All Weather?!

While we may not have any runners on the track today, the pace in the yard keeps up unrelenting with all of the horses to be exercised and schooled.  Fortunately the recent cold snap seems to be behind us, although as you can see from the pictures from Saturday - with our state of the art gallops, the frost doesn't stop us from getting the horses out.

  
Above left: (l-r) Consigliere and Alderluck and right: (l-r) On Khee and Ashbrittle on the gallops

While we may not have any runners on the track today, the pace in the yard keeps up unrelenting with all of the horses to be exercised and schooled.  Fortunately the recent cold snap seems to be behind us, although as you can see from the pictures from Saturday - with our state of the art gallops, the frost doesn't stop us from getting the horses out.  I managed to get some shots of recent Wincanton winner Consigliere working upsides recent recruit Alderluck, while On Khee was working in company with Lingfield winner Ashbrittle.

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I thought that all-weather racing was introduced to help the industry out during the winter and times of extreme weather and act as a kind of "fill-in" when the turf cannot take place, so you could imagine my surprise when I saw that there was no all-weather action yesterday (yes, 17th January - a mid-winter's day).  There isn't another blank day on the all-weather front (barring Sunday's) until mid-March, so why nothing yesterday?!  I do wonder what the race planners are thinking sometimes...at least yesterday they were saved by Folkestone (despite three inspections) and Ayr going ahead on the turf.  I can't imagine that a replacement all-weather meeting would incur huge costs - just look at today's card at Lingfield, the seven races there are being run for just £21,000 total prizemoney.  Once again, I guess I must be missing something!

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There is an interesting article in today's Racing Post regarding the problems in racing and how the industry can improve going forward.  Most of the trainers agree that the low level of prizemoney is a key factor that needs addressing, while former BHA member Jim McGrath says that the new whip rules beggar belief and need renewing as they are grossly unfair.  It seems to me that any important people in the industry don't have a say.  Interestingly, the new BHA executive comes from Australia, where in some places jump racing has been banned.  Only here could we bring somebody in from the other side of the world where racing is in a great mess to sort out racing in this country!  To me it all appears easy - sort out the prizemoney and the whip rules and the rest will fall into place.

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What about our cricketers being bowled out for 192 against Pakistan?  It's lucky that Matt Prior scored 70, otherwise it would have been a really embarrassing total.  It never fails to amaze me how so many players can keep posting low scores and yet keep getting selected - it must be one of the only sports where you can keep failing, but get plenty more chances on the team.  It's a good job that the pitch is not taking spin otherwise we could be in a world of trouble.