What’s going on with national hunt racing

You beat me to it Jimnast. I had just settled down for coffee and checked to see if I wanted to go. Other than top floor of grandstand it is free on Friday. Looking at that I really couldn't be bothered I'm afraid. £155,000+ in prize money and a miserable turnout. The decs for the first 4 were 9 ;
14 ; 17 ; 11. So somewhere along the line, out of 51  decs, only 17 run.  Others will have an answer to the grave problems NH face but, on the surface, the horse population simply cannot sustain this much racing. Ascot will be pulling the plug on NH soon I fear. And who could blame them. Must cost a lot to keep that NH track fed and watered through summer then maintained in winter.  For what? This paltry spectacle.

Good afternoon Donegal

I’m actually travelling down to Ascot at the moment a trip I planned a while ago ,unless Saturday is much much better it’s not a trip I would plan again.

Regarding pulling stumps on national hunt racing there I have also thought it was a strong possibility and as you say who could blame them.

Great point Donegal.  Somehow Racing is shooting itself in the foot, and it seems, with some regularity.

too much racing across all codes
until there's a cull in region of 1/3 of all races it won't improve

As usual,The BHA has been led by the nose by Bookmakers who want as many races as humanly possible

No rain forecast and if they see "good" in the going description this time of year then they wont run them. Very risk averse these days and it just enhances the problem.

Paul Nicholls no runners at all.

Sad situation.

Enjoy your weekend jimnast and good luck with the punting.

Thanks barstool good luck to you also.

Nov 19, 2025 -- 12:53PM, uptheirons wrote:

As usual,The BHA has been led by the nose by Bookmakers who want as many races as humanly possible

3 a/w cards tomorrow utterly ridiculous

Quite right uptheirons the off course / online bookmaker’s have far to much say n the way horse racing is run.

another big problem is sh1t journalism like this...

Officials have 'no concerns' at Ascot as track gears up for stellar two-day meeting

wtf

What an exciting race that was in the Ffos Las opening race (apologies to My Fair Lady)

We might have seen a few off those all weather cards in NH hunt fields a few years ago.

Another nail.

oh there's far more staying on the flat & why wouldn't they

unless owner loves NH makes far more financial sense to run on a/w every 2 weeks

Thankfully Saturday is quite a bit better

Not sure that many people on here actually care. This thread has less than a quarter of views of the one on the Racing League, and we are in the midst of the jumps season. A thread on jumps will in general be lucky to get 50 views.

Probably right dd it’s always surprised me on here how many posts and views threads unrelated to horse racing get ,some are just idiotic threads but popular.

Get a  jumps thread up and running then Drum. I'll start us off. If Constitution Hill doesn't get back on track at Newcastle (if he can't get back on track there, then it will never happen) I'll be trying to get as much as I can on Alexei for the Champion hurdle when he's finally added to the market on here. He has tons to find but I loved eveything about his Greatwood Hurdle win.

He saved the paddy power meeting whippin other than him a pretty mundane 3 days despite what the press would have you believe.

Above post a bit unfair on the skeleton horse that beat jonbon

I have already backed Alexei, but worry if they continue down the unconventional handicap route, that he won't make it to the Champion Hurdle. Although a strong pace would suit, I think they should try a conventional trial.

As for a dedicated thread, you will know I have done them in the past - with plenty of views - but after some initial interest they have petered out and ended with me virtually talking to myself which isn't the idea.

Definitely the star of the show Jim. I was a big believer in L'Eau du Sud last season and he was my biggest AP bet for Cheltenham. I have to say I was very disappointed with his run in the Arkle and his run subsequent run at Aintree. But it looks like he's come back a much stronger horse this season. I also have a theory that he might not be able to take too much racing. One more race and then Cheltenham would be idea of a good plan for this lad

Just wrote that before I saw your post Jim!

OK fair enough Drum. Let's hope they step Alexei up again next time out. We could be wrong about him but I don't think we are.

On the basis of one more run whippin then  the game spirt but that’s only around 5 weeks before the champion chase the other option the desert orchid at Christmas.tingle creek can be a hard race.

Ascot good to soft
Friday
23
17
19
20
12
17
21

Before the non runners


you not getting any winners but av a luvly day

Ascot is always a luvly day out

some people sound more interested in watching competitive racing than winning money.

meet them on the way out, how you get on today ?   lost 4 grand ..... but .... the racing was very competitive so it doesn't matter

won a grand but it was all relatively non-competitive fayre so i probably won't be back.

