Grand Annual 2018

[robith]

That was the first time I've ever watched that race. What a thoroughly unpleasant spectacle

[luisgarciaisgod]

Don't think i've ever seen a horse have such bad luck in running as Top Gamble there.

[Kevloaf]

Shame North Hill Harvey fell.

Hope he is okay.

Looked to be WELL in contention still!

[Kevloaf]

That was the first time I've ever watched that race. What a thoroughly unpleasant spectacle

My wife got home just before that started... was horrible to watch! Carnage

[Garrison Savannah]

Don't think i've ever seen a horse have such bad luck in running as Top Gamble there.

Totally, he would have at least gone close if he hadn’t won, but for the interference.

[Robbante]

Tragic news about NHH and Dresden. You try not to let it put a downer on things but that’s a grim way to end

[Kevloaf]

Tragic news about NHH and Dresden. You try not to let it put a downer on things but that’s a grim way to end

5 deaths over the 4 days.

Can't be justified

[Middle_Of_March]

Puts a massive dampener on it for me.

There was drama last year but they all survived. Not this time. NHHs fall was grim to watch.

I think they ought to limit the maximum field. 24 runners for a 2m race is too many imo.

RIP NHH and Dresden.

[Rhinestone_Cowboy]

5 deaths over the 4 days.

Can't be justified

Totally agree Kev, they really need to take much more serious measures to minimise the risks as much as possible, the status quo just isn't acceptable

[robith]

5 deaths over the 4 days.

Can't be justified

Completely agree. Watching that race in particular made my stomach churn, and annoying how Cheltenham seems to get away with it. If that happened at Aintree people would be trying to tear the place down

[Middle_Of_March]

And now it’s emerged Some Plan also died


So that’s three that died in today’s concluding race

[Kevloaf]

Totally agree Kev, they really need to take much more serious measures to minimise the risks as much as possible, the status quo just isn't acceptable

I personally haven't got a solution that I can think of though.

It is also quite hypocritcal to sit and say "this shouldn't happen" but then go about my business day to day, punting on horses, watching it for entertainment.

It isn't really something you can have "both ways".... I feel like I (and racing fans) turn a blind eye to it, until challenged, where we say "yes, this is wrong" but then nothing happens.

The 'go-to' is that horses do have fatal injuries anywhere, however the fact is that if NHH, Dresden and Some Plan hadn't been racing today, they'd all very much be still with us.

but how 'sad' or 'responsible' are we as punters?

[ryanh97]

I do agree with what you've said Kev and personally take a lot of criticism from my social circle for the game I love.

However I can say that news of NHH, Dresden, Some Plan and any other horse losing their life honestly gives me a deep level of upset. People say to me that I only care because they can't win me any more money and that couldn't be further from the truth. While yes a horse winning me money binds me to that horse, it is more than that, so much more. The character of each animal can make you grow such an attachment - Might Bite's quirkiness, Many Clouds' tenacity to "run through a wall for you" aswell as many others.

Yes, the fact is that those 3 horses would still be with us if they hadn't raced today, however if it wasn't for racing they wouldn't have been bred in the first place. While that doesn't mean we can turn a blind eye and not care what happens, we have to remember that these horses recieve care of the upmost quality, often better care than many humans recieve.

'Outsiders' of the game and industry percieve us as careless gamblers who couldn't care what happens but you follow the game and see the emotion of connections when they get bad news and that shows you what you need to know. At trials day when the news was announced that Many Clouds had suffered a fatal injury, I witnessed grown men reduced to tears because of losing what they saw as part of their life. We grow an attachment to these animals that people never realise or comprehend.

[TimRiggins]

I do agree with what you've said Kev and personally take a lot of criticism from my social circle for the game I love.

However I can say that news of NHH, Dresden, Some Plan and any other horse losing their life honestly gives me a deep level of upset. People say to me that I only care because they can't win me any more money and that couldn't be further from the truth. While yes a horse winning me money binds me to that horse, it is more than that, so much more. The character of each animal can make you grow such an attachment - Might Bite's quirkiness, Many Clouds' tenacity to "run through a wall for you" aswell as many others.

Yes, the fact is that those 3 horses would still be with us if they hadn't raced today, however if it wasn't for racing they wouldn't have been bred in the first place. While that doesn't mean we can turn a blind eye and not care what happens, we have to remember that these horses recieve care of the upmost quality, often better care than many humans recieve.

'Outsiders' of the game and industry percieve us as careless gamblers who couldn't care what happens but you follow the game and see the emotion of connections when they get bad news and that shows you what you need to know. At trials day when the news was announced that Many Clouds had suffered a fatal injury, I witnessed grown men reduced to tears because of losing what they saw as part of their life. We grow an attachment to these animals that people never realise or comprehend.

Great post, Ryan.

Can put me in the 'Broke down in tears when Many Clouds died' group, as I really, really loved that horse.

Very sad today, but other than putting much stricter regulations in place, I've no idea how things like this can be prevented.

[ComplyOrDie]

I do agree with what you've said Kev and personally take a lot of criticism from my social circle for the game I love.

However I can say that news of NHH, Dresden, Some Plan and any other horse losing their life honestly gives me a deep level of upset. People say to me that I only care because they can't win me any more money and that couldn't be further from the truth. While yes a horse winning me money binds me to that horse, it is more than that, so much more. The character of each animal can make you grow such an attachment - Might Bite's quirkiness, Many Clouds' tenacity to "run through a wall for you" aswell as many others.

Yes, the fact is that those 3 horses would still be with us if they hadn't raced today, however if it wasn't for racing they wouldn't have been bred in the first place. While that doesn't mean we can turn a blind eye and not care what happens, we have to remember that these horses recieve care of the upmost quality, often better care than many humans recieve.

'Outsiders' of the game and industry percieve us as careless gamblers who couldn't care what happens but you follow the game and see the emotion of connections when they get bad news and that shows you what you need to know. At trials day when the news was announced that Many Clouds had suffered a fatal injury, I witnessed grown men reduced to tears because of losing what they saw as part of their life. We grow an attachment to these animals that people never realise or comprehend.

I'd have to agree with this and I have only just come on this morning and read about the 3 we lost in that final race, which has put a massive downer on it all for me now.

The problem I guess is that I honestly don't think that it is a high percentage of gamblers/punters that care too much for the horses. There seems to be a good bunch on here that do, which is great but we are an extremely small percentage of punters around the country, so outsiders looking in will always view it based on what they see/hear and most likely with see/hear the larger percentage not caring one bit for the animals.

I am so gutted we lost some of these beautiful animals over the course of the festival, but at the same point, like Kev stated too, I have no real answer to the problem, they are bred to race otherwise they are not born in the first instance.