Where do you think Ryanair got the idea of enticing passengers with the promise of flights to exotic places like Milan and Berlin only to end up in a different city or on a disused Luftwaffe runway in a run-down post-communist ghetto? The source of the scam could very well be the racecourse naming committee. How else do you explain Hexham (severe long walk up a steep hill to a remote hilltop), Exeter (it’s Haldon) and Huntingdon (Brampton). Add to that list Bath which is really Lansdown. For the unwary rail traveller getting off at Bath station with the happy prospect of a short walk through this Georgian world heritage site would probably be appealing. But several miles away lies the racecourse and the route is hardly a safe easy walk either.
The route to Bath Racecourse is off the M4 at junction 18 where the signs direct you to follow the A46. The track is to the right and lies to the north west of the city sitting near the village of Lansdown. The view is stunning as the town of Bath can be seen from the racecourse which is about two miles away.
It is an idiosyncratic left-handed track which has a strange U shape which means horses are often on the turn. As a consequence the draw over most distances favours those drawn with low numbers. There are- undulations and the finishing straight is uphill making this a testing track. One interesting additional factor is the altitude of the circuit. Set at about 800 feet above sea level it could be that this generates some strange results and in theory should lead to course specialists. Bath is the highest track in the UK. So being at the course the question is raised, does that fact having any bearing on the horses ability to win. Athletes have to have specific training when competing at high altitude. Footballers competing in Mexico or at the even higher La Paz stated that the ball whizzed through the air faster than at lower levels. People find walking around in Denver more tiring than in Amsterdam. If there are there effects on humans why not on horses? If a horse can cope better than his competitors then that edge, even if it is only a length could be the difference between winning and losing.
It is also thought that jockeys with previous experience around this track have a major advantage because the different nature of the course.
Because of the weather landing us in the middle of a dry summer the ground rode firm, which is not unusual here because the draining nature of the sedimentary rocks of the Mendip limestone and sandstone.
The facilities at Bath are pretty good. There is a very decent cafe in the grandstand which sells proper food, nice cakes and tea you add cow's unprocessed milk to. I like this a lot and the price was not too bad at all. The car parking is extensive and adjecent to a golf course with a good freemand vew up to the furlong stick and some car drivers had taken advantage of this facility. The paddock is big and alongside the track just after the jamstick. The views across the very wide valley are great and the stand even for teh plebs had many padded seats! Bath is a very decent track to visit, is good value and even if the racing was not great fair play for teh executive for getting a programme on at all. I hope they sort out the bend issue from a safety perspective without having any ridiculus realighnmnet plans. Bath celebrates 200 years of racing this year and there is a very well researched book to accompany it which is well worth purchasing. It was launched tonight and you can buy it through the course executive. It costy me £14 to get in which is par for the course and I wuld happily have paid £20 on the basis that this wasn't another of those bladsted theme nights.
The 'cheap' stand at Bath houses a great value cafe on the first floor and padded seats to view from on the second floor.
Parentage and its certainty.
My first trip here in the 1980s had a more varied card and the three year old mile handicap that day went to the Frankie Durr trained Kellathi who beat off Paul Cole’s Mouslat ridden by the master lightweight jockey Richard Fox. The interesting aspect of the winner was being by the great Seattle Slew. I wonder if they had a Bath handicap in mind when the owner of Desert Law put her to the American Triple Crown winner? This meeting threw up quite a few who would go on to do well over hurdles. The first was an apprentice stakes which was the first leg for Guy Harwood. Bahoor was drawn ten of sixteen in this ten furlong race. The other legs were the mile and half three year old handicap won by the top weight Statesmanship and Gamblers Cup who won the second division of the two year stakes over a mile. Both of these were ridden by Greville Starkey. Gamblers Cup went on to be a useful juvenile hurdler although his main claim to fame was to provide John Francombe with his final winner when he picked up a hurdle at Huntingdon. Unfortunately that was his final victory as Gamblers Cup was plagued with lameness in the following season.
The first division of the two year old stakes went to the exposed Adiyamann who beat the filly Worthwhile and Harewood’s Spitalfields who was running under a penalty for an earlier victory. .None of the seven debutantes in the two year old divisions made the frame so some previous experience of racing may be useful at Bath.
There was an interesting two mile one furlong handicap with a good battle between the top weights Bajan Sunshine getting the better of Kings College Boy. They would both meet again in that year’s cesarawitch and go on to do well over hurdles. Others in the field to take to hurdling were the third home Kate Kimberley, Royal Insight and Almighty Zeus. Harewood’s horse in this one Flying Oats must have been from some South London sink estate as the father was listed as either Empery or Delta Flag clearly some girl our Kelly Kairn! Although you would think that a stud farm would be clearer on parenthood, who gets the fee and I am sure the owners of Kelly would rather have found a legitimate reason to avoid paying a derby winner’s cover fee. I wonder if they use DNA nowadays to sort out this type of confusion.
