GRAND NATIONAL 2013

I actually thought it was a rubbish race with exactly the same sentiments as EKW and Silu.

It's a shadow of what it was, just seems a simple long distance chase now, nothing special about it at all.
 
Maesfen said:
I actually thought it was a rubbish race with exactly the same sentiments as EKW and Silu.

It's a shadow of what it was, just seems a simple long distance chase now, nothing special about it at all.
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I agree, it is a watered down National and Beechers looked much the same as the other fences in terms of the drop and height
 
EKW said:
The fences are a shadow of their former self. There were horses at the back jumping what were basically hurdle height fences once all of the flumf had been brushed off. It didn't take much jumping.

I kind of feel a bit deflated after this years National. I know I will probably get shot down in flames for this but there was no carnage.
It just made it another race. As much as I admire the Smiths and love Ryan the horses owner buys horses specifically for the race every year rather than bring one up through the ranks - though it has paid off this time! And I also don't like the guy that looks after the winner but that's personal lol!

Glad they all came home safe.
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How can horses dying make a race better? :eek:

Glad they all came home safe but I still hate it. No doubt there were injuries sustained that will cause horses to be PTS when the get home
 
I dont mean horses dying you twonk! By carnage I mean mid air colisions, taxi's being hailed, super glue and welding to saddles being required, no dodgy jumping, nothing special or spectacular really. Thats what makes the National exciting! Not knowning if your chosen combination is still intact and what fantastic shapes they full over every fence.

I remember one year they showed the funniest fall I have ever seen in the National - you will appreciate this as both horse and jockey were fine - Sam Thomas had the jockey cam on, its was a bright sunny day, his horse refused a fence and all you saw from hat cam was his shadow starfishing towards the ground! Hat cam isn't used anymore as it never completed a circuit and the jockeys deemed it cursed and refused to wear it.
 
And as for horses being put down at home - none of them will be! None were injured seriously enough, if at all, to warrent it. They won't get shot because the didn't win, they will either retire, carry on or have a holiday before cracking on with next season. The owners and trainers owe the horses everything for giving them their dream.of a runner in the National - they will be looked after.
 
Isn't it odd how there was dozens of posts pre the race and only 6 (1 being mine) since! I'd have thought all those who were so anti The GN of old would be coming on saying how fabulous the race was with hardly any fallers and how despite the spectacle being dramatically reduced, that it was wonderful that the powers that be have given in to pressure and made it not a lot more than a large extreme distance hurdle race. It's almost as tho people are disappointed that there weren't any fatalities, sick or what?
 
Alaadin. You have absolutely no proof that any of the horses were hurt in any way, so, no doubt, your inflammatory statement is baseless.
I agree with the others who said the race is just another race with the fences built like that. I'm a long time GN lover and I think it was missing some excitement today. I don't want injuries, just for the course to be as challenging as it once was, before the media and the unknowledgable public somewhat neutered the race.
 
Maesfen said:
I actually thought it was a rubbish race with exactly the same sentiments as EKW and Silu.

It's a shadow of what it was, just seems a simple long distance chase now, nothing special about it at all.
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As others, and I doubt that I'll bother to watch it, next year. It's little more than a mediocre marathon, with as the London Marathon, commentators struggling to find their lines. Despite the fact that the presenters did their best to big it up, they failed.

Alec.
 
Silu, you make a good point.
Some people I think just love to have a drum to bang.
My ex moans about everything. Sort out his complaints and he's still not happy. He just enjoys moaning you see.
Most protesters are probably gutted that their drum has been silenced. They just love to object with little experience and lots of self importance.
Well the race is now ruined.
As others have said, a shadow of what it was, so of little interest to it's supporters, and nothing left for the GN bashers to get in a froth about.
A result indeed. A bloody awful one. A sad day for racing.
 
It's easy to say now but my lad would have won today if his legs had held together last summer. Gray was going to be aimed at this and whilst a decent jumper he wouldn't have come under the 'Good Jumper's category but those fences were very forgiving today.

I think I'll change my year around to gear up to a different race now - maybe the 2.40pm at Hexham 0-75 Mares Novices Hurdle for Conditional Jockeys.
 
silu said:
Isn't it odd how there was dozens of posts pre the race and only 6 (1 being mine) since! I'd have thought all those who were so anti The GN of old would be coming on saying how fabulous the race was with hardly any fallers and how despite the spectacle being dramatically reduced, that it was wonderful that the powers that be have given in to pressure and made it not a lot more than a large extreme distance hurdle race. It's almost as tho people are disappointed that there weren't any fatalities, sick or what?
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That's exactly what I was thinking.

I too heard what BG said and thought it was an interesting point. If horses start making silly mistakes and get away with it, it's not going to improve the quality is it? Once word gets round that if you stay at the back, let 30 others take the fence apart and just hop over like a hurdle race, it'll be of detriment to the race IMHO.

