The concept of the Cheltenham Festival preview night, when it was first dreamed-up, was innovative and exciting, an entertaining way for hoteliers and publicans to sell more beer and achieve free publicity for their business. Given the time of year it is held, it is surprising to me the concept has not been revamped to take in Royal Ascot preview nights, where the wives of punters can join in the fun by trying out possible Royal Ascot frocks and hats. Summer, frills, fascinators and Pims should, one would think, make for a good night out at a pub with a beer garden. Anyway, the preview season has got out of hand, if you count-up those I see advertised and those uploaded to YouTube. The adorable Vanessa Ryles even hosted a Cheltenham Preview night in Portugal, with A.P. McCoy and Charlie Swan the expert panellists. It is evidence the appeal of Cheltenham...

Who in racing, be it trainer, owner or jockey, will be brave enough to put their head above the parapet and say it as it is - the B.H.A. in its present form is unfit for purpose? It should be obvious to everyone who either earns their living from the sport or who is a hobbiest or enthusiast that the sport is being failed by a format that gives stakeholders more power than the organisation empowered to govern the sport. In today's Racing Post, Mr. Frewen suggests that a board of independent members, as desired by the late chair, Lord Allen, would never have worked in the sport's favour; if so, why did so many people support the proposal? To suggest, as Mr. Frewen believes, the present system better used is the way forward, seems to smack against sense when the present system has led to the mess we are now...

I have no doubt that if were not for both sickness at Seven Barrows and his trials and tribulations with his jumping Constitution Hill would have won three Champion Hurdles. The record books show, though, that he only won a single Champion Hurdle and being the best horse only to have one Champion Hurdle hardly does him justice. In the modern racing world of 'super-fresh campaigns', where the Cheltenham Festival is all that matters, in an era when trainers run scared of running their class horses in handicaps, it is almost impossible to compare the champions of the 1950's, 60's, 70's and 80's, with the champions of today. Persian War won three Champion Hurdls, 1968, 1969 and 1970, beating fields of 16, 17 and 14, opposition that featured previous champions, a future Gold Cup winner and a whole host of multiple big-race winners. Monksfield won Champion Hurdles in1978 and 1979, in...

As someone born and partially raised in Bristol, I should have known the following fact long before I acquired a copy of Michael Tanner's book 'The Champion Hurdle'. The first officially recorded hurdle race took place at Durdham Down, Bristol. The auspicious day, or inauspicious, if you are of my mindset on the issue, was April 2nd, 1821. The person who is to blame for putting the idea of jumping hurdles into the minds of the equestrian-minded was the Prince Regent who, along with his royal party of hangers-on amused themselves by jumping sheep hurdles on the Downs at Brighton. Yesterday, after my labours, which at my age take their toll, I watched racing from Southwell on Youtube. The racing provided several close finishes which, if I were a bettor, would have had me on the edge of the sofa. But what truly took my interest was the 'French-style' hurdles used...

Between the years 1973 and 2016 I could not imagine that any other race than the 1973 Grand National would be top of my all-time favourite races.  I had no money riding on either Red Rum or Crisp in 1973. I would have backed Spanish Steps as he was my favourite horse in training at the time, and perhaps remains my favourite racehorse of all time, though Denman and Frodon have on occasions usurped him. 38 horses faced the starter in 1973, of which 17 completed the course. 4 of those 17 broke the course record. For one it was the beginning of legendary status. It was, in my opinion, the greatest horse race of my lifetime and Crisp put up the greatest individual performance I ever witnessed. Does anyone believe that any horse could give Red Rum 23Ibs at Aintree and beat him? I would not have backed Arkle to...

The aspect of tipping horses for Cheltenham 10-days before the off is that the ground on the Tuesday might be heavy, soft, good-to-soft or even, given Cheltenham's top-of-the-range drainage system, good, with irrigation on Wednesday evening. I have given thought to the races on Tuesday's card and have decided to jinx the following. Some of my tips are fancies, while others are expectations. I fear both Mighty Park and Old Park Star in the Supreme and will be embarrassed if either of them win with their head in their chast. But I was very taken by Sober Glory at Newbury last time out. In atrocious ground, he made all, fending off  a likely rival with the nonchalance of an aristocrat plucking a blonde hair off the sleeve of his dinner jacket and sauntered to victory with the resemblance of a high-class hero. The race doubtless will prove extremely poor for a...

