final flight of hurdles to watch a race or two, I came across only one other person who was passionate enough over proceedings to do the same.

The course hosts Becher Chase day on December 4th. It could be extremely pereshing. It will be gloomy with no proper daylight, hopefully rain and wind too. People will have Christmas on the mind, respiratory viruses will have surged, perhaps Mr 'fall over' will have caught something nasty along with his cohorts. It really does have the appeal of an enjoyable day for genuine racing fans.

image taken by author

No cover versions can beat the original of this sung by a class act whose own cover versions surpass the originals. Too classy to have been released in the 1990's thus to join in with the modern spirit of rewriting the past, let's say it was released the week that Rag Trade won the original Grand National which is no more.

A SPORT THAT CAN ONLY DREAM OF PAST DAYS

 

One can only chuckle over how many in the cricket world express deep concern over the future of the Test game as though the whole sport is in crisis - a sport that when put side by side with racing, is absolutely thriving on a global basis and whose formats that have unorthodox razzmatazz added will eventually create new fans, many of whom will then gradually be weaned on to appreciating the traditional format. 

It's now customary for all the household names of the game to keep to the script about the Test format being in grave danger but some of the suggestions to tackle the so called crisis are workable and could be the solution - such as Geoffrey Boycott's proposal for the five day game to be slotted into four, longer days, with stricter rules to deter slow over rates.There exists no unmovable object that would prevent a mass resurgence in the popularity of the Test game.

From a horse racing point of view it almost makes one jealous of the position cricket is in. For in racing they do not turn back from change. The Grand National In Name Only Chase will never revert back to the real thing, that butterfly in the stomach test of a race it once was. Haydock Park will never rebuild that wonderful old chasing course with drop fences and the second longest run in, in the country. That heart in the mouth second last on the old course at Cheltenham will never revert back to where it was once cited.

It's the problem of animals and sport not going together in the modern world. Even without this angle, there is also the damage created by greed ruining the fixture list. Do we really enjoy the Breeders Cup as much since the extra races and Friday were introduced?  And we know too well how the Cheltenham Festival has to a real extent been ruined by the increased number in opportunities for connections to dodge and dive when picking the race for their animals to compete in.

We can only sit back and marvel at the immediate success of the Dublin Festival that has more in common with a 1970's  Cheltenham Festival than the present Prestbury Park event does with it's former counterpart.

Curiously, some will be trying to use the marvelous Frodon to forward a view that the Anglo-Irish balance of power in the jumping game is not presently as one sided as the majority righly make it out to be. In reality it's a sad reflection of how threadbare the quality of fields that fill the British mainland programme is when you consider that on paper, the field that lined up for the Down Royal race yesterday could feasibly turn out to be better than the one that lines up in the Kempton Park showcase event on Boxing Day.

It's such a wonderful high quality Christmas programme in Ireland that it's now more likely the King George V1 Chase would be chosen as an opt out from the more competitive Leopardstown race, notwithstanding of course the different nature of the Kempton circuit,

And talking of the increasing pattern whereby the showcase Saturday events in the UK mainland jumping fixture list are producing fields with quality thinner on the ground than in living memory, yesterday's Charlie Hall not surprisingly saw a turn out weaker than what would have been expected in former times. A once exciting animal in Cyrname who had for a spell been officially rated the best chaser in training but who has now truly lost his mojo,  up against Shan Blue,  a high class novice from last season whose merits were exposed come Festival time.

Ironically, he may end up winning the King George, something which would be a reminder of how ordinary the quality of the British mainland National Hunt programme has now become. While it's true that the high class hurdlers and chasers are campaigned more sparingly nowadays, they do not exist in any sizeable number in the UK to fill the quality races even if more bolder approaches came back into fashion.

Those of us old enough to have got hooked on racing the year that Comedy Of Errors regained his crown from Lanzarote, then to witness the front running hurdler who was arguably the greatest of them all, Night Nurse, come onto the scene, will have given up trying to reason with those who use Istabraq as the benchmark to compare all top class hurdlers with.

With regularity the main protagonists for the hurdling crown would be appearing in one combination or an other with the magnificent array of support players, some such as Bird's Nest having serious claims for the title, others being solid animals worthy of their place in the line ups of such events such as Dramatist, Flash Imp, Tree Tangle, Navigation, along with a former Epsom Derby sixth who after being purchased by Scotsman Pat Muldoon had moved from the Beckhampton stables of Jeremy Tree to G W Richard's, then to Peter Easterby's yard after a fall out. Just Sea Pigeon and yes, at that stage of his hurdling career he was just a support player. What an era!

Back to the present and irrespective of whether or not the inbalance in Anglo-Irish strength is maintained - of which there is no guarantee that it will be beyond the near future - the sport must brace itself as its general profile and popularity declines in comparison to other sports.