The flat atmsophere said a lot too...

As for various shapes, any one remember that front page one Sunday of a jockey mid air, stick in hand looking to see if he was going to avoid the ditch on the other side?
 
I agree with many posters, the race has been emasculated & is, but a shadow of its former self. The Chair was a great big open ditch once, safe & inviting to jump, now it looked like a hurdle & was as flat as a pancake after only one jump of it.
I expect Animal Aid & Greg what's his name are really sad no horses were killed as they cannot completely get away with the destruction of the race, but they have made it rubbish.
Also Channel 4 only seemed to have 2 cameras; it was like a Pathe Newsreel from the 1930s, long shots, terrible views of the Chair & water jump, hardly any horses before the race & lots of pundits in a silly booth. Very disappointing all round.
Well done to the Smith stable though, I'm a native of Yorkshire, so that was good. Horse looked very light framed....that say's it all.
 
So it seems like people don't like it when there's carnage and some that prefer the carnage. Personally I thought today was a wonderful race - in fact when it came to the fifth fence and all were still standing I felt a sense of relief. The jockeys seemed to give the horses adequate room to see the fences and at least there was a good finish with lots of horses still standing. Wonderful and long may it continue in the same way as today, and of course congratulations to all those connected to the winning horse.
 
the thrill in sports.

When I read this, I ask myself a question. Who of these dissapointed GN fans did ever train a horse by themself to the possible max?

Some of the best riders are always on the rails.

The challenge will still be to train a horse in such a way that it is able to win the race. We can say tha Iron Man in racing.
And this is the sportive meassure stick, the "olympic thought" and no injured horses.

Will we honor the defiance of dead from some chancers, or the performance of a sportsman?
 
Honeylight said:
Also Channel 4 only seemed to have 2 cameras; it was like a Pathe Newsreel from the 1930s, long shots, terrible views of the Chair & water jump, hardly any horses before the race & lots of pundits in a silly booth
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Agreed-the camera work was truly horrendous!
But otherwise I enjoyed it. It was nice not to have any fatalities, and by a certain stage of the race, I began to enjoy it properly instead of worrying like normal. I just pray that nothing else is meddled with now. Gavin Grant on twitter has now moved on to complaining about the number that pulled up (obviously as none died), and is asking for a reduction in numbers!!! :mad: Well, there's no satisfying some people-I expect that Mr Grant wouldn't be happy until racing was finished off altogether :(
Hopefully, Channel 4's coverage will be improved next year-I for one hope so because that was the only thing that spoiled this great race for me.
 
I think some of you are talking a load of twiddle, I was on the course standing right by a nation fence and a big screen, and I can assure you there were hailing cabs, near misses, some bloody good saves, jockeys shouting and jostling, a refusal, unseatings, even horse falls and brilliant atmosphere. The only thing missing was the lack of a green screen being held up and that is bloody marvellous. When l all horses cleared Beachers the first time the crowd cheered madly. First national I've enjoyed for a while. Stop moaning. Sport has to evolve.
 
MillyMoomie said:
I think some of you are talking a load of twiddle, I was on the course standing right by a nation fence and a big screen, and I can assure you there were hailing cabs, near misses, some bloody good saves, jockeys shouting and jostling, a refusal, unseatings, even horse falls and brilliant atmosphere. The only thing missing was the lack of a green screen being held up and that is bloody marvellous. When l all horses cleared Beachers the first time the crowd cheered madly. First national I've enjoyed for a while. Stop moaning. Sport has to evolve.
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Milly you are very right - it was not the race of old - but this year it did have to be right, and so it was - or it was in danger of being banned, and then the slippery slope for NH racing thereafter. That a 66-1 horse won it was lovely too - I would have been gutted if it had been won by one of the bigger trainers - it had its fairy tale end.
Agree with all who said that the camera angles were dire - don't agree with the person who said it is now too easy, and that any donkey can win - look at the qualification - all horses have to be highly rated, and the horse that won, had come 2nd in a Scottish GN......40 horses in one race, always going to be exciting - but then 12 horses in the Gold Cup is as gripping. I watched some re-runs of old races on C4 last night - that Red Maurader race has to be a classic.

On another note, what did folk think of the Chase before the GN - won by the Kevin Bishop horse, though Kevin seemed to have little to do with it - and Johnny Faralley getting all the pundits - well he has certainly learnt a thing at two during his time at Pipes.......and then Brian Cooper - has to be champion in say 2015 - 2016 when AP decides to call it a day? 2012/13 has been a stella year for NH racing, one of the most enjoyable seasons for many a year.......
 