I suspect the official/unofficial start of the long wait for the National Hunt Festival to come around is sometime in October, though the longing begins the moment the last horse in the Martin Pipe crosses the finishing line. To me, though, the wait in earnest begins today, Greatwood Day at Newbury and the day I.T.V. visits f Kelso. Today is the week before the Imperial Cup, the last race of importance - it was once upon a time a more important and prestigious race than even the Champion Hurdle - before the great roar that is the cutting of the riband that launches the best race-meeting in the world. Perhaps it is right that today's racing is low key for a Saturday, with no race having any bearing on what will happen between the most important four-days on the calendar. Protektorat has a school round at Kelso (hopefully) where he will...

Is 'National Hunt Festival' still the official title? Or is it now simply the 'Cheltenham Festival? As with many people my age, I tend to find solace in the past. I also have poor observational skills, a memory that is increasingly becoming unfit for prpose and I am too easily dismissive of anything new. So I shall continue to title the magical 4-days as the National Hunt Festival, as I continue to refer to the Hunters Chase as the Foxhunters, even though I do not support the hunting of foxes. Contrarily, one of my best pieces, if I should be so bold, though no longer archived on the new site, was a defence of foxhunting, not for its hunting aspect but because it gives a new career to ex-racehorses and for the work it provides for countryside businesses, farriers, saddlers, etc. It is too easy for people to cry 'I don't...

Whether it is the right decision we will only come to know in the months ahead. I, for one, will not question the decision made on behalf of Constitution Hill by Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley. No matter how well the schooling has progressed at home, as Nicky said at the weekend 'he could undo all the good vibes achieved at Southwell in the matter of seconds if Constitution Hill had suffered another fall.' Whether any of us agree or disagree with the decision taken, I for one believe it is brave decision, especially with the Champion Hurdle there for the taking (as long as he did not fall, of course) and it is a decision we must respect. The positive aspect of retiring the horse from the jumping world is that his presence this turf season gives flat racing an added attraction as Constitution Hill is box office wherever he...

In today's Racing Post, William Frewen (owner) in the letters column sums-up with clarity all that is wrong with British horse racing's governance. Those who work for the B.H.A., the board members and those who sit in the loftiest chairs should read Mr. Frewen's comments and weep. What our sport deserves is someone at the top who cares as deeply about the sport as all of those who work at its cliff-face; the people who rise at dawn knowing their day will be spent under grey clouds, yet who will work with love of the horse in their hearts.   Lord Allen, the businessman with a reputation for winning battles in the boardroom, has conceded to those who objected to the B.H.A.'s commercialisation of Race Day Data (or whatever the hoo-ha is about).  How can he remain in his position now he knows that he cannot trust the stakeholders who he...

And yes, back in 1966 when 'The History of Steeplechasing was published to commemorate the centenary of the formation of the National Hunt Committee, Lord Oaksey, as he was better known, was still John Lawrence, amateur rider and the supreme writer of the day on the subject of horse racing. It is his concluding part of 'The History of Steeplechasing' that I purloin the following facts. It would seem that my concern about hurdles was prevalent back in the 1950's, and perhaps even before then as it takes time for a groundswell of concern to elicit debate and action. It is a topic I must research. (Yes, should have conducted research before writing this piece. Though you can be sure you have not read the last of me on this subject) From 1953 through to 1955 experiements were conducted at several (un-named) racecourses with what was described as a new 'French-style'...

John Francome, a man I deeply admire, does not believe experience of pony racing is the right equine education for budding jump jockeys. Francome's formative years was spent show jumping, rising to the top as a junior, as you would expect from someone regarded as one the best jockeys ever to sit on a horse. When he joined Fred Winter, horse racing was a foreign world to him and he could not name a jockey or a trainer other than Winter. He was also his own man, even as a teenager. One day, as Fred Winter and Richard Pitman waited on the schooling grounds for Francome to join them, Pitman, who knew Winter as a man who did not tolerate lateness or bad manners, yet seemingly turned a blind eye to the misdemanours and foolery of Francome, asked his boss why he put-up with Francome's singularity. He was told succintly 'because...

A decision will be made this week as to the future of Constitution Hill. In fact, a decision haalready s been made, though until the weekend it is to remain one of those either or commitments. If Constitution Hill runs in the Champion Hurdle, and that 'if' depends on a vital schooling session mid-week, it will be his last race as a jumper and going-on he will revert to flat racing, with a spring and autumn campaign already partially mapped-out. The good news for Musselburgh is that Constitution Hill will race next on the flat in April in the race that formerly honoured Further Flight that has been transferred to Musselburgh from Nottingham. Though I have preached the past few weeks that whatever Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley decides we, the sport as a whole, should fully support them and not make critical comments because they have not decided in favour...

