Aintree Grand National Meeting

Gamebird

Gamebird

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It's a bit early, but if they can have a Badminton 2024 thread already in CR, then we can surely have an Aintree one now - three days' racing, starting on Thursday. The 5 day confirmation stage for the big race comes on Monday, after which we will, give or take, know what is running, with final decs on Thursday morning. Quite a lot of the entries remaining are double (or treble!) entered with the Topham, the Bet365 at Sandown and the Scottish Grand National.

I don't mind a bit of discussion about welfare on this thread, as I think it's absolutely vital to the future of NH racing, and very close to the hearts of all involved. However can I politely ask that outright arguments about the rights or wrongs of the Grand National be kept to a separate thread please.
 
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Needtoretire

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I am thinking and hoping casualties will have a good chance of being low this year. Heavy ground will stop a lot of horses very quickly and jockeys will be well briefed to pull up tired horses to prevent a nasty spectacle. Dour, brave stayers will be needed to get round let alone win, unless a miracle happens and the ground dries up rapidly.

Hopefully the anti's won't gain access to the course and no disruption has to be dealt with.
 
Clodagh

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I am always very unexcited by the GN. But Thursday at Aintree best day ever.
I therefore have no idea about any of the runners although I gather no Brits. (Or very few).
 
Tiddlypom

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How well does the course dry out? We’re about 40 miles south of Aintree and you’d have no chance of staging any sort of race meeting on grass here, it’s as wet now as it’s been all winter, and that’s saying something. You can hardly keep upright walking on the fields on your own two feet.
 
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It’s shaping up to be another year like Red Marauder. What was that, two finished and two more remounted and got round?

Given the smaller field and the going, I can see single digit finishers and the antis absolutely howling about the going.

I really fancied Herwick, not sure anyone else is standing out to me.
 
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humblepie

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Not really studied the meeting yet other than knowing mainly Irish runners in the GN. I saw somewhere that Animal Rising announced they’re not targeting horse racing now.
 
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Gamebird

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Tiddlypom said:
How well does the course dry out? We’re about 40 miles south of Aintree and you’d have no chance of staging any sort of race meeting on grass here, it’s as wet now as it’s been all winter, and that’s saying something. You can hardly keep upright walking on the fields on your own two feet.
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I think it's always hard to know. We're less than 10mins from a site where they ran FEI eventing last weekend on really decent ground, yet our fields are knee deep, or worse. I think you always have to bear in mind that racecourses have ground staff working on the going the whole year round, and have often installed a lot of drainage. At least there won't be any controversy about watering this year!! I do prefer the race when it's soft at best, as I think it is not a race that benefits from the sort of speed you see on fast going. I'd rather 75% of the field pulled up than the alternative.
 
Birker2020

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I won't be doing a sweepstake at work this year for it which I'm glad about even though I've done it on every site I've worked at to raise funds for Prostrate Cancer since my Dad died, its my little legacy to him.

I just hope and pray they all come home safe.
 
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bonny

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MagicMelon said:
As an anti Im sure Im biased. However, how is it that so many BE events are cancelled with this rain for safety, yet racing continues? Do they have some sort of magic machine which dries out the ground and makes it safe?
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Lots of racing is cancelled at the moment.
 
webble

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Snowfilly said:
It’s shaping up to be another year like Red Marauder. What was that, two finished and two more remounted and got round?

Given the smaller field and the going, I can see single digit finishers and the antis absolutely howling about the going.

I really fancied Herwick, not sure anyone else is standing out to me.
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Add in the 40mph+ winds that are forecast it isnt going to be fun at all
 
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Snowfilly

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MagicMelon said:
As an anti Im sure Im biased. However, how is it that so many BE events are cancelled with this rain for safety, yet racing continues? Do they have some sort of magic machine which dries out the ground and makes it safe?
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Race tracks have a of pros working on the going and it’s their main business. A lot of BE events are run on farmland / parkland / uses land that needs to be back doing its day job within a few days of the event.

Aintree could be cut to ribbons but they own it and it’s a while before it’s needed again.

Also better infrastructure; a few shows near me have cancelled this weekend because the car parks are flooded and they can’t get the rings or temporary stables set up. At Aintree, that’s all sorted so it comes down to ground conditions only. Makes a big difference.

Even so, a lot of courses are cancelling at the moment. Aintree may yet do so.
 
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MagicMelon

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Snowfilly said:
Race tracks have a of pros working on the going and it’s their main business. A lot of BE events are run on farmland / parkland / uses land that needs to be back doing its day job within a few days of the event.

Aintree could be cut to ribbons but they own it and it’s a while before it’s needed again.

Also better infrastructure; a few shows near me have cancelled this weekend because the car parks are flooded and they can’t get the rings or temporary stables set up. At Aintree, that’s all sorted so it comes down to ground conditions only. Makes a big difference.

Even so, a lot of courses are cancelling at the moment. Aintree may yet do so.
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Makes sense, I very much hope they consider the horses welfare as the biggest factor when deciding to cancel or run.
 
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teapot

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MagicMelon said:
As an anti Im sure Im biased. However, how is it that so many BE events are cancelled with this rain for safety, yet racing continues? Do they have some sort of magic machine which dries out the ground and makes it safe?
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It's sometimes not a case of cancelled because of safety though, it's because the actual event prep can't be done, or medical cover provision can't access the grounds. Racecourses don't have that issue because they're existing, largely well maintained infrastructure, fences stay up all year round, and have grounds teams working 365 days a year in addition.

For racing to be cancelled, the course has to be under water.
 
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Snowfilly

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teapot said:
It's sometimes not a case of cancelled because of safety though, it's because the actual event prep can't be done, or medical cover provision can't access the grounds. Racecourses don't have that issue because they're existing, largely well maintained infrastructure, fences stay up all year round, and have grounds teams working 365 days a year in addition.

For racing to be cancelled, the course has to be under water.
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Yep my local point to point has cancelled for a fortnight’s time just because they can’t get the fences onto the track without cutting grazing fields to hell and back.

They haven’t even thought about safety; the land owner has just said ‘not happening,’ and that’s it.
 
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humblepie

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When we’re at Aintree in August for the RoR champs they’re working on the grass every day and I don’t think the first meeting is til October. Its constant maintenance and only 8 days use a year with the additional GN part only three days a year. There has been a lot of racing cancelled though this time round. As others have said the hard standing infrastructure is there for lorries and emergency services though the car parking at Cheltenham was a little muddy

Cheltenham had a day cancelled a few years back as high winds gave rise to concerns. Must admit when it’s really windy I worry about the staff driving the boxes.
 
pistolpete

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Can’t imagine the heavy ground will make for a comfortable race for the horses. Not my cup of tea but do hope the horses get home safe.
 
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