MillyMoomie said:
I think some of you are talking a load of twiddle, I was on the course standing right by a nation fence and a big screen, and I can assure you there were hailing cabs, near misses, some bloody good saves, jockeys shouting and jostling, a refusal, unseatings, even horse falls and brilliant atmosphere. The only thing missing was the lack of a green screen being held up and that is bloody marvellous. When l all horses cleared Beachers the first time the crowd cheered madly. First national I've enjoyed for a while. Stop moaning. Sport has to evolve.
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Well said ^
 
dressedkez said:
On another note, what did folk think of the Chase before the GN - won by the Kevin Bishop horse, though Kevin seemed to have little to do with it - and Johnny Faralley getting all the pundits - well he has certainly learnt a thing at two during his time at Pipes.........
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Battlegroup is a notoriously difficult ride, we had him as a youngster and he was a right toad. When he left us he went to Pipes and Johnny was about the only person who could get a tune out of him and he did well at Pipes with Johnny so it only seems sensible now that the jockey who got the best out of him moved that the horse moved. Not many owners would do that but they saw the change in the horse that Johnny created - and very much for the good. So yes, Hamster is very, very much Johnny's success and what a cracking job he has done of him!
 
EKW said:
Battlegroup is a notoriously difficult ride, we had him as a youngster and he was a right toad. When he left us he went to Pipes and Johnny was about the only person who could get a tune out of him and he did well at Pipes with Johnny so it only seems sensible now that the jockey who got the best out of him moved that the horse moved. Not many owners would do that but they saw the change in the horse that Johnny created - and very much for the good. So yes, Hamster is very, very much Johnny's success and what a cracking job he has done of him!
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Absolutely - it was wonderful (and awesome) to see - and I am so glad that Johnny was wearing a jacket today - I had to tick him off a few years ago when he came to our local Gymkhana (that I was Sec at) and he won every SJ class not wearing a jacket, but some old anorack! Lovely stable name too - Hamster.....why is he called that?
 
Ummm - Sorry if his owners are reading this!!!! When we first got the horse and met his owner, the owner looked a fair bit like a Hamster ... But we never told him this and it was kind of an inside joke in the yard! Well you've got to get your fun somewhere!
 
Chuffed to bits there were no fatalities! Extremely offended that people feel that those anti national haven't posted because we are disappointed by the lack of carnage....I spent my day away from the pc!! :-)

So so pleased so watched it with oh just now.....call me fluffy but don't want to watch fatal falls.....whatever our views I think we're all agreed it was a great outcome for all.
 
Alec Swan said:
As others, and I doubt that I'll bother to watch it, next year. It's little more than a mediocre marathon, with as the London Marathon, commentators struggling to find their lines. Despite the fact that the presenters did their best to big it up, they failed.

Alec.
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All that media build up to what? Another of our traditions gone.:(
 
I enjoyed the other races of the meeting very much but the National - what was the point!? I could probably have jumped round given a half decent jumper, particulary if everyone else had gone first so the jumps were only 2' high.
I can see it had to happen as the RSPCA seem to run Aintree but what a shame.
 
Another point to make is that as the National is so easy as some are trying to say, how come the favourites didn't win? Another long shot won, this has always been the story of the National, the 100-1 winner etc. look how tea for three tired at the end, Seabass who was third last year didn't even feature. Some of you need to grow up, or perhaps train a Grand National winner if you think it's so easy.
 
MillyMoomie said:
Another point to make is that as the National is so easy as some are trying to say, how come the favourites didn't win? Another long shot won, this has always been the story of the National, the 100-1 winner etc. look how tea for three tired at the end, Seabass who was third last year didn't even feature. Some of you need to grow up, or perhaps train a Grand National winner if you think it's so easy.
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The winner was carrying 10.3 Imperial Comander 11.10 which says it all really, the tinkering with the fences has changed the GN for ever but if that is what it takes to keep it going then we have to live with it.

I think after yesterday it will attract a different type of horse, hey maybe Big Bucks :rolleyes:but would be crucified by the weight.
 
I hadn't intended to watch the Grand National - not because I hate doing so but because I am usually busy doing something else - but yesterday ended up watching at my sister's place. My overriding emotion was relief that there weren't fatalities and that all came back "safe and sound". Sis and family, who had placed bets (something I did only once for fun at Ayr in all the years I was heavily into racing), were pleased at the lack of carnage and it seemed to me their enjoyment was in no way diminished.

For my part, it felt to me like I was watching another race and not the GN. Some of that was likely due to the different coverage, camera style etc., but also the fences simply didn't look the same. It was less obviously gruelling for the horses too, although I am sure they were all ridden to (or near) the limits of their ability. Consequently, it didn't seem as 'exciting'/anxious as I remember from previous years that I watched, 5+ years ago.

However, if I had to choose between safety and excitement, I would choose safety. It will be interesting to see whether the changes are kept, and whether they continue to result in reduced casualty figures.
 
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