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Possibly because if they did, they'd have to build a box for the judge plus photo finish equipment - and since it couldn't be as far back as the existing line of the buildings (i.e weighing room, bars etc), it would end up smack bang in the middle of the parade ring.
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Anorak - re Ally Pally films - I think the explanation is that perhaps (at least part of) the Pathe film is reverse printed. It's impossible to say from looking at it unless you know the features of the layout and surroundings really well. But if you look at the Pathe film of the Le Mans disaster from 1955 ( http://www.britishpathe.com/video/le-mans-disaster ), and look at the film of the crash at about 1m30s in, you see all the advertising hoardings are back-to-front, though other parts of the film have them the right way round - so maybe the same is true of the Ally Pally films.
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I think the Parham point to point course recently changed direction?
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Bangor point to point races right handed on the inside of the left handed nh course.Market Rasen did, but dont have points anymore. Quite a few P2P courses have changed direction in recent years including Paxford, Didmarton,Sandon,and Weston Park before it closed.
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Ged and Anorak - Everything I have on Ally Pally shows it as always being a right handed track. Various plans of the course show the shute back onto the straight (having completed one or two circuits of the loop depending on the race distance) and it seems very unlikely that this could ever have been used in the opposite direction.
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salmon spray -
There are Lots of RIGHT-handed courses in Australia. |
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Alexandra Park - was, as already posted, predominantly RIGHT-Handed - like Hamilton and Salisbury.
There were only 3 race distances ... 5 furlongs 1 Mile 160 yards 1 Mile 5 furlongs |
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Has there ever been a right handed greyhound track?
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parham ptp course formerly rh now lh for sure
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my re-collection was phoenix park was only a right handed track............with the track been quite close to the stabnds resulting in bad viewining as it was only at the two f pole u could see the field before that it was like watching a head on
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The Phoenix Park could approach the straight from both sides so could be both left and right handed.
The point to point at Wexford racecourse is like Market Rasen run the wrong way round. |
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No argument that Alexandra Palace was always a right handed course in my lifetime, but if you look at this piece of vintage film, there seems little doubt that in 1927, they were taking the loop left handed:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/at-dear-old-ally-pally/query/ally+pally |
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Anorak - did you see my post of 14:23 on that issue? (Perhaps you poo-pooed it!)
Chris Pitt's book is perhaps the best generally available reference to Ally Pally history, and he makes no mention of any change in orientation. That doesn't mean he's correct, of course. I did find a few references to some of the old London Cups (in online Glasgow Heralds, mainly), and the likes of Hawfinch (1899, ref'd in the Otago Witness), Auction Pool (who Chris Pitt mentions as a standing dish there from 1928 to 1932+), and Cider Apple, but none refer to track orientation - though you wouldn't expect them to - it perhaps wasn't considered as relevant 'in those days' as it is today. |
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Leopardstown has changed it's running direction.
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Ged,
Apologies, I missed your earlier post somehow (bit caught up in the football yesterday afternoon!). Whilst I accept your point, I have watched a lot of old racing films on that website, which is a delight for anyone with an interest in the history of the sport, and I haven't noticed that any of the other courses looked 'wrong' in the way you suggest. Either way, it's all pretty irrelevant isn't it! Won't help us find any winners now .... |
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I will have to try again, later ...
www.britishpathe.co Host Error Website is offline The server may be down for maintenance, there may be a network problem, or the site may be experiencing excessive load. |
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Seen it now.
A - Your - "there seems little doubt that in 1927, they were taking the loop left handed:" is only partially correct. The 'left-handed' (shown) is on leaving the straight (in the reverse direction) - and, therefore, IS entering the Loop - BUT - at the point of the Loop nearest to the Winning Post, and Stands. If you watch closely - at the end of the 'bend' part of the clip - before it reverts to showing the field coming BACK up the finishing straight - the body language of both the Jockeys, and the horses, CHANGES - as they prepare to THEN take the REST rest of the LOOP RIGHT-Handed The Camera is positioned inside the Stands area - Silver Ring situ - and not inside the Loop. Mystery solved. |
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Kempton Park has gone in the opposite direction since they dug up the flat turf track. DOWNHILLL!!!!!!!
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Ally Pally map;
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mZKiTd_9Zfo/Th1md8fWJvI/AAAAAAAAAFo/38jFNtrl8dg/s1600/LAYOUT+TWIN+FINAL.jpg |