It has been revealed that Spotlight Sports, the owners of the Racing Post, are up for sale. The appeal is being branded on the data products it owns with an emphasis of continued expanion into sports other than racing.This is further confirmation that the portion of the betting pie taken up by horse racing will continue to decrease.

And without doubt one of the other sports where eyes go blurred at some of the figures involved in the betting liquidity will be the shorter format cricket competitions  - although the amounts involved in tests involving the main teams are also impressive. If only those involved in that sport realised  how truly safe and secure it's future really is.

A track from an album released two months before Comedy Of Errors regained his crown, and which would have been in thousands of racing fans households by the end of the year when Night Nurse emerged  as a champion in waiting.

AN UNSIGHTLY SIGHT NOW COMMONPLACE ON THE RACECOURSE

One of the scourges of modern society, something that has unfortunately infiltrated horse racing, is the popularity of the 'selfie', a cheap, empty exercise which shows a lack of respect for the subject who has been approached.

It's baffling how this craze took off and thrived. For many it is seen as a replacement for the traditional autograph, something which shows much more dignity to the person being converged upon. They can do the deed or refuse - at least they are given full choice. In the case of a selfie, the subject sometimes just finds a camera shoved infront of his face from behind. A total classless act and annoying even just to witness. 

Even if asked politely beforehand, it's curious why anyone would consent to something that could be all around the world on social media and could in certain circumstances be manipulated by a Walter Mitty, something which signing a racecard creates no similar worries over - even if the autograph hunter seeks the signature for a little profit on e bay it will still end up in the possession of a genuine fan.

This is not to say that the 'celebrities' of their divisions should be fawned over - in fact in the sport of horse racing the media generally tip toe around them and give them an easier time than the big players in the other prominent sports are afforded.

It would just be more befitting of such a sport that once had so many unwritten customs that were adhered to if it could be spared an ugly trend that does not fit the ambience of which some still associate racing with.

Moreover, just  observe the ages of some of the people who are in search of selfies. They are grown adults. Once they have swooped upon their object and come away with their prize, if will then be put on  Twitter -  all so cringeworthy for why would you want to be photographed with your arm around a stranger's shoulder sporting a laddish type expression as though you are pals.

The selfie taker and 'celebrity' are not buds - so much more preferable to approach in a dignified manner and ask if they would sign your race card. They may oblige, they may not. God only knows what is going on in their lives for they'll have their problems too, they'll have their dying relatives too.

Although autograph hunting was low on my agenda I would get a mighty buzz as a kid obtaining jockey autographs - particularly approaching Pat Eddery as I had become truly obsessed with the sport in Grundy's year and the first racing book I read was ' Pat On The Back', published at the end of it.

From memory, think I was only refused twice by jockeys. Derby winning jockey Ernie Johnson sternly told me to see him later, while miniature lightweight Taffy Thomas cast me a rather contemptuous look then ignored me. On the Saturday that it became certain that Willie Carson would be securing the 1978 jockey's championship hordes of autograph seekers surrounded the weighing room and he was forced  to make a run for the paddock otherwise he'd never have got through.

I think my most memorable day in the signature seeking mode was when Solinus won the William Hill Sprint Championship. Have quite a few scribbles on the race card, Pat Eddery, Carson, Eddie Hide, a couple of others, think they may be Jimmy Bleasdale and Brian Taylor. 

The only media person I approached was Richard Pitman  who on the day Beacon Light beat Monksfield in the Royal Doulton Hurdle signed my card and had a little chat. Although I sought his signature for his exploits as a rider, there would of been a couple of media personalities in the sport in those days whose autographs I would have treasured - compared with now when there would not be a single one of them I'd have the slightest respect for.

Obtaining autographs can likewise be taken over to adulthood as it is not a process that is with the cheap, trashy act of selfie seeking. It would be no surprise if there was a consistency in the characteristics of those taking selfies, that could be separated from the characteristics of those who covet signatures.

Selfie- takers very likely stream their music and would be more likely to mix the order of play rather than respect the track order which the great bands of the late 1960's and 1970's would in general put a great deal of thought into just like the chapters of a book - a strong opening track being essential.

Those of us who despite the selfie revolution but who have an appreciation of autographed material will buy our music for keeps and have an i tunes lifetime bill approaching three thousand quid - alot of the stuff of which we have had and still have on vinyl, and perhaps have had on cassette too, before the inferior, tinny sounding CD revolution had its era. 

Irrespective of our thoughts on Apple the i tunes digitalised sound is the only one that surpasses that of vinyl and doesn't scratch! And despite this cheap argument that the artists have enough money already, buying for keeps rather than streaming results in jobs being maintained in the lower ranks of the music industry by normal everyday people.

The selfie brigade have much to answer for and racing would be better off without them.

A classic example of a celebrated album with a strong opening track, released three days before Henry Cecil's Approval won the Observer Gold Cup.

