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may as well scrap the race.
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Beechers looks like an ordinary fence at Sedgefield.
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These fences wont be seen within 3 years
Theyve done their best and horses can literally WALK through them.. yet horses are being killed and far far too many people are watching it. TAKE CONTROL NATIONAL HUNT OR YOUR SPORT IS FINISHED |
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Did you see the Chair after they jumped it?, so soft was the fence they left a great big hole in the middle.
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I have to agree. No difference between the National and the Welsh, Irish and Scottish versions. Basically a staying handicap chase.
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The RSPCA terrorists have won
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GOOD
or your sport is finished |
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It's The Pardubice for me now.
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Tame as old boots!
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over 17 finisher,s look good at 5-4 with slybet
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2 races over it this year has led to 2 deaths no matter what they died of. Last year these 2 races had no deaths.
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A Trainer told me once when I asked him why he sent a horse that cant jump to a track with stiff fences.
He can junp just takes the P explained if they can take libertys......some will..........therl be walking through em in a mo |
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in my opinion with the fences made easier they are just going to run quicker which in my mind is worse
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NH racing does involve horses getting killed..by accident not intention
but I suspect eating KFC involves the death of a new chickens.. What matters is the quality of life we give the animals...and on this score I think the horses do better than the chickens so if want to criticise NH racing jonjon I hope you are a vegatarian |
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new = few
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Love the game. But, races over this course should have been scrapped along time ago. An outdated tradition that does the imagine of the game no good whatsoever. How can you enjoy any watching any race over that course?
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little josh dead gives the do gooders more ammunition
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Thats definately the case. It's ridiculous. They are doing there best to make the ground on the soft side of good to make it more forgiving to fallers to apease the RSPCA whilst making the fences a lot easier to appease the RSPCA which makes them go faster and means any fall is more likely to cause more damage. It's nonsensical they will cancel each other out but the RSPCA will point to the injuries as proving the fences being too hard and less finishers due to the more testing ground as the race being too demanding.
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I could well agree you Whippin Piccadilly
if I thought ending the Grand National, would end attacks on NH racing.. but sadly I do not think it would, it would be Cheltenham  nextthen the rest of NH racing so the BHA might as well keep defending the National |
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You are of course right nellie1970. Speed kills. I remember when the national was run in bog like conditions with very few finishers, the forumites were saying it was a disgrace and looked terrible but, in truth, no horse died. On good ground you will get plenty of finishers and many looking pretty fresh at the end. But, of the non-finishers, there is a much higher chance of serious injury/fatality.
I think Aintree and in fact NH racing are going to have to be very careful. Making fences very easy/soft will not stop fatalities as the races will be run at a faster pace. You will also get more weaker flat bred horses having a go over obstacles. If those calling for the end of the National get their way, they will not stop til NH racing is banned. Then they may go for the flat. What no-one who advocates the end of NH racing has ever explained to me is what happens to all the horses that are too slow to have a flat career? As I see it the vast majority will have to be culled. |
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ebulGery, when I watch NH racing and see a fall, I never expect it. Over the national course I now EXPECT horses to fall and horses to be killed. This is just not right! I would like to see other NH races in the calendar pushed into the public spotlight with as much enthusiasm as the Grand National. I'm afraid this just won't happen while the Grand National is part of the racing calendar. As a result, the imagine of our great sport will go into further decline.
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Sport can be dangerous - grow up
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Using knives can be dangerous -some people get cut by them . Make knives blunt imo.
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But Whippin you are more likely to see more fallers in a race which has a higher number of fences being jumped by the horses anyway. 40 runners jumping say on average 20 (once you take out horses that jump all fences) thats 800 chances for a horse to fall at a fence compared to about 80 in 10 runner 2 mile race. So you would have to look at about 10 2 mile 10 runner races for to get the same amount of times a horse jumps a fence and has a chance of falling so statistically you should expect horses to fall. The amount of horses that fall on the National course I don't think is that much out of proportion to the rest of racing bearing in mind they are meant to be the toughest in jumps racing it's just that with 30 fences and 40 runners there is a far higher probability of there being fallers due to more fences being jumped.
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The fences are just bundles of spruce, no body to them whatsoever. Horses will learn nothing from jumping these. I think the Mildmay fences are easier too.
A great course ruined. Haydock just down the road has fences that can be brushed through now. Both used to be agreat test. Rather watch racing at Newbury now. |
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Read animal Aid's website. They don't think any animals should be subject to the whims of men. They definitely want ALL racing banned.
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Sport can be dangerous and everyone on here knows the risks involved in jump racing across the board but no sporting contest can survive a death of at least one of the participants on an annual basis.
The race really needs a long run of time without a fatality, especially in the current climate but we all know that's unlikely. |
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Some good analysis on ATR. It's a matter of luck whether horses get killed or not
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within 5 years the bha will rename the race The Grand Bumper
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The course has become a joke,As i knew it eventually would,The Grand National is no longer unique which was the whole idea that made it the race it was to begin with.
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At least I am not the only one that thinks the fences have been totally sanitised.I walked the course when the chair was a real fence,now ,as said it is a bunch of loose spruce.Yet CB refers to it as "daunting" etc.,total rubbish.
Even at other courses the fences aren't as tightly pulled together with the birching as they used to be,Sandown being an example. No doubt the do- gooders,and hand -wringers will shout me down and think that I am evil,but I have owned horses,am an animal lover,and do greatly care about the welfare of horses. Accidents happen in all walks of life,but life goes on. The main problem is the do-gooders have very little idea about horse training,and NH racing in general. The fields appear to be bunching up more,so more chances of being brought down,and pile-ups.Any major problem tomorrow and the future would be bleak,even with sanitised fences. |
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Good write up unbiased
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Like most runners around it, the course has been castrated. Should be set up for the class horse in the race tomorrow.
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Ta steamship.
Bechers also looks pretty straightforward now.The amazing thing is that for many many years ,even though there were complaints,and placard bearers wanting the race banned,there wasn't a serious threat to the race,but now it seems Aintree is walking on egg-shells. I can think of many many more dangerous activities that go unchallenged.The big problem with the National is the fact it is televised.A little knowledge is a dangerous thing springs to mind! |
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Race is now just a very competitive handicap over an extended trip. With 40 runners, you still need plenty of luck in running of course but the days of big outsiders on good ground are probably over.
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if commentator never said bechers I wouldn't have known
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The race has become a joke,
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you what festival :)
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No longer a test in jumping
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great race...no problem with that
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