Message is simple, give them what they want and ...
Sunday proved one more time that to get punters to support Cork Racecourse you simply have to feed them a diet of National Hunt racing.
Of course, Beef Or Salmon was top of the menu, but this was a strong card overall and the executive had their reward with an attendance of about 6,000.
It was a bit like when Cork opened first, decent racing, excellent atmosphere and a trifle difficult gaining entrance to the betting ring. It’s a while since that happened there, difficulty getting into the ring I mean.
Flat racing has always been this scribbler’s game and watching a re-run of Falbrav in Hong Kong made one more excited than anything witnessed at Cork.
But you have got to meet the demands of your public. If a greengrocer buys a pub and tries to sell carrots out over the counter he’ll soon go to the wall.
Kilbeggan in the summer is a case in point. The racing is always National Hunt, is usually of the awful variety, and, yet, the track is consistently packed to the rafters.
And the betting at Cork wasn’t too bad either, considering the absence of a couple of big-hitters, who surely went to Navan instead.
The two worst races were the impossible-to-solve handicap hurdle and handicap chase, won by 20-1 shot Paddy Fitz and 8-1 chance Doc Davis respectively.
Only 30,000 plus was bet on the hurdle, while Doc Davis’ race attracted just 36,000. Beef Or Salmon’s contest saw 63,000 wagered, but the real betting races were the novice chase, won by Mossy Green, and Euro Leader’s maiden hurdle. It was 82,000 on the chase, with the maiden hurdle the biggest betting contest of the afternoon, 89,000.
PRIOR to Cheltenham last March, I interviewed Ruby Walsh for this paper.
One of the questions I posed was whether he found all the criss-crossing of the Irish Sea very tiring His reply was simple: “I like to ride every day.” He’s lucky, being hugely in demand on both sides of the pond. He’s ridden every day this week and good luck to him.
But he’s an absolute exception. While Walsh is doing what God put him on this planet to do the rest of his Irish colleagues are, basically, sitting on their hands. It’s ridiculous. This week the jockeys had four days off, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
That is by no means the exception, it is almost the norm through the winter. For instance, Navan and Gowran Park were on Sunday, November 23 and following that there was no racing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.
Fairyhouse took place on Sunday, November 30 and then the jocks were told: “Have four days off again this week boys.”
And the exact same set of circumstances will repeat themselves on two occasion in January and February. The country is awash with horses and can support a fair bit more racing in the winter. Why do the jockeys, their careers are short enough anyway, trainers and owners put up with it?
DON’T know about you, but here’s someone who greatly underestimated Newmill, winner of the the valuable Barry and Sandra Kelly Novice Hurdle at Navan on Sunday.
When he won the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, I felt Garret Cotter’s front- running tactics stole the contest. Fairyhouse is an easy two miles and Newmill seemed to have had just about enough by the time the line was reached. I thought he might struggle to get two and a half over the far stiffer Navan track. But a change of tactics on this occasion, held up by Barry Geraghty, saw him produce a fine performance to give Kildare 7lbs and unflattering eight lengths whacking. Won’t underestimate him again.