SOMETHING THAT UK RACING CANNOT COMPETE WITH

There will soon come a time when we will be able to see the UK racing model downsizing. Beneath the surface the erosion is already happening but once the long term damage from the slowing up of the economy takes hold, training licences will be handed back in, course closures will inevitably come, and job losses will be part and parcel of all of it.

In different circumstances the sport contracting may not have necessarily been a bad thing - the end of head spinning wall to wall racing plus a return to the old days of a manageable fixture list which can be comfortably digested and savoured.

But unfortunately that would be wishful thinking as the true trimmed down model would see even more power in fewer hands with the same sets of colours dominating even more than they do now. 

The media voices and  outlets within the sport are united in denial about the true extent of what will be a radical overhaul of the UK racing scene. It's happening slowly out of the spotlight but soon the shadows will surface and the sport will drop another tier in popularity.

Are there comparisons in the football world?  Well, we are soon to be in a situation where the Premiership will be dominated by four superpowers. This is something that has delighted a work colleague of mine with a full glass empty attitude to everything in life, who I have corresponded with almost daily for over a decade, debating sport, politics, and 1970's TV.

For the current football season, he's handed in his season ticket at a world famous club that he's been an active supporter of for 45 years. He will have the opportunity of claiming it back next summer but as yet is undecided. 

He despairs how the fan base has gradually changed from locals to what he terms as the 'distance challenged', who have no links with the location of the club and who have latched on to a fashionable big name, deserting in the process good clubs with a loyal fan base in their own locality. He is equally in contempt of locals who claim to be big supporters and talk of the club all day long but won't dip their hands in their pockets to offer in the flesh match day support.

He has for many, many years been turning up, taking his seat near the halfway line, and silently willing the opponents on, as each defeat, he hopes, will leave the 'imposters' who are taking over 'his' club feeling their loyalties waiver and lives in hope that the club will fall into steep decline resulting in this modern fanbase losing interest.

Needless to say he is overjoyed by the Newcastle United takeover, meaning that there will be four superpowers with the rest, including 'his' famous club left the cold. " I feel happy and content", he declared,  " The club will decline to mediocrity now but it will take time for it to sink in with these fans who I have nothing in common with that there will be no more league titles - all four of the superpowers would all have to have below par seasons to give anyone else a look in" 

In European flat racing Michael Stoute is in gradual wind down mode while John Gosden has been unable to keep them few years of spectacularly consistent success in motion. It was a sustained period that came out of nowhere - he'd settled into one of the top trainers when returning from the States but was never really right at the top. It's incredible to think that as relatively recently as 2003, Oasis Dream was his sole Group 1 winning performer for the session.

Now he'll soon be handing the licence fully over to his son and if there is a downturn in results, the owners will begin to fall away. Racing needs this yard to maintain its position near thet top and to be able to compete with the big two, for France is weak at the moment with the mighty Andre Fabre having less potent firepower than he's had in decades. 

Two superpowers, it's worse than footy. And the potential for the popularity of the sport itself to get back on track to the days of old is non existent. In the long term it's not worth a bean pulling in large summer weekend crowds if that so called engagement is not repeating itself in the percentage of the betting public who play the horses.

Admittedly some venues can survive and profit from this type of audience, though it's a fickle one that will not provide long term loyalty as quite frankly the sport does not interest them. Put on a rival attraction  with a wide range of alcohol beverages on sale, add in some gimmicks, and they'll soon turn their backs to the racecourses.

There is another obstacle in the way of attracting long term, genuine racing enthusiasts from the emerging generations in the UK. Some may poke fun at Grand Prix racing with the usual criticism stating how boring and repetitive it is but the fact remains that solid, good quality, Saturday horse racing cards cannot even compete with Grand Prix qualifying which is why racing coverage on terrestrial tv has in the past rescheduled times to avoid a clash it has no chance of winning.

And soon, the popularity in this country of this still most glamorous four wheeled sport is going to step up to a higher level than ever before over the next couple of years with George Russell and Lando Norris coming through to reach superstar levels as Lewis Hamilton leaves the scene, probably at the end of next season.

It's what everyone will want to talk about. A sport that blows racing out of the water. The engagement level with it amongst the emerging generations already dwarfs horse racing in this country and the gap in popularity between the two will only widen. Not good news for racing at all.

image author David Merritt, Daventry, England CC 2.0

This from a solid all the way through album released the day before Bachelor's Hall beat Fort Devon and  Aldaniti in the Hennessey.

RELEGATED TO THE SECOND DIVISION

Although there is plenty of mileage remaining in the current flat season, one cannot help focusing a few weeks further on to when the National Hunt season begins to hit top gear. For those on this side of the Irish Sea, one can only look ahead with some trepidation.

This is not something necessarily brought about by the present Irish dominance of the jumping scene as such balances of power can tilt quicker than imagined, though it is something that is unhealthy for the sport irrespective of whether such a view is brought about by genuine concern or tinted more through envious eyes.

