RIP Tracks

banned banks

theres many i really like ,i always think something happens at fontwell its always a great day out,the rowley mile produces fantastic racing,ascot in the winter is fantastic its all class the racing and the facilties,warwick jumps,kelso and folkestone are all great places to go racing.

please stop jimnast , your have me in tears

Most of us used to go a great deal more its just A-There seems a lot of dross midweek and B trasport/Petrol/Admission/Eating isnt very cheap, and thats what people dont get about Horseracing when they compare it to other leisure activities

You dont go to the Royal Albert Hall and do Two Hundred trying to win the fifty you spent to get in

absolutely not zilzal
For example the Lygon Arms at Broadway is recommended as the place to stay when you visit cheletenham raceourse
and thats not cheap..

Wolfatthedoor, what restaurants does it recommend for Warwick please?
1980's, I'm going for The Westgate. If it says Mallory Court, it really is costly advice.

It recommends bishops tachbrook on the A45 south of warwick
also the abbacourt hotel in leamington and the 17th century Dun Cow at dunchurch also the c larendon inn at kenilworth
no doubt your regular watering holes fawwon

the A452 that is...

Ah The Leopard in bishops tachbrook, thanks for the post

apparently the oak room restaurant at the Dun Cow is a particularly fine eating establishment specialising in  traditional dishes and fine seasonal game. the House champage is Charles Heidsick...

is the bloke who started the thread the bank of dave bloke?

it recommends mallory court for more serious gastronome
whatever they may be

What about Goodwood?? i used to stay in Worthing and eat in the "Cockle and Bacon" in the 80s

Id bet they found somewhere a little more expensive

for goodwood it recommends Little Thakeham a magnificent sir edwin luytens designed private manor house converted into a luxurious country hotel.antique furniture.minstrels gallery and large open log fires etc
also six acres of magnificent gardens designed by renowned 19th century garden designer gertrude jekyll
commands wonderful views over the south downs apparently
no prices for an overnight stay mentioned...

the no doubt excellent establishement you mention zilzal is not actually included 
no doubt due to editorial oversight

the no doubt excellent establishement you mention zilzal is not actually included 
no doubt due to editorial oversight

No BOGOF'S in that Joint

The "Pint of Prawns" was a fine way to while away an evening whilst puzzling over the next days racing

fawwon

is the thai still in warwick that does accomadation aswell ?

for goodwood the lamb at pagham is very good.

thats not mentioned in my book jimnast

Last time i stayed down there i stayed in Bognor, that definitely wouldnt have made the book Think the breakfast was cooked by a Bosnian who had his taste buds removed

wolf

its about 5 years since i last went,it may of gone downhill i surpose,

Someone should have written a book on the "Evening fun" after the races Newton Abbot was great fun with a few lasses

my book is dated 1986 jimnast
if its less than £100 per night I doubt it being included tbf

Twas a great year 86, i did a "Sporting Life " day trip when Baiser Vole won the French 1000

zilzal

did you visit the cider bar in newton abbot ?

86 was a great year for racing ,dawn run and dancing brave.

I did, they found me on the beach at Goodrington 2 days later...

^

guinness

theres also an indian there where they give you so many free drinks you end up staggering out of the place.

talking about newton abbot,right by the course there is now a huge hotel and pub.

Must have tried it, jim, i wouldn't let that pass me by...

I like the bacon butties in the likkle kiosk on course..

Yep Jimnast i did, think it was on a market day, spent many years going on holiday to relatives in Teignmouth as a kid, some great times there

Special thanks to Susan and Pam for some early experiences

There used to be a dog track in the middle of NA many moons ago

3some zil ???

Nah Guiness, dont think they were "invented" then i though 69 was a cheap flake then

I had one when with a mother and daughter when i was 16...

When i woke up, i was feeling most pleased with myself, went downstairs for breakast and they both hit me with the bill..

And it wasn't for the bacon

The late 70s were great, i worked for the Playboy Club and we played the jocks in a charity race at Newmarket, Alan Bond was riding fro Enry at the time and was larrapsed by about 1-00 am lying on a pool table

We backed the second fav in his races when he was riding the next day

Gutted about Folkestone used to bunk off school and go there, one of the lads that came with me has done well lately and bought a few horses, the plan was to pull off a coup for us all at Folkestone.

Not a Barney Curley size coup but I'm sure you all get the idea

Lol Guinn

I remember waking up with a beauty in Manaus on a house on stilts, only had a 1/2 hour to get back to the ship and i hadnt a clue where to go, half the family wanted to meet me!!

All part of the fun wasn't it, zil...

So what was everyones fav track to go out for "The Craic" afterwards??

Heard Chester used to be good!!

york at the two big midweek meetings is still very lively zilzal.

Folkestone for me

Chester and me had a some great experiences, i used to stay in the Grosvenor every May meet, and they always had a dance thingy going on.
Some tales could be told i tell ye..

newmarket craven still ok aswell.

blackbarn

do you go often to folkestone.

Chelts is very friendly..

