Sign in if you are going to the Craven meeting Newmarket 16th to 18th

Always a great meeting with so many pointers for the season. Used to staying Cambridge when going to it.

One of my favourite meetings of the year.

Yes I found so many winners from this meeting, would watch the 2y old races put something in my note book and wait for it to run again and lots of times up it would pop at a good price.

So many favs have got beat in the Craven over the years Crown Prince was one I remember another one was I think Tremos, Wood Ditton was I good race to take note of as well.

Think I will have a day out for one of the days.

pop and say hello to Nev in the ring

Always a great meeting

Think I might go along for one of the days.

I'd avoid the 17th and 18th.

used to be THE meeting in the 80s 90s ,tues - thurs ,  guineas winners galore, cecil, piggott ,  , wonderful memories followed by the fred darling on fri and the greenham on saturday , fantastic week of racing

now known as Fred Scuttle

Going in a box with zodiac,gucci tie a must..

lets hope its wooden.

Doziac  must be dead

hopefully.

I’ll be there, but thry’ve come up with the idea this year that there’ll be no members (premier), tatts or silver ring - its just one price for the whole place - so no buying a badge to escape the riff raff - and surely everyone is going to want to watch it at the winning post, so it’ll be packed in one area and empty in the rest.

They’re doing this all year on the Rowley course, except the Guineas meeting. Madness imo..

surprised Annual Members aren't up in arms

Giving it serious thought of paying a visit,only visit was way back 1988…..

Ah!…..just remember Nick luck wincing at the sudden blast of music spewing from the speakers…..

Long drive to be annoyed tbh….

Akajak - i’d be interested to see the uptake of annual badges this year compared to last.

fairweather..I have been communciating with Newamrket all winter about making it all one enclosure but they will not budge.

It isn't that the riff-raff will be all over the place beause for most midweek meetings there the crowd is pitiful - so do not let that stop you going (The Craven meeting will be the same.)

But it is because the viewing balcony on the first floor will only be open to Owners / Trainers and Annual Members. This is except for the GNS meeting when it will be two enclosures and hence Premier Enclosure attendees will be able to use that balcony. As anyne who has been to the track will aoppreciate, viewing is not great there because there is no round course but up on that 1st floor balcony the view is much better with a good perspective to be had on the runners.

So, what they have done is open that balcony up to the public who pay for the Premier Enlcosure at the GNS meeting but restrict it for the rest. This I do not get. At the GNS meetiing they do get a biggish crowd and that balcony is usually quite crowdeed, but at most meetings (especially in the week) the balcony will be very sparesly popualted.

Hence, they are restricting it when there is no need to and not restricting it when they should! From what I can see, the Owners and Trainers and Annual Members would not care about that balcony being restricted in the week but would like it restricted at the GNS meeting.

The mangement there have little or no clue about their core audience, who make up the vast majority of their midweek meetings. If I did not live 130 miles away I'd join as an annual member again and then I would not care but what really galls me is that they will not even consider selling for an extra, say £10, a ticket for the viewing balcony. They appear to have an arrogant attitude and will not admit they did not think this all one enclosure idea fully through.

Jockey Club Racecourses are poorly run and this 'all one enclosure' caper for all but the Guineas meeting really does show their incompetence at Newmarket.

Expensive jaunt for you acey. I'm just off to a very Yorkshire do.
World coal carrying Championships, free viewing and Citra at £4.40 a pint. Gl today.

i'm going to the guineas for 2 days, first time for me at Newmarket. cheers.

i was an Annual member for more than 35 years but some of the management decisions swayed it for me not to renew. basically Newmarket Nights funds everything else, so , although I didn't go to those evenings, you can understand the focus of the course has changed,
Not a criticism as it seems courses have to provide this sort of entertainment just to survive.
do i miss the old days yes, Barrie Cope seafood, Hugo and the Hugonauts at the July course, Fruit stall on the lawn, but heyho the world has changed

Ahh yes Akajak, the days when a friday night meeting at the July Course might be rounded off with Alan Price playing a little gig after hours to a select few.
As you say, everything changes..