A reverse inbalance existed in the other direction during the second half of the 1980's  - remember for example Galmoy being the sole Irish triumph at the Cheltenham Festival two years running. I recall being there both those years and on one occasion hearing an Irish voice exclaim," hardly a reaction!" as the John Mulhern trained gelding crossed the line.They were odd times. Nearly all of the quality Irish stores were sold to these shores and when it resulted in one sided festivals it took something away from the scene for all genuine fans, no matter where they came from.

But all power holds eventually end in racing and the present situation will not run indefinitely. Micheal O'Leary is winding down his considerable string of animals and it would only take a loss of enthusiasm from someone like Rich Ricci to put the situation back in the balance.

It should never be a surprise when interest wains with influential owners. Who thought Graham Wylie's interest would gradually peter out? A  still relatively young and massively enthusiastic investor in the jumping scene who enjoyed some great successes. Surely, the most coveted four or five prizes would be coming his way and he could be banked upon to persevere, but the signs were ominous when he failed to reinvest and allowed his dwindling string, lately based in Ireland, to wind down.

Trevor Hemmings carried out a culling of his portfolio of animals and he now operates on a smaller scale than in the last couple of decades. However, there are age factors involved here. His mobility is unlike to be how it was and, allied to the stalling prize money versus increasing costs, a smaller, easier to keep tabs on string probably seemed preferable - though sadly, he lost Wetlands at Ayr in April who would have been the most exciting Northern trained animal going novice chasing this season.

Wylie cutting ties with the sport and Hemmings trimming his string, demonstrate how the involvement of powerful investors should never be taken for granted so it should not necessarily be a shock if like O'Leary, Ricci decided to move on from the sport. The concentration of quality in his manageable collection of animals that race in his colours is like something never seen before. Perhaps the only owner running a similar modus operandi in past times would be Sheikh Ali Abu Khamsin during the 1980's.

The Middle Eastern businessman started with Les Kennard then quickly developed an increased but manageable sized string with Fred Winter taking in the larger number, supported by Nick Gaselee and Mercy Rimmell. Winter provided the owner with many memorable successes with the mighty Half Free, as well as going so close in the King George V1 Chase with Fifty Dollars More, while Mrs Rimmell gave him his highest profile success when capturing the Champion Hurdle with Gaye Brief in 1983, an above average winner of he race who never got the credit he deserved. She also guided the Sheikh's Gala's Image to a shock success in the Arkle Chase. Nick Gaselee's most notable performer for the owner was Boland's Cross, considered a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup winner but who fell short of that level despite being very talented.

A fine quality string of limited numbers, very successful too but not on the mind blowing scale of Ricci. It should be remembered though that Khamsin also left the sport pretty quickly, almost without trace. It happens often unexpectedly, just when you had accepted that the involvement would be unceasing.

This is why for those concerned or even begrudging over the inbalance in quality between the two Isles, things may level up, no matter how unlikely that seems at present. Let no one undermine the damage done by the sitting on dead horses hullabaloo, or Gordon Elliott receiving a second dose of bleak publicity from the Panorama programme, or the painstaking digging up damaging evidence of illegal drug use by William Jones in his second book, ' The Black Horse Is Dying'.

Jones is peservering to unearth and make this issue public knowledge judging by the content in his ' The Black Horse Newsletter', and we now know that one major Irish  jumps trainer is alleged to have had one of his ex inmates test positive for illegal substsnces in tests privately summoned by an unnamed English based trainer.

Of course similar unproven allegations were in circulation with a major English trainer during the 1980's and 1990's and there seems to be a silent rule that if they are too good to be true then they must be up to something. It will be interesting to see if anything erupts from this but clearly, something is brimming beneath the surface.

And for this of us who realise we have a country that for the time being has an overall second division quality wise in National Hunt horses, then we also have to contend with the fact that our week to week programme is in a state of deterioration. The introduction of the Dublin Racing Festival exposes just how delusional it is to keep on expanding and diluting the Cheltenham Festival, the buzz of which is now all but gone.

The Dublin Racing Festival is jam-packed with quality, few options existing for animals to dodge one another. The timing is also perfect - think of all those animals down the years who have been prominent in the Cheltenham Ante Post markets but who meet with setbacks just prior to the meeting.The Leopardstown fixture catches and will go on catching these animals and for some it will prove to be their last appearance of the season.

For the exciting Energumene, Leopardstown would not be his final appearance of the season but he put up his optimum performance there before missing the Arkle due to setback, then reappearing at Punchestown.  Monkfish was likewise seen at his very best at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Aintree is also the poorer from the present scenario. In a sense it deserves reward for keeping to the three days but with the growth in status of the Punchestown Festival, not too mention an increase in quality support events at the Fairyhouse Irish Grand National fixture, it too is losing out.

