CHELTENHAM 2026

[stedz]

Its funny how people can have differing criteria for what is cruel and what is not. For example John McCririck was a Hare Coursing fanatic who rarely missed a meeting back in the day despite not being able to drive. He actually started out in journalism as the Coursing correspondent on the sporting life. yet he despised the use of the whip in Horse Racing , and was in total support of a ban. He said it was Barbaric.

 

[eeyore]

what about Fishing Mark? because the Antis would have that banned as well. Where will it end?

nowadays everything wierd such as children rather watch kids play with toys then play themself also they rewriting certain films not to offend and then if they kids watch something on telly there warning and if effected have to ring so and so but they quite happy for them to play video games cutting people body parts and heads off torture people nothing said must be my age

 

[gerry]

There is a debate to say CH got to good that all it done was dismissed the hurdles as nothing so decided to just not jump them there easy to flip over, remember desert orchid flying at hurdles at 100 mile a hour and falling , so some horses are so gifted they just dont see the problem ,
Maybe a lot of things but he wasn't just a hurdler he was the champion hurdler that made him the best at it so talking about damage to sport surely pulling the best hurdler out of it because scared has actually damaged the sport even more and keeping saying they done the right thing is just advertising that point.

 

[eeyore]

Probably , but when you are young and going there it seemed not to be so dominant , it was a good thing to be part of , it wasn’t so Irish dominant , it was only three day days, I don’t remember the whole of NH racing being shaped around it , probably was at the time but perceptions change with age, I wouldn’t cross the road to go now , zero interest in going - will watch it it’s a great spectacle but I wonder if it doesn’t actually damage racing I would spread the money around to benefit smaller meetings

its all about money and very expensive to go last year it was cheaper to go to punchestown festival

 

[eeyore]

There is a debate to say CH got to good that all it done was dismissed the hurdles as nothing so decided to just not jump them there easy to flip over, remember desert orchid flying at hurdles at 100 mile a hour and falling , so some horses are so gifted they just dont see the problem ,
Maybe a lot of things but he wasn't just a hurdler he was the champion hurdler that made him the best at it so talking about damage to sport surely pulling the best hurdler out of it because scared has actually damaged the sport even more and keeping saying they done the right thing is just advertising that point.

its all about the image nowadays

 

[stedz]

its all about money and very expensive to go last year it was cheaper to go to punchestown festival

It has become too commercialised for sure .Gangs of lads just standing around drinking ,half of them not even watching the Racing. Everything overpriced , food ,drink you name it, queues everywhere. I do wonder why I go. But I only go the one day so I can cope with that. Trials day was a nightmare this year as well ,it was a huge crowd.

 

[stedz]

The new years day meeting I meant.

 

[stedz]

While we are on the subject of the festival and Horse deaths etc. Can anyone name the horse that won the Triumph Hurdle by a record distance and the following year was fatally injured while running as one of the favs for the Champion Hurdle?

 

[markfinn]

While we are on the subject of the festival and Horse deaths etc. Can anyone name the horse that won the Triumph Hurdle by a record distance and the following year was fatally injured while running as one of the favs for the Champion Hurdle?

Our Conner ?

 

[markfinn]

what about Fishing Mark? because the Antis would have that banned as well. Where will it end?

Fishing and hunting to provide food absolutely all ok and these are things that really need to be publicly exposed as good - there is no point complaining and then going on to eat flesh and drink milk - breeding for shooting ? If the birds are eaten then , all though it’s a bit cloudy I cannot see an issue , There are clay substitutes for avid all year round shooters - the annual song bird massacre that occurs in some countries does not seem reasonable , bull fighting , donkey flaying , fishing for pleasure as you say is next on the ban everything list - I don’t do it so would not miss it but many would - is it harmful or cruel to the fish probably is , are they sentient beings ?

 

[stedz]

Good stuff Mark. I still think if I were a Hare though I would prefer my chances up against a pair of greyhounds once a year than a fella with a high powered sighted rifle . LOL. Yes Our Conner.

 

[Outlander]

Finally once we accept that if there's a danger of horses falling and being injured then we should stop them taking part we're finished as a sport imo,

not a good look for jumps racing when they have to admit it’s too dangerous for a previous champion to jump again.
Every time I put on the racing for an hour some horse dies, and it basically 4 runner races with any decent horses avoiding any prospect of meeting each other until the Cheltenham Festival , even then they invent new races so as Willie and Gordon don’t have to run too many against there own horses, there was a time I would crawl 200 miles to go to the Cheltenham Fesival , not sure I would open my curtains if they ran it on my front lawn now.
If they ran Constitutional Hill in the Champion Hurdle and if fell and died I think the end would be nigh for a sport in this country that has had it’s time.
With all that said seems less odds on shots to bore us to tears this year and I like Kargese in the Arkle.