If Constitution Hill was a four-year-old with jumping issues, yesterday's impressive win at Southwell would have provided the owner and trainer with the answer they were looking for. As a four-year-old gelding, there would two or three seasons ahead of him running and winning on the flat, after which they might look to returning to hurdling. Also, as a four-year-old, it would not be beyond possibility that he would improve as he matured. But Constitution Hill is a nine-year-old and though he won with grace and ease last night, how much could he build on a bloodless victory on the all-weather in a novice at Southwell? The big question, though, given he looked a speedy horse last night, is will he stay 2-miles on the flat? And how about the Ascot Gold Cup distance? Nicky Henderson, when running Constitution Hill on the flat was mooted when he had the hurdling division...

I was rifling through a drawer of my writing desk the other day and found the entries for the 2025 Aintree National and realised that this year I had not taken a copy of the entries from the Racing Post and neither had I payed any attention to the weights. I also believe I did not read the comments of the high and mighty who were in attendance at the announcements of the weights. I will be 72 in April and for far more years than I care to remember, perhaps going back to the days of when there was both the Sporting Life and Sporting Chronicle in existence, I have cut out of the paper the list of entries, removed the names of horses scatched from the race over the following weeks and months, kept abreast of the likely forty-running by underling the fortieth horse in red ink, that significant...

After 8 or so years 'winging it', I have finally taken the plunge and have employed a professional to re-design the site. It is nothing fancy, that is not my vibe, as someone young might say, and just because the site is now organised and a tiny bit sparkly does not mean anyone can expect better prose, greater insight or winners tipped on a regular basis. No, it will be the same old irregularity, same old topics and very little research as I have shovelled onto the page since day one. And the archive now only goes back to February 1st of this year. I must thank the expertise of Richard Hughes (no, not that Richard Hughes, champion flat jockey 3-times) but he of Gingerweb. Without his guiding hand and patience - believe me, when it comes to tech and all that jazz - it is to me like a foreign...

I was amused by a photograph on the front cover of the Racing Post today of Constitution Hill coming out of starting stalls at Lambourn. He is nearest the camera and the look on his face is implying  'what the f... is all this about!' Let's hope he finds out what it is all about on Friday, though he still needs one more horse to drop out to get the opportunity. Fingers crossed, as always nowadays when Constitution Hill is at the races.   In his colomn in the Racing Post today, Julian Muscat reports on the findings from a 'Future of Racing' event where five stands were dedicated to equine welfare. The young, who are, whether we oldies like it or not, the future of the sport, have equine fatalities as their main concern. If it were whips, betting odds or cost of attending a race-meeting, the sport could ease...

It would seem all my suggestions for achieving a run for Constitution Hill on the flat this Friday might be for nothing as Southwell has come-up with the work-a-round of using two extra stables. It had never occurred to me that a racecourse would not make available all of their quota of stabling on a day when they had over 200 horses declared at the five-day stage. Due to these extra two stables becoming available, Constitution Hill’s race can have 14-runners, leaving only two-horses to come out for the great horse to take his place in the line-up, with one of those, Secret Squirrel more of less already declared a non-runner as he ran last Saturday at Wincanton. So, hopefully, we can all shed a collective sigh of relief and everyone can wait in until after the most famous/infamous 12-furlong novice race ever to be run on the all-weather before going...

When a few weeks ago the Racing Post published my letter expressing surprise no clerk of the course of an all-weather track had considered putting-on a race – I suggested a 2-mile maiden – to help Nicky Henderson solve the problem that is Constitution Hill, I had no inkling that this small step would lead the Seven Barrows maestro having to solve yet another dilemma. My suggestion of a 2-mile maiden, I dare say, would not have been warmly received by Nicky Henderson, as it is believed Constitution Hill has too much speed for a marathon trip on the all-weather. Though even he might concede as things have turned-out that 2-miles would have at least allowed him a few less sleepless nights than the over-subscribed £40,000 novice at Southwell on Friday night. It is incredible how easily British racing can shoot itself in the foot. The race on Friday is only...

In today’s letters column of the Racing Post, Mr. Mayoh, a breeder of National Hunt horses, takes Peter Thomas, senior writer for the Post, to task over his stated opinion that championship races over jumps should not allow mares a 7Ib allowance as he believes races like the Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup and others should be about establishing the best horse, on the day, over a distance or type of obstacle. As with so many people when in want of making a point, Mr. Mayoh makes a comparison between horse racing and other sports, in this case athletics. In track and field men and women do not compete against each other for the obvious reason that at elite levels men are always going to be stronger and faster. But the comparison is flawed. A Percheron mare, for instance, is equally as strong as a Percheron gelding, with the two able to...