So, into the new season proper we go. This side of the Irish Sea now clearly poorer relation by a mile in the sphere of National Hunt racing. A decade has quickly gone by since England last had a truly golden period headed by all time great Kauto Star (in picture) and the mighty Denman. It feels more and more like the distant past now.

image taken by author

A tune released just a fortnight before The Dikler won the King George V1 Chase. A time when the future of National Hunt racing seemed assured ad finitum.

NO PROPER BUZZ IN THE HURDLING RANKS ANYMORE

We are are just three weekends away from the Chepstow fixture that to many racing fans marks the time when the switch from flat mode to jumping mode gains momentum.

This year may seem a little bare to many as it will be the first time that the Welsh fixture won't coincide with the publication of Timeform's Chasers & Hurdlers, with the Halifax organisation for many years sponsoring the Free Handicap Hurdle on the card.

In fact, it's very rare nowadays to be able to get excited over the prospect of the previous season's juvenile hurdlers reappearing, for the Triumph Hurdle itself lost its mojo when the Fred Winter was introduced to the festival, the result being that the traditional juvenile championship is now unrecognisable from the large field cavalry charge it once was, though looking at the actual numbers that lined up before and immediately after the addition of the new race, there really should not have been much of a change in the nature of the event.

Whatever, there is no doubt that contestants who had looked visually impressive in small field, moderately run events, properly had their mettle tested. Some believed the old race ruined animals but the mighty Night Nurse finished unplaced in 1975, while Monksfield, a candidate for the toughest animal to ever look through a bridle, was placed in the race in 1976, and See You Then was beaten into second in 1984 - three all time greats coming through the race in ten years.

See You Then was having his first first outing since bring transfered from Michael Cunningham's yard in Ireland to Nicky Henderson. The trainer had another fancied runner in the race, the ex Michael Stoute inmate Childown, who had developed into a smart juvenile but who sadly sustained a fatal injury passing the stands for the first time.

While those aforementioned three renewals had field sizes of twenty eight, twenty three, and thirty respectively, with the first three years after the introduction of the Fred Winter fielding numbers of twenty three, seventeen, and twenty three, there was already a less chaotic feel to the big race at this early stage. 

If that impression may seem subjective exaggeration in hindsight, then it at least cannot now be denied that in recent times the field sizes as well as the chaos have fallen. In fact the largest field in the last nine runnings has been seventeen. Moreover there has been two single figure line ups in the last four years and if anyone attempts to put the blame on Covid for the eight runner field this year, they can try explaining why only nine horses line up in the 2018 renewal.

The new look, increasingly milder contest, has now been run seventeen times producing a real mish mash of winners. Tiger Roll is the eyecatcher but producing staying chasers has never been the purpose of the race so having this unique horse on the roll of honour cannot be used as justification for meddling with the juvenile races at the Festival. Same goes with the 2016 running that included two future King George winners in the field in Clan Des Obeaux and Frodon -  it is no compensation in any way for the race now becoming a near nonenty as a major pointer to future runnings of the Champion Hurdle.

You have to go back to Katchit, the winner in 2007, and the fourth in the same event, Punjabi, to find the last winners to graduate from the event and win a Champion Hurdle, the pair being the only winners to emerge from the event and take the Blue Riband of hurdling since the Fred Winter was introduced. And the fact that last season's winner Quilixios is shorter in the Ante Post markets for the Arkle than the Champion Hurdle, indicates that the drought will not be ending this season.

Indeed, the decline of the quality in the hurdling ranks is a factor that has diminished the National Hunt scene in recent times. There are just so many outlets for quality flat horses who may once have been snapped up by connections of the big jumping yards. There can be little doubt that if Sea Pigeon existed now he'd be racing at the Dubai winter programme or even more likely have been hunted down and secured by an agent from Down Under.

While it is indeed ironic that three previously mentioned greats in Night Nurse, Monksfield and See You Then would, if racing now, still have been put over timber, there is a good likelihood that Istabraq would not have been cast off to the Horses In Traning sales and would instead have been transfered to race at the Dubai winter fixtures. And as for the likes of Alderbrook and Royal Gait, the question needn't even be asked.

This state of affairs were the Champion Hurdle along with the other top hurdling prizes are less coveted than was once the case, impacts on trends across the whole jumping scene. Put it this way, if Altior had been running in an earlier era what are the chances that in light of that mighty impressive Supreme Novices successes, he would have been kept to hurdles for one more season at least to target the most prestigious prize in hurdling? 

