Channel 4 Racing

3Beasties said:
I though Green flag ran a good race till the end when he tired rapidly, didn't think he would make it over the final fence!!

Very impressed with the winner who also ran yesterday! Have never known that before, is it common practice?
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It s not common practice, though more likely in flat racing than jumps obviously, they must have been pretty confident he fas pretty fit and not tired.
 
EKW said:
The starter was told beforehand not to allow Battle Group a second chance. If he didn't go first time don't recall and wait for him. But the starter still did anyway ... Bad Hammy Hamster! He'll get a ban from the BHA now I suspect and as much as I love the wee toerag it would be well deserved.

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The commentator explained that technically he had not come under orders as he was so far out the back, he was not on the course proper. So perhaps the starter had no choice but to hold up the others.
 
Alec Swan said:
That's no age at all, were he placed in the right hands. That's not showing a disrespect to his current trainers, just a suggestion that there may be those who would take him on, and approach the animal from another direction.

There's another way of looking at this; Retired? At 9 years of age? Honestly? I had a bash at early retirement when I was 34 years old. It didn't work, I was bored witless.

Alec.
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They will have tried to refresh him, but he is as bad a case as can be seen, probably find a little yard and try to get him sweetened up, but he might make a good hunter.
Most likely he has been over-raced and pushed too hard when the money is on.
 
My only knowledge of racing is what I see and read, so I've no real experience. What strikes me as a little odd is that on the day, the owners and trainer bring a horse to a race course only to have him, in the case of B_G, behave as he did.

Here's the question, if the animal behaved as he did, at home, and when he's on the gallops, then presumably they wouldn't bother to bring him out. Would I be right, or is he badly behaved all the time? Would I also be right in thinking that at home he behaves correctly, it's just on race days that he shuts down? Is it the fact that he simply wont race, any longer?

I also don't understand what is meant by retirement. He's only 9 years old, so would such a horse simply spend the rest of his days standing in a paddock, or is retirement a euphemism for being shot? He's a horse upon which a great deal of money has been spent, and he would have been of considerable value, but his current refusal to race would render him useless and worthless as a race horse, I'd have thought.

Assuming that he's not a raving lunatic, his owners should let me have him, for a while. I know of a first class girl, who'd take him on!! I realise that that wont happen, but I keep coming back to the fact that he's still only a young animal, and the prospect of 'nothing' seems terribly wasteful.

Alec.
 
I think retirement means simply from racing in this context - given that he has jumped (or not! ) before he was pushed. Although he's changed trainers a lot, he appears to have had the same owners right the way through, so I expect they find him a decent home. Might be worth sending the trainer an email if you have a friend who wants to offer him a home!
 
The only way to find out if he will refuse is to bring him to the race, its pretty obvious he has had enough, so will be found a new home.
He probably is quirky at home, but they are able to get him fit, so can't be too bad.
We had one who was not the greatest horse, but once at Cheltenham he was leading the race [leaders fell!], decided that was not his style and ran out!
He would probably have come round if we had found him a lad who would string him along and take him hunting and never ask for any effort!
 
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Regandal said:
I hate seeing them whipped home. It would be great if they implemented the suggestion by AP McCoy - no whip after the final fence.
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There'd be a lot of races he wouldn't have won then if that were so!

On an entirely different subject. Can you imagine how upset the sponsors of the first million pound Grand National were when Ch 4 were so wrapped up with the replay, that they didn't even show the presentation? That was very bad from the producers/editors; they won't be forgiven next time for that.
 
MrsD123 said:
The only way to find out if he will refuse is to bring him to the race, its pretty obvious he has had enough, so will be found a new home.
He probably is quirky at home, but they are able to get him fit, so can't be too bad.
We had one who was not the greatest horse, but once at Cheltenham he was leading the race [leaders fell!], decided that was not his style and ran out!
He would probably have come round if we had found him a lad who would string him along and take him hunting and never ask for any effort!
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When we had Battle Group he was a tear away. He bombed everywhere and Had a ball. Last time I spoke to a lad at Pipes he was the same, no one could hold him no matter what they did with him - up front, tucked in, walled in, on his own, one other, any number of bits or gadgets couldn't really stop him - it made no difference he still bombed everywhere.
 
Its not an irrelevance that audience figures are falling, this affects revenue from ads, it was a good program, all round interest, good mix of characters, and so on.
No longer.
 
Alec, my friend has one who also voted with his feet - 'not for me, thanks'. He is the sweetest horse, you could put your granny on him. He's good XC, brakes variable, need to ensure at least half a field to cruise to a halt. Fabulous horse.
 
Alec Swan said:
Assuming that he's not a raving lunatic, his owners should let me have him, for a while. I know of a first class girl, who'd take him on!! I realise that that wont happen, but I keep coming back to the fact that he's still only a young animal, and the prospect of 'nothing' seems terribly wasteful.

Alec.
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From a later post about the horse, it sounds as though he is a raving lunatic, so will be difficult to re-home. The future does not look good for a horse which is really only suited to professional handling, [ suitable riders and facilities]. If he is a danger to staff, it is a difficult situation for all concerned.
 
I just watched some of the Saturday coverage I missed by going away for a weekend. I was again disappointed they failed to show runners before some of the races. I think many people would have liked to see the fillies before The Fred Darling Stakes. If you were wanting to have a bet in the 1000 guineas it is important to see how they have gone through the winter and if they might come on for the race, the same with the colts and the older horses in the John Porter. Yet they will rabbit on for ages in their cabin about betting, where looking is as important, much more so than statistics.
 
Honeylight said:
I just watched some of the Saturday coverage I missed by going away for a weekend. I was again disappointed they failed to show runners before some of the races. I think many people would have liked to see the fillies before The Fred Darling Stakes. If you were wanting to have a bet in the 1000 guineas it is important to see how they have gone through the winter and if they might come on for the race, the same with the colts and the older horses in the John Porter. Yet they will rabbit on for ages in their cabin about betting, where looking is as important, much more so than statistics.
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I don't understand why they can't rabbit on about betting while looking at the horses, instead of at talking heads?
 
How wonderful to see Joyeues win for Lady Cecil, and how equally wonderful to see the joy that Frankel's half sister brought! I would sell my soul for such a filly!!

Alec.
 
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