Newbury running to their own race times again

yup, one the bad courses for that.

Everything about this once magnificent horse racing venue for both national hunt and flat has deteriorated.

I just don't understand why the BHA don't hold enquiries and sanction the guilty parties unless there is a valid excuse. The rules should be: Horse saddled and in the paddock 10 minutes before race time. Jockey mounted 8 minutes before race time. Arrived at start 5 minutes before race time (if the horse needs to be walked or trotted to post then it is the trainers responsibility to send it down early) Behind the stalls 2 minutes before race time and loading commenced. Any horse presented three times with either no headgear or a blindfold that still resists loading is withdrawn. There are valid excuses for lateness but the Stewards can decide on these if a race is off more than a minute late and issue fines when necessary. If jump races can start every 30 minutes when races races take 4 to 7 minutes then there is absolutely no excuse for flat races to be late off when they take a maximum of 4 minutes and the vast majority take less than 2 minutes to run. Any trainer or jockey that is consistently late into the paddock or late to post would face a one week ban. One named official should be responsible for enforcing these rules.

Sage, completely agree with you there.
I have no data to back this up, but seems to me that Irish tracks have been getting their races off very close to the correct time in recent years, especially NH races.
I also recall Dundalk on Friday evenings getting nearly every race off on time with 14 to load in the stalls.

Saw a jumps race in Ireland a little while ago go off about 30 seconds BEFORE the scheduled offtime!

Bookmakers are sometimes accused to encourage delays but yesterday, Yarmouth races were finished before the Newbury ones due off 10 minutes earlier so I missed 3 of them. Many others watching from home will have been the same and not had a bet.

Imagine when Sky Sports get Newbury running alongside Happy Valley or Dog racing,and not being off on time.

Triple split screens should be fine...

do you remember a time when horses would go at least once around the parade ring with the jockey up; a lot of the time the jockey mounts and they leave