everyone who really loves racing and puts into the sport rather than takes out! knows there is too much racing HOWEVER jimnast opening gambit about NH in particular and using Ascot Friday as the preamble is truly alarming... RP and other media has been full of the super rich (many of whose fortunes were embellished during and subsequent to covid which successive governments have used as an excuse for the massive loss of spending power of the average person in the street) spending absolute fortunes on horses have close to zero chance of recovering even 10% of their purchase price once training fees etc taken into account - you can say they're not in it for the money but that's only because they have unfathomable amounts of dough in their preferred tax haven.   Whilst this spending orgy has been going on, prize money has been decreasing in real terms for past 20 odd years - Imperial Commander won £120 more for winning the 2010 Betfair Chase than the 2025 winner will, when it should be 63% more just to keep up with inflation etc.  This serious shortfall in prize money has rendered NH racing the playground of folks with bottomless pockets putting their eggs into ever reducing number of baskets with the inevitable fall in number of owners/trainers/horses and the un-competitive fields which are further harming the industry via the reduced betting turnover.  the various 'leaders' in British racing continue their best ostrich impressions whilst out in the real world, NH racing is dying on it's knees - soon there will be 3-4 day Festival meetings and precious little else, which will be ripe ground for animal welfare and public apathy to hammer home the final nail.

Not everyone is as clever as you hulk and without mugs like me you wouldn’t be able to live the lifestyle you do.

I would go Tingle Creek and then straight to Cheltenham. This would give him plenty of time to get over that race and be fresh enough for the QM

Alexei's probably running next in the Ladbroke H'cap Hdle, Dec 20TH.(Tizzard)

Last season he went sandown Warwick Cheltenham I’m sure I read or heard somewhere Skelton say he made a mistake going to Warwick

Marble Arch the only winner of the Ladbroke this century to reach the frame in the champion hurdle ant that the year Istabraq pulled up and valeramix was killed

You don’t HAVE to bet to enjoy the spectacle of Racing.   Don’t know what your beef is hulk.  Betting is part of the fun, not the be all and end all.

you don't HAVE to HAVE big fields for racing to be a spectacle.  seen some great races involving 4/5 runners.  the only beef appears to be with people who feel the need for every race to have minimum 17 runners.  which just happen to be the races the bookies will give you extra places on cos they know they can give you 5 places instead of 4 and you're still losing.

Have you ever considered that some have made a few quid out of the game hulk and don’t want to give it back ,and are just seeing there days out enjoying a sport that’s been good to them ?

As I am primarily an i/r player small fields are the most viable nowadays because of the concentration of limited liquidity

Extra places are a get-up. Don't fall for it unless its 6 runners and BOG, which is golden, or 7 with a roughie

eg, £50 ew double 16/1 and 16/1 both placed

$782 1/5th. £1150 1/4. It doesnt seem much but it makes a big difference. Better to back more than one at 1/4

jimmy, you could happily see your days out going to meetings such as Ascot tomorrow. 

probably find 2/3/4 winners. 

point is you don't need every race to be a 13/2 fav 19 runner cavalry charge to enjoy your day out (winner 28/1 form 0070906-)

No you don’t hulk but my point on this thread is that something is wrong with field sizes on good to soft

Jimnast.
How was Concorde today.
Ronnie.

The idea about enjoying racing without having a bet is going to be viourously tested in the years ahead and it is doomed to failure.

.?

Very enjoyable and educational Ronnie thanks for asking kempton last night I lasted 2 races one to many

It's an interesting question really, do big fields = enjoyable/competitive racing. It's not just about the numbers, in Ireland especially, they regularly get 20+ races with three tryers. That's not entertaining at all, or appealing for a bet.

In general terms, it's more about the concentrated power base. There's less will for people to run horses just to make up the numbers, and have a distant view of the arse of one of Mullins'. The most powerful bases can push people around, just by manipulating the entries. Something that Mullins concedes he actively does. Yes there are many more options for horses now as well, so there are two parts to it. If I was an owner (never!), I'd rather see my horse run three times with a genuine chance, then run ten times going out the back of the telly. It applies to the big pot handicaps too now, as invariably there is at least one or two unexposed runners with a huge starting advantage.

Jimnast.
Only been to Kempton once went to back one of HRCk Killler Insinct  backed him with Taffy  only  had 2 IK bets in my life  that was one of them it was a long  journey home.
Ronnie

Far more chance that you can get an exciting small field jump race than a flat one. One of my earliest memories was Into View beating Spanish Steps a short head in a terrific battle for the 1971 Hermitage Chase.

For those who like big fields with a touch of class there is a cracking 17 runner three mile handicap hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.

On a different tack when do we get to know Alexei's new handicap mark?

Tuesday, I would have thought.

add
Monday

dd
Monday

The 2nd best race I’ve ever seen was a 4 runner race so I don’t have a problem with the odd one but to get 3 on the same card at a grade one track isn’t good ,even if the first two are interesting races,

Now 4 4 runners races

Thanks for the info. I have a feeling he will get a higher mark than Golden Ace had when winning a Champion, albeit with a bit of help.

A number of 11/8-1/1 shots today that look likely winners. Question of picking the right one's, at least 2 out of 3 times.

Alexei up to 147 today.