Racing
The opening nursery P5 was won by hold up horse Fanrouge bought with a decently timed run by Dane O’Neill. Has now won twice here over the minimum trip so should be respected if returning here. Half length behind was Gin Twist who took it up at the furlong pole but could not hold late burst from winner. Probably stick to nurseries but on 62 is probably held for the present as quite exposed. Balm showed plenty of early pace and it may well be that she needs an easier track and maybe a shot at a seller should be on the list as on 63 and five runs could be held by the assessor. Big disappointment was the favourite who missed the kick and was never competitive plodding home. Needs to sort out her trapping that’s for sure if winning again.
Fanrouge heading back to the transporter after winning the opener
Next up was an A5 won in a driving finish by Triple Dream who has shown ability on a range of going and has a tendency to hang into horses coming home. Just got up today and looks a tricky ride. Second home was the well fancied (by me in the main I suspect) she led from the gun really but was just reeled in despite battling well. Goes well for Guillambert and needs firm ground and the minimum trip although has won at galloping tracks including here at Bath but seems particularly at home at Nottingham. Musical Bridge ran well to be a reasonably close third under a penalty although may just prefer going right handed. However the hot 5/4 favourite Whitecrest was well and truly hammered and despite having every chance finished last with no excuse.
Baby Queen and Triple Dream battling it out a furlong out
We then had an A4 where the finish was a bit messy with horses hanging in and cutting up others with the first three finishing in a bit of a heap. Ebraam won it on the line nicking the lead from Comptonspirit who had just headed long time leader and 15/8 favourite Wooden King. Not much to say about this race really.
Three locked together in a rousing fight up the final furlong
The big race of the day was an S3 over lust shy of 6 furlongs. This
was an absolute blanket finish which the graded would be proud of and probably means they are all fairly handicapped at the moment. The first five had less than a length between them. One thing to note was that Collect Art who was the 5/2 favourite was only a length and a half off the winning group when finishing sixth. He had led up to the furlong pole and is ten pounds off his last winning mark of 75. Is very consistent and thus unlikely to come down fast any time soon. The winner Drawnfromthepast was well ridden by Sophie Doyle who also did well in an earlier race. She looks a very decent female jockey. Long time leader and thrid home was Yuratini. This flashed me back to the first greyhound I owned that won open races back in the 1980s. His broodbitch line led straight basck to one of the very best Yuratini who was responsible for many including greats such as Yanka Boy.
Sophie Doyle (Pink) is just producing a rare run out of Drwanfromthepast
Sophie Doyle returns to wiegh in after winning the big race of the night in good driving style
Easiest winner of the night was first time outer Waseem Faris who won the P5 over the stayers distance of six furlongs tonight. Absolutely thrashed them. But then the them in mind are decidedly awful. Has previously proven troublesome to get in the cages but looked to have improved in that department. He is closely related to one of tonight’s runners up Baby Queen as well as some flash group sprinters. Difficult to assess as beat nothing and as winning distance so far I think he will be priced too short to make sense and on that basis I make him a negative.
Easy winner but is likley to be over-rated so is a surprising negative
We then had a fillies maiden over the sixish. This was won in good style by Sarangoo who has a very good record around here. Really powered clear and if returning to CD and if mark not too much higher than the current 60 I think she can pick up a handicap. The 5/4 favourite Cheherazad again looked a seven furlong filly and a shift back to that distance on the basis of this decent run should see some return.
The quitely fancied but ultimately thrashed Hollies does to post proably faster than the return leg
We closed off in very mediocre style with an S6 but one the grader will no doubt feel satisfied with. The distances of nk, 1.5l, .75l, 1l, hd, 1.75 but with the winner off 48 the quality just shines through. A review of the winner My Meteor shows that he entered the handicapping malarkey off 59 and after a series of pretty well woeful efforts was dropped to 48. Then followed a good second at bath in an A6, stepped up in trip here by under a furlong to S6 and in he came.
On an uninspiring night there was only one positive and one negative. Although in truth I doubt many winners will be thrown up by tonight’s entertainment
Horses noted
Waseem Faris (N) up £30
4 3 0
Finished last in all these runs and as a simple lay binned now
Sarangoo (P) down £20
4 3
Up 8lbs and really too much to should so binned