New Posts For Thread: Alan Sweetmanhttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetmanIn the racing post, Mr. Sweetman alludes to the biggest problem affecting Irish racing at the moment, the dearth of runners in our Grade One events. He is absolutely spot on in saying that people are being turned off by the 3 and 4 runner fields, andspot on folks , cheltenham the same now, There will soon be a 1 mile 5 furlong hurdle to suit a 1/10 shot that dosent get 2 miles even if it reduces the champion hurdle to 3 runners but they can claim another grade 1 and add a fifth day.https://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536938509#536938509spot on folks , cheltenham the same now, There will soon be a 1 mile 5 furlong hurdle to suit a 1/10 shot that dosent get 2 miles even if it reduces the champion hurdle to 3 runners but they can claim another grade 1 and add a fifth day.Sun, 15 Dec 2013 18:41:24 -0600Callit all you have to do is look at the Breeders Cup they added not only an extra day but 2 other races on the Saturday as well, as such many of the contests have become penalty kicks, grade one status in name only.I think the amount of mares only ghttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536937419#536937419Callit all you have to do is look at the Breeders Cup they added not only an extra day but 2 other races on the Saturday as well, as such many of the contests have become penalty kicks, grade one status in name only.I think the amount of mares only gSun, 15 Dec 2013 17:23:39 -0600You would hope, and expect that to be the case. All that is happening is that the vast majority of them are being devalued in all but name, and they aren't worth the title, the prize money, or the admission fee.https://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536937121#536937121You would hope, and expect that to be the case. All that is happening is that the vast majority of them are being devalued in all but name, and they aren't worth the title, the prize money, or the admission fee.Sun, 15 Dec 2013 17:11:33 -0600callthecat I couldn't agree more, its the same on the flat, the amount of group races has nearly doubled in Europe over the space of 30 years, the difference with the flat is that winning a group one or any group race gives you black type, often softhttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536936231#536936231callthecat I couldn't agree more, its the same on the flat, the amount of group races has nearly doubled in Europe over the space of 30 years, the difference with the flat is that winning a group one or any group race gives you black type, often softSun, 15 Dec 2013 16:27:24 -0600Another two runner Grade One. Farcical. And Arkle, Briar Hill is no Sprinter Sacre. So Wylie gets his turn in the Grade One winners enclosure today.I understand people think its great us having plenty of top horses, and hence unprecedented success athttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536934093#536934093Another two runner Grade One. Farcical. And Arkle, Briar Hill is no Sprinter Sacre. So Wylie gets his turn in the Grade One winners enclosure today.I understand people think its great us having plenty of top horses, and hence unprecedented success atSun, 15 Dec 2013 15:07:55 -0600It was nice to see that all the 7 horses were with different trainers.https://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536868113#536868113It was nice to see that all the 7 horses were with different trainers.Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:59:15 -0600And at the end of that season we had three winners at the 1994 Cheltenham festival. Presently we have some very good horses and its only natural that others are reluctant to take them on. Just like Sprinter Sacre in England. The public will go to seehttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536865493#536865493And at the end of that season we had three winners at the 1994 Cheltenham festival. Presently we have some very good horses and its only natural that others are reluctant to take them on. Just like Sprinter Sacre in England. The public will go to seeWed, 11 Dec 2013 16:07:53 -0600this is a very simple issue for me..........our prize money is better than britains yet they never send their horses over for our NH grade 1's, except maybe the big ones at xmas or punchestown in the spring...........this for me is the issue. we shouhttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536863343#536863343this is a very simple issue for me..........our prize money is better than britains yet they never send their horses over for our NH grade 1's, except maybe the big ones at xmas or punchestown in the spring...........this for me is the issue. we shouWed, 11 Dec 2013 14:06:12 -0600I remember 5 years ago all the Grade 1 were going for export and the quality of grade 1 fields was to be frank awful.Now the Grade 1 have top horses winning them but the races now only have a few runners.I much rather more quality in Grade 1s that 5https://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536863231#536863231I remember 5 years ago all the Grade 1 were going for export and the quality of grade 1 fields was to be frank awful.Now the Grade 1 have top horses winning them but the races now only have a few runners.I much rather more quality in Grade 1s that 5Wed, 11 Dec 2013 13:59:11 -0600the single biggest issue troubling irish jumps racings at the moment is the concentration of ownership, all other areas are effected as a result including field sizes and perceived lack of competition.once upon a time jumps racing was supposed to behttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/30154835/alan-sweetman?post_id=536862783#536862783the single biggest issue troubling irish jumps racings at the moment is the concentration of ownership, all other areas are effected as a result including field sizes and perceived lack of competition.once upon a time jumps racing was supposed to beWed, 11 Dec 2013 13:17:52 -0600