Pity im not then Jimnast

Last time i went to Cheltenham was with Loper, Janov, Acca, the Barnet Pedant and others

I was so drunk at the end of the night i couldnt even manage to operate a mobile phone to get a cab

guinness

maybe age has got the better of me now but i find cheltenham ott,enjoy prestbury village but not the town anymore.

Jeez - Barnet Pedant, wtf happened to him ?

zilzal we may have met i see quite a bit of loper in the winter.

Dont know, he was around the 140 Timeform rating on sinking Pints though

Jimnast, been dozens if not hundreds of times but less so of late, I guess it's the likes of me to blame. Take last night, I had a look in the morning but just couldn't get excited, feel awful now

I don't go to the town, jim.. Last March i ended up in Ross...

I havent been Jumping since about 06 Jimnast, flat mainly

that would be in the royal oak and the plough zilzal.

Yep, that was it, Janov was a great character as well

blackbarn

i thought the crowd was dissapointing last night baring in mind the weather.

zilzal

that was the year i met him,but as my wife had ,had an accident on the monday night i spent a lot of the time at the hospital,however i did go with janov to the pub on the housing estate on the thursday night before detroit city won the triumph hurdle.

Must have been the final straw I guess.

Btw I've got a "u" not an "a", there is a blackbarn

I hadnt long returned from living abroad jim, it as the 06 Paddy power meeting when Exotic Dancer won the big un, Detroit City won the Greatwood the day after but i had to head home rather hungover

close alot more dross down or just confine shyte class racing and tracks to non betting flat version of point to points,,,,less racing,more sponsors,more prizes,less shyte worthless jockies,less fixing to win £1000 race at folkstone,,,,

Blackbarn is a Plumpton fan..

Is he? I've only been there once, watching the novice chasers on the far side frightened the life out of me!

Yep, i think he's a Sussex boy..

My 1st taste of jumping was when Bula beat Tingle Creek in a match at Sandown

sorry blackburn

No problem at all

Not a bad race to start with, zil..

What an absolute scandal the BHA stance is on this matter! This should not be allowed to happen, this chipping away at UK horse racing. What, so just because Northern/Arena Racing are not making a worthwhile profit at these tracks, they decide to simply shut up shop? Maybe if they had put their hands in their own pockets and start putting more of the monies they receive from ATR, Levy & the rip off admission's they charge at their tracks, back into the Prize Money. They would have got better quality horses turning up. I'm not paying £15.00 to watch racing with the highlight of the day's card being a class 6 handicap! What an absolute bunch of jokers these people who run Northern/Area racing are.

The bigger tracks should be worried about this situation. It's like a big Football team that doesn't have a youth team to bring their up and coming young players through, before they are ready for the big time.

jimnast do the bookies who have pitchs at herford
just lose all their investment
are do they recieve any compensation at all when courses close

mr crisp

i dont know for sure but i would very much doubt they would get any compansation.

whippin

great post mate your spot on.

I don't disagree with the comments made by Whippin Piccadilly however I think an even bigger issue is having so many tracks under a single ownership.

Add to that the fact that the group owners can keep the fixtures and move them to other tracks they own and it is inevitable that tracks wlll close.

Can the BHA not link ownership of fixtures to tracks rather than to the owners of tracks. At least that would make each track try and stay open until it was completely unviable. In the current situation you would be better off financially if you were to close a marginally profitable track and spread the fixtures around others you own. That can't be good for the sport.

Mr Crisp/Jimnast  - If  a racecourse closes you do your money a a bookmaker.

davy you do your money at hereford when they race joint worst figures in the country along with worcester.

similar stories popping up elsewhere..track closures by the ton in Canada..i agree with fixtures been linked to tracks not owners..real incentive to close tracks and pass on fixtures to more viable tracks..then again i dont expect anything less from BHA in their response..they have lost control of most of british racing..the rubens been accused of glossin over the real truth in hereford..what slime they are...they have a 17year lease left..is it paid for ..will it be paid..i would charge them 10 fold for compensation...they are also holdin folkstone council to ransom...then again what do we expect in this day and age of greed and slime ball politics...

http://www.thespec.com/sports/article/769487--horse-racing-industry-offers-alternative-plan

I will happily have even 20 grand that folkestone makes money with anybody bar the reuben brothers.

Its costs tuppence to put racing on there and for at least half the fixtures they get colossal crowds.

This is posturing of the highest order by are/nr.

if we think about this by looking at the bigger picture , it starts to unwind a  little and from these low grade tracks closing come job loses , we then move on to the breeders more job loses ,horse transporters more job loses , feed companies again job loses , you can see were this is heading ..overall the loss to the industry is not just the closing of the tracks ..its the effects it has all the way down the chain...

It was only a matter of time before this pernicious lot, backed by the Reuben Brothers, started to close racecourses that weren't providing them with a substantial return on their investments.

They have no interest in racing other than as a means of lining their pockets.

They are closing these racecourses as a threat to the planning authorities at Folkestone and the local council at Hereford.

Their bully boy tactics show that the fabric of racing means nothing to them and the sooner Nicky Henderson and his wealthy pals put their hands in their pockets and their money where their mouths are and buy the Reuben brothers out, the sooner the future of racing at the grassroots can be put on a firmer footing.