Very likely that he would have been reappearing in the Bula Hurdle and if balancing the boost it would have been to the hurdling scene against the loss to the novice chase ranks, then it is surely right and proper that he should have remained over hurdles and aimed for the top. If he fell short, then the chasing ranks have missed him for just one season, if he succeeded then he remains over hurdles irrespective of the loss to chasing. That is how it should be.

image Katchit - taken by author

They say that certain music can poisin the mind - you often wonder sometimes if it can affect the sports you grow to like, even betting habits - for example, someone listening regularly to Arlo Guthrie, Eric Clapton, or Anne Murray may like the pace of life that fits nicely with betting on horses, while those who get addicted to more chaotic music may feel more inclined to bet on footy and general sports or even casino style games, and may even feel hostile towards horse racing. Music can have a retarded affect on some minds.In 1984 there was a cult VHS video in thousands of households called ' UK Decay', focusing on the second wave of punk rock, which emerged after most of the bands in the first wave sold out and moved on. Of course, both waves were influenced by the great rock bands of the late 60's early 70's, copied versions rejigged,with an anarchist angle added in. I think most of these here ( taken from 'UK Decay') would have ended up concentrating the majority of their betting on footy and other sports. Racing's loss indeed,

CHAMPIONING GARBAGE WHILE HIDING THE INEXCUSABLE

There will be many traditional racing fans feeling a smudge tickled at present by how much of a damp squib that stupid Racing League turned out to be - let no one put a positive reflection on the competition for it went by unnoticed and it won't be surprising if this turns out to have been its sole staging.

Very little of this whole wasted project had much in common with the long established ingrediants which attract people to the sport, then consolidate that interest and lock it in for life. Many must of chuckled at how much more alluring the sports are which the competition clashed with, supporting the suspicion that the whole hullabaloo was the creation of halfwits with no true feel for the sport, as well as bringing home the realisation of how only the top quality events in racing could share dates with the true major sports without having their viewer engagement steamrolled.

In contrast, cricket’s latest creation, 'The Hundred', proved to be a splendid success. Even those who were initially sceptical as to how it would be greeted, could not have failed to be mesmerised by the skill, excitement, and the many matches that swung back and forth. And unlike its doomed racing equivalent the  crowds turned up to live and breath the action on the field infront of them.

Furthermore, why did no one identify beforehand the negative impact that the Racing League would have on the established cards for a period of five weeks. It was no coincidence that many weekend handicaps just below showcase level pulled in fields with a shallow look to them. The congested fixture list has been having a negative impact on cards for many year - it's something that does not need intensifying. Truth is, only those with a vested interest in this daft concept would be in favour of a repeat next year.

The marketing was corny too.The image at the top of the main promotion page featured what were presumably a racegoing couple, with the gentleman looking the spitting image of George Michael  - no doubt a flat cap or trilby with binoculars would not fit the profile of who they were attempting to draw in and cash in on. Serious people not wanted, racing is fun haha.

And then, as the competition progressed, the pictures published included some of the jockeys adopting poses not too dissimilar to those we suffer as the line ups for a Sky footy match are shown just prior to kick off. It doesn't suit racing. Even if unintentional, it amounted to the ridiculing of the riders. 

The best photos of jockeys are those capturing them in deep thought, often in private moments, whether alone in the weighing room, in discussion with colleagues, or awaiting a leg up on the home gallop. And  those portrayals that show the drawn, ravaged look of those who have had to waste hard over the years - these are often best in black and white, adding an extra feel of nostalgia to them. Whatever, comparing them to images of riders posing with unnatural looking gaits is like chalk and cheese.

Those in positions of influence with regards to how the sport should be promoted give weight to these gimmicky events in the belief that change, no matter how ill thought out, is always preferable to doing nothing and allowing the sport to stand still.

Truth is, horse racing has naturally stood still while most other sports have evolved and thrived. There is not a lot that could have been done about this. Racing has no hand in the fortunes of other sports and one of the contributory reasons why the sport has slowly waned is that the horse itself, is an animal that has been of less importance to each succeeding generation.

An even bigger factor in the decline stems from the missed opportunities to install a Tote Monopoly, with the failure to do so mainly brought about by the smart brains of those characters in the bookmaking industry having the foresight and nous to be able to influence politicians and to easily outwit what was then an inward, almost inbred Jockey Club, who had control of the sport.

What is ironic about this is that the BHA have gone down the route of welcoming people into positions of influence from the outside business world but who have no true 'feel' for the sport meaning no appreciation or understanding of how to attract and keep hold of potential lifelong enthusiasts which is why we have concepts such as the Racing League, and why there will be a further attempt to get 'City Racing' off the ground - another idea which is the work of idiots.

Irrespective of all this, there is a strong indication that all those groups and individuals in positions of power are collectively sweeping under the carpet  the recent, potentially harmful, Panorama programme, along with the Gordon Elliott and Stephen Mahon scandals.

It's almost as if they feel they have had a phew moment, a near miss, but that the public have forgotten about if all. But if you speak to enough people with no interest in the sport, if will be a surprise how many are aware of or even watched the Panorama episode and previously had no idea of the high wastage rate within the sport.

