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differentdrum
20 Jul 18 10:58
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Date Joined: 05 Oct 11
| Topic/replies: 21,094 | Blogger: differentdrum's blog
Just a succession of low grade handicaps (with horses who beat each other - it used to be sprinters now it is everything) and races for the insiders.

I can go back to the 70's and I can't remember so many cards that are just so easy to ignore. No bets, no interest.

It isn't just weekdays, there have been loads of poor weekends. The cheerleaders have had to work overtime.

I suspect there are a lot of people now just reducing their bets to weekends and Festivals.
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Report onlooker July 20, 2018 11:24 AM BST
^ A lot of people no longer betting at Weekends and Festivals - unless they have a bottomless Bank - and a self-persecution complex.
Report Cork Langer July 20, 2018 11:45 AM BST
Although you may have a point regarding the increased number of fixtures the make up of most of them has not I would have thought really changed that much, mentally you believe it to be so because you can watch every race live now and then videos after, however many times you wish.

We are much better informed these days and are able to see for ourselves how many strokes are pulled on a daily basis, all this went on the same in years gone by, it is just that unless it was on terrestrial tv we would not have been aware of it, unless of course we were at the track watching the race live.

There were always highs and lows quality wise, especially in the summer months when in between the big festivals, Epsom, Royal Ascot,Newmarket, Goodwood and York, there would be low number fields running on firm ground at Brighton, Bath, Folkestone, Redcar, Yarmouth and the like, some players who were wise even then would avoid such meetings as they were referred to as the meets for the holidaymakers and very rarely did these fixtures pass without a few shockers flying home to assist the bookmakers, the vast majority of shop punters still played them though without any thought about the quality and would have had no clue as to what was going on.

Another reason it appears more apparent now is because the sit at home player is or at least has been since the advent of betfair looking to make a profit and playing far more races numerically than they ever would have sat in the bookmakers or attending the course where they would have played their money more as a game of chance than looking to actually profit from every wager. Gambling by handing over hard cash every few minutes is a different mindset to pressing buttons on a computer and never or rarely comprehending how much you are risking because physically you are not parting with anything to have the bet.

The successful punter has rarely actually changed their approach, being selective was and is the only way to consistently make money, unless of course you are fortunate to have access to or willing to pay for inside information. The big negative these days is of course that modern technology for all its advantages has worked against the punter who if even slightly successful faces a nightmare trying to get any decent amount of money on consistently through account closures or being restricted.
Report sparrow July 20, 2018 12:18 PM BST
I avoid Saturday afternoons like the plague.
We all have our likes and dislikes and although the OP says he goes back to to the 70s I can go back much further.
Report domino14 July 20, 2018 12:29 PM BST
Jump racing is 100 times worse.
Report DenzilPenberthy July 20, 2018 2:32 PM BST
I can see where differentdrum is coming from on this one,I'm someone who has bet regularly since the 90s and almost daily for about the last 10 years prior to about the last year or so and currently have less bets than ever 5 races in total since 30th June and had several weeks of no bets in the winter.
Day in day out racing can be tough mentally it feels like you're constantly fighting battles with the game whether it be poor going descriptions,track biases,pace biases,jockey errors,bad/good luck and volatile markets can easily make you fed up of the daily grind.
Bookies not taking bets is an obvious reason why plenty have given up daily as the only other choice is to play the racetime market lottery where indecision will cost you and it's far harder to win.
Betting at the bigger meetings and races offers a more solid betting platform where all of the above negatives obviously can still occur track biases are very normal now and accepted too easily imo.
You can study a valuable race for Saturday and still bet it on here close to the price (in general) without a ridiculous move which has you wondering if all is as it should be and mistakes don't stick in the craw so much when horses are racing for valuable prizes.
Report differentdrum July 24, 2018 4:12 PM BST
Sandown tomorrow. Grade 1 track, five handicaps out of six, hardly any runners and the best race is a Class 3. The other race is a 5f 2yo fillies maiden. Maximum field sizes is 98 and before non-runners there are 42 runners with full place betting in only two races. You are pitching low and low isn't even turning up. No doubt someone from RUK will suggest it is an 'interesting' card.

Just checked. I take it all back Plan B is performing. No doubt a perfect compliment to the equine dross.
Report sparrow July 24, 2018 4:20 PM BST
Last week they had to put on an extra meeting at Wolverhampton due to the excessive amount of entries on the Tuesday. This was because of the weather where trainers do not wish to run on the firm ground and probably the reason why so few entries at Sandown. If you put on a Class 6 handicap race on the AW you are almost guaranteed a maximum field.
Report Barton Bank July 24, 2018 7:03 PM BST
I'd like to see a few more of the decent cards run midweek. People will still go racing on a Saturday regardless of the quality. It isn't necessary to have nearly all the good events on the same day as happens some weeks.
Report impossible123 July 25, 2018 11:03 AM BST
Too many run-of-the-mill races; the All-Weather is solely for the benefit of the bookies.

One can draw a parallel to the time when any company - start-up or fully fledged company - with an online platform would see their market cap rose exponentially overnight with the analysts/pindits (famous for their herd mentality) conveniently forgetting the market would remain more or less the same but not grow sufficiently to sustain the enlarged market cap of that company ie consumers still possessed the same fixed disposable income.

I'd like to see no more than 3 meetings a day eg one each for National Hunt, Flat and All-Weather instead of the dross constantly being asked to run regularly and unsuccessfully. Similarly, the growing number of wannabe jockeys and trainers nee to be addressed too. Aspiration and fantasy without the ability to bat with is a delusion on any profession, and being a jockey is no different; a cull could only be good for the long run and overdue, in my opinion.
Report sparrow July 25, 2018 11:14 AM BST
Your opinion as you put it would throw thousands of people out of work.
Report deadbrain59 July 25, 2018 11:40 AM BST
o brien 2 tonight down in classMischiefGrin
Report impossible123 July 25, 2018 2:03 PM BST
I do understand, but have the number of horses in training, jockeys plying their trade, and similarly trainers increased since the 80's? Horse Racing is only a sport (anyway), and excess baggage and resources could be deplored elsewhere, I'm fairly certain, if necessary.

I think one (unless a bookie mouthpiece) can easily deduce there is too much horse racing these days, and the majority are for the benefit of bookies solely.
Report sparrow July 25, 2018 2:17 PM BST
As I mostly watch racing from my armchair I don't think it's right that I should comment about the amount of racing that takes place. I just ignore the meetings or races I have no interest in, for example Saturday afternoons.
Report Rico-Dangleflaps July 25, 2025 3:00 PM BST
A lot of people no longer betting at Weekends and Festivals
Report Hayden July 25, 2025 3:11 PM BST
Keep the low grade coming and shove the so called racing festivals , they don't even know when to apply a decent handbrake ffs.

Hope it remains for the next 7 years   Grin
Report 1st time poster July 25, 2025 3:12 PM BST
tomorrows  beeswing at n,castle used to be a summer midweek race
scottish derby/classic was a summer ayr mon
think  baldon races day with a  valiable big race nutrsery used to be midweek
Report Rico-Dangleflaps July 25, 2025 3:19 PM BST
jockeys plying their trade
Report jasstardust July 26, 2025 1:29 PM BST
this is a decent fred
in my opinion...
in my little experience
the stats as most no dont
vary much for favs 1/2/3
maybe a percent or 2 over
the years...
like said, its all about
specialising.....
and its a long term game
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