 

[eeyore]

Good stuff Mark. I still think if I were a Hare though I would prefer my chances up against a pair of greyhounds once a year than a fella with a high powered sighted rifle . LOL. Yes Our Conner.

as i know the shooters surrounded the field then slow walk to the middle as the hares sit so tight in thier form that you can walk over them before they move not much chance to survive

 

[eeyore]

not a good look for jumps racing when they have to admit it’s too dangerous for a previous champion to jump again.
Every time I put on the racing for an hour some horse dies, and it basically 4 runner races with any decent horses avoiding any prospect of meeting each other until the Cheltenham Festival , even then they invent new races so as Willie and Gordon don’t have to run too many against there own horses, there was a time I would crawl 200 miles to go to the Cheltenham Fesival , not sure I would open my curtains if they ran it on my front lawn now.
If they ran Constitutional Hill in the Champion Hurdle and if fell and died I think the end would be nigh for a sport in this country that has had it’s time.
With all that said seems less odds on shots to bore us to tears this year and I like Kargese in the Arkle.ias i said before

as i said before a horse can died on the gallop so its always dangerous but its the horse in question

 

[Outlander]

as i said before a horse can died on the gallop so its always dangerous but its the horse in question

Yes they have turned this horse into a personality , at this point would probably have nearly as many followers on instagram as Beyoncé .
Something heppened to this horse after all the warnings it couldn’t jump to save it’s life the backlash for the sport would be like nothing before.
It’s still doesn’t put the sport in a good light it’s the admission that it’s not safe for this horse to jump, that some will see as justifying their views that it’s cruel and dangerous.

 

[eeyore]

Yes they have turned this horse into a personality , at this point would probably have nearly as many followers on instagram as Beyoncé .
Something heppened to this horse after all the warnings it couldn’t jump to save it’s life the backlash for the sport would be like nothing before.
It’s still doesn’t put the sport in a good light it’s the admission that it’s not safe for this horse to jump, that some will see as justifying their views that it’s cruel and dangerous.

most people think this about racing look at the national its be modify to just a welsh,scotland national they cannot do anymore to make it as safe as they can end of the day you either love your horse racing or not simple!

 

[tacker]

What odds would there have realistally been for CH getting killed ?............1000/1

What odds on any horse getting killed over chelts ? .................odds on ?

I ask this because we've always known racing is a dangerous sport including for people in that they can also get injured and worse, so it's about risk, we either say that on balance it is worth the risk or give into the kind of people who's main pleasure in life is to end the enjoyment others get from this sport or any other form of entertainment they take a dislike to.

They should have run CH and hope all went well with a good story to tell, if by any chance things went the other way then racing still needs to stand up and argue for the sport or those of us that enjoy it will lose out over time.

I say this as one who has headed case balls for decades yet never had the inclination to take up golf or fishing.

 

[eeyore]

my answer there no right or wrong answer anyway roll on and hope everybody get some winners and make so money

 

[eeyore]

Does William Hill know something we do not about Constitution Hill as they giving 8/11 for him to win a grade 1,2,3 on the flat
and 1/5 for him to not run in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington and 7/2 to run in it also 8/1 to win a grade 1 on the flat

'I've already reached out to Nicky' - international recruiter keen to facilitate Constitution Hill's Melbourne Cup adventure
Michael Buckley says he has Melbourne on his mind for Constitution Hill – and Melbourne says it would love to have him.

Racing Victoria’s (RV) chief international recruiter has responded to Buckley floating his Melbourne Cup idea by saying the gelding’s participation in the race that stops a nation would be “one of the biggest racing stories in our lifetime”.

Much water has to flow under the bridge, but following Constitution Hill’s nine-and-a-half length romp in his Flat debut at Southwell on Friday, RV’s head of racing and international recruitment Paul Bloodworth said he would work hard to facilitate his Cup mission.

i would not call that a 7/2 chance i would say its odds-on and i would not back him for the Ascot gold cup as he do not stay 2 and a 1/2
and he is a big horse and o firm ground no way

 

[rbtblb82]

Finally, thanks BetMGM, it was daft still calling it the Coral Cup but I couldn't just call it the Cup Handicap Hurdle, so we can now call it the BetMGM Cup.