Left to their own devices, every turf track owned by AL/NR will be closed down for development and all the fixtures either sold as far as jumping is concerned, or transferred to the all weather for the flat.

well done loper

the bha must have known about this before friday,fixtures already reallocated for next year,yet another body of people involved in this sport who simply cannot tell the truth.

makes you wonder alright jimnast....

ITS NOT BEEN THE BEST OF WEEKS NEWS WISE HAS IT ?....PEOPLE KNOCK HEREFORD HONESTLY I THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY OLAIN BASIC ,BUT CLEAN AND OKAY GOOD ATMOSPHERE IN THE BAR BURGER VAN AND SWEET VAN DID THERE BEST THE GUY WHO HAD THE SWEET STALL ALSO WAS ON THE BOARD AT HEREFORDUNITED YA SEE ITS NICE TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND FIND OUT THINGS...OK THE RACING WASNT THE BEST WAS IT BUT IT WAS HEREFORD THATS WHAT ITS SAYS ON THE TIN .
FOLKESTONE IS IN MY OPINION A LOVELY GAFF THE TEA ROOMS ARE A DELIGHT I DONT WANT CHANGE ON THAT SCORE THE QUAINTNESS AND OLD-FASHIONED NESS ABOUT IT ALL WAS FANTASTIC THERES PLENTY OF PLACES TO BE ON A NICE SUMMERS DAY AND FOLKESTONE RACECOURSE IS ONE OFF EM I REMEMBER TAFFY THE BOOKMAKERS SON HE HAD TWO ,NOT GARRY THE OTHER ONE,ONE SUMMERS DAY HE WAS LYING AT THE SIDE OF THE POND ROUND THE BACK ON HIS SIDE JUST PLAYING WITH THE GOLD FISH I STOOD AND WATCHED HIM FOR TEN MINUTES IN AMAZMENT ,JUST ONE OF THOSE SILLY THINGS .......WENT TO FOLKESTONE TO HUNTER CHASE MEETING CAME AWAY WITH ONE OR TWO HORSES IN ME MIND ,2 WEEKS LATER AT DINGLEY I NOTICE ONE OF EM RUNNING AND THOUGHT IT HAD RUN WELL AT FOLKEY .....25-1 AT DINGLEY I HAS A SCORE AND IT WINS HAPPY DAYS ..ONE DAY I LAYS LADDYS SEND SENDS THE KID TO HAVE 400 BACK FINDS OUT AFTER HES BET THE WRONG UN NEEDLESS TO SAY DONE ME KOBBLERS....BUT MANY HAPPY DAYS THERE AND SOME BAD UNS .......BUT HERES ANOTHER ONE FOR YA IVE DONE EVRY RACECOURSES IN ENGLAND INCLUDING GREAT LEIGHES AND I CAN DEFINETLEY SAY IVE WALKED 75% OF EM YOU SEE THINGS YA NEVER SEE BEING IN THE STANDS SOME OF OUR GAFFS LOOK LIKE TIOLETS BUT IN REALITY THERE BEAUTIFUL PLACE OUTS IDE AT WARWICK IM ON FIRST NAME TERMS WITH THE RABBITS ......YEAH ITS A SAD WEEK FOR SOME OFF US WE NEED TO BE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT IT ALL DONT WE

i enjoyed that cashless..thanks mate ....

very sad week indeed cashless and i am talking as a lover of horse racing not as a bookmaker.

i wonder if our excellent racing journos from the post are digging up some real truths about what has gone on ?

or maybe even the great claude the fraud ?

nice post cashless.puts it in perspective
not that easy to read though tbf

jimnast     29 Jul 12 12:42 
i wonder if our excellent racing journos from the post are digging up some real truths about what has gone on ?

or maybe even the great claude the fraud ?

None of em give a toss, they are more interested in gibbering on about the olympics or worrying about how the canopes will be at the next free nosh up.

hello roo

most of them wont know where hereford is,and some wont know where folkestone is,in fairness to francome i thought he came over yesterday as if he was concerned about it,the rest dont really give a toss.

A significant part of the Reuben brothers wealth is derived from property investment.  Buying Arena and Northern Leisure has nothing at all to do with investing in racing.  Every single racecourse is a property play.  Why on earth should the fixtures be transferred to other Northern/Arena racecourses?  Unless someone stands up to them sadly there will be many more closures.

Unfortunately Eric is spot on

why the hell have the bha allowed them to transfer the fixtures ? in time maybe it will come out.

I think the morning line should get the Reubens on to explain whats really going on...

a little bit off hope for hereford,the council have said they will work hard to save the course and are meeting with northern racing in september.peter scudamore who was a director at hereford said the track use to make a small profit,but since northen took over the bank holiday fixtures have been given to other tracks within the company,he suggests the lease is a bit of a red herring.

the immediate action the BHA should take is to block the idea that the fixtures of both courses should automatically be transferred within the northern racing / arena group of courses.
folkestone to plumpton etc and hereford to worcester or ludlow etc

the BHA just pander to everybody and do nothing, sadly.

correct adge what a liberty this outfit has taken,decissions were made before friday but of course friday was a good day to bury bad news in the sporting world.