The cat is now out of the bag and these grave concerns need to be addressed thoroughly. It's nothing short of disgusting that the racing media have chosen to not reflect upon the Mahon case. Anyone bothering to take the time to read the full report of the findings cannot have failed to be aghast at the gory details yet there is a suspicion that there is a silent consensus to leave things alone in the hope it will all pass over. Time will show that this will prove to have been an unwise course of action to take.

A track from an album released the month that Star Appeal won the Arc and Rose Bowl the Champion Stakes, in an era when the end to the flat season was less cluttered, when the order of events came at the right time with less options for skipping, avoiding and diluting quality. And this is more a snipe at the last two months of the rehashed UK fixture list rather than belittling the Breeders Cup in any way.. It's a sport that has been rolling and tumbling downhill for a while now. 

A RACECOURSE THAT COULD DO BETTER FOR ITSELF WITHOUT STAGING HORSE RACING

There can never have been a period before in UK horse racing like now were self examination has become such an obsession with everyone throwing in their two bob's worth in taking an inward look and suggesting solutions on how an ailing sport can be reinvigorated.

Some of the offerings are better than others, though there does disappointingly seem to be a general consensus that concert nights serve a purpose in bringing in a fresh audience to the sport - a claim in  which no evidence whatsoever exists to support it.

One member of the ITV racing team attended the concert night at Goodwood on Friday and witnessed trouble near to where he stood but put a positive on the event because one of two inebriated attendees came up to him to boast of winners they had supported earlier in the evening.

To suggest that this amounts to proof that these events are picking up and retaining a new fanbase for horse racing is ridiculous. They may have had a few bets as they began their boozing session to get in the mood for the concert but back home the following day, are we to expect that they would have watched the racing from their homes and carried on wagering? - Of course not, they'd have been watching and betting on the footy to the exclusion of everything else sporting.

Anyone believing that these attendees will eventually form the backbone of a an emerging young fanbase for the sport is gravely mistaken. I've never heard of anyone who became smitten with the sport after first being 'introduced' to it on a concert night - and these events have been going for some time now, right back as far as the mid 1980's when the Newmarket July course regularly hosted the likes of Suzi Quatro, Tom Jones, and that group that represented the UK in Eurovision who had American parents based at RAF Mildenhall. 

Try speaking to these people who claim to be racing fans. From out of the blue they may suddenly say that so and so had been raised so many pounds in the ratings. You then engage in conversation only to quickly realise that they haven't a clue what they mean and have just read it from an article on a betting site on their smartphones. You then realise that the name Nijinsky does not register with them which is like someone claiming to be a footy fan who had never heard of Pele. And some of these so-called racing fans are as old as forty!

I've spoken to someone around this age who claimed to be a genuine racing fan because he often watched ITV racing on a Saturday and sometimes had a Lucky 15. He did not however know what a classic was or that they were confined to three year olds. Had never heard of Kieren Fallon or Henry Cecil, and none of them have ever heard of Nijinsky.

This may seem harsh but a few weeks back I watched a preview of the British &Irish Lions Rugby tour, watched the three matches and had bets in two of them. Does that make me a fan? Truth be told I do not even know the rules while the only position I can name is a prop forward but I haven't the foggiest what the purpose of that role is and whereabouts on the field they play.

To be a genuine fan of a sport you cannot resist that initial urge to become engrossed and go on to mop up as much information as you can, historical and contemporary, as quickly as possible. The history has so much depth that a lifetime is not enough time to enrich yourself with all the knowledge you wish. And with racing it will mean you'll be a punter for life and the sport could not possibly survive in its present form without betting, which is why the explosion in general sports betting which continues to increase its portion of the betting pie, casts a shadow over the future of the game.

What is becoming clear from the increased importance being placed on these music nights is that there are racecourses, some with bleak balance sheets, which are missing a trick here. Most racing fans would be in denial if they did not agree that a large section of the crowds that now pack the cult venues (we know which courses these are) would not bat an eyelid if they changed the sport on show without prior announcement - which leads to the suspicion that some may already have held off the record discussions about the benefits of utilising their establishments by holding sports that would lessen the dependcy on racing.

Similar to show jumping, the sport of speedway seems to have disappeared from view but it still exists and can be watched on BT Sport and Eurosport, though is not promoted on these channels as much as most of the other sports. There are bookmaking firms who take bets on it too! Those of a certain age will recall that Peter Collins (in picture) was a household name during the 1970's, the sport itself with a prominent profile.

If truth be told this is the ideal sport for the emerging generation of racegoers. Bookmakers on track, a concert to look forward too after, the roar of the engines and smell of petrol, would be a perfect for for the gangs of young bucks and their companions - it's certainly something they would embrace with more passion than horse racing.

And which venue would be the first to go down this route? With all due respect to the venue, Catterick Bridge would be an ideal candidate. It's a long, long time since I've visited this track and there is nothing at all wrong with it lacking any glamour - but it also lacks any quaintness too, something which the likes of Beverley and Ripon certainlypossess.

In fact the stark, harsh coldness about the place makes it ideal for speedway. And being right on the A1 is easily accessible to a large area covering Yorkshire and the North East, with a shuttle bus service operating from Darlington Railway Station on race days. 

In a world in which change rarely takes place subtley it would not be a surprise if some venues began to tailor themselves to the needs of the modern, emerging attendees. For if these audiences have been enticed to the courses for something other than racing, then changing the sport on show would be a risk free gamble for many of the struggling establishments. It really could happen, and happen soon too.

image in public domain 

This released the month that Sea Pigeon finally got one over on Monksfield in the Champion Hurdle and when Tied Cottage took the prize many say he deserved only to be later stripped off his title. However, the only link this song is likely to have with racing in future is that it could be the welcomimg tune for attendees arriving at venues that once staged horse racing but had since moved on.

RACING SHOULD NOT TAKE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER COVERAGE FOR GRANTED

The increasing tendency to starve notoriety seeking mass murders of the 'fame' they seek is in a sense not too dismilar to the long established approach adopted to deal with the trivial subject of streakers at televised sporting events. 

We remember Erica thingyo at a Rugby match a few decades back, but from then on the names became unknown and it's a ' hobby' that may now be defunct  - though of that we can't be sure as if nothing is uttered by the commentator and the camera operators are alert enough to pan away before the offender enters the view of the lens, we'll know no different.

These two areas are as extreme as you can get - one lighthearted, slapstick and childishy funny, the other extremely tragic and disturbing. However, in between lies a large terrain of subjects which fit neither category but are at the mercy of the power of the present media who, intentional or not, participate in blanketing affairs which warrant discussion,

This came to mind when I was surprised at being reminded that the last Waterloo Cup was staged as recently as 2005. What was once the biggest sporting event in the nation and one which outpointed  the popularity of the Grand National to such an extent, it resulted in the Aintree spectacle being moved forward from February to its present slot.

I found an article on the racing page of an Irish newspaper dated in June of 2003 which celebrated the fact that the winners of both the Aintree and Altcar events that year, Monty's Pass and Henrietta, were trained in County Cork and would be paraded at Clonmel racecourse the following day. The article was eleven paragraphs long and the threat to the continuation of the Waterloo Cup was not alluded to.

Fast forward to the present and since the 2004 Hunting Act spelt the end for hare coursing on the Great Britain mainland, with Northern Ireland following in 2011, Eire is alone on the two islands in permitting it to continue.

The reason for this being brought up is not to discuss the rights or wrongs, benefits or hindrances of hare coursing, but to demonstrate how the media can collectively starve a subject of publicity or to use the in vogue term, 'cancel' it, and this is a tactic that racing could be on the wrong end of - don't be fooled by the red tops having weekend racing pull outs, for these are paid for by bookmakers advertising and if truth be told editors are giving less and less space to the sport and snipping the numbers on their racing desks.

I've always considered my memory to be in good working order but from the top of my head I would have guessed that the Altcar event was discontinued in the late eighties as opposed to a decade and a half later, which shows how scarily effective cancel culture can be.

And anyone believing that the sport does not need promotion from the media should consider how Show Jumping feels like it has sunk into oblivion though in reality it's still there if you look hard enough. Put it this way, those of us who are old enough to have been following all of the sports through the seventies will recall that the likes of Harvey Smith, Caroline Bradley, Eddie Macken and Paul Shockemohle were household names,in a different league on the popularity scale to the Snooker and Darts players of that time, and were names on the tip of the tongue as much as Tennis and Golf Players - can anyway name any current show jumping professionals, even a medal winner at the recently staged Olympics?

What is even more chilling is that while show jumping continues and will be found on some of those obscure channels which you need to scan the lists for, horse racing could not survive without its link with betting and would incur indelible damage if newspaper editors considered it was not worthy of coverage and terrestrial television followed down the same route.

Change happens so fast. You don't  see it coming. And no doubt that after the cancel mobs have pulled down all the statues they scornfully object to, they'll want to erase what they see as objectionable 1970's sitcoms from the archives, then, they'll be after those who they view as glorifying dangerously unhealthy lifestyles.

The name of Olly Reed would immediately be worked upon by the Ministry of Truth, and at the same Richard Burton, pound for pound an equal in neglecting his inside workings. Both 5ft 10in. Reed lasted three years longer amid tales of excessive alcohol intake, the volumes of which coming out of hazy recounts, but Burton's intake of five bottles of vodka a day along with up to a a hundred cigarettes makes him at least Reeds equal.

This is from an Album released in 2008 but to get into the spirit of rewriting history, it's too classy to befit that period so the release date is the week in August 1978 during which Hawaiian Sound beat Gunner B in the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup