Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 28

Thread: Rain forecast and he's still watering

  1. #1
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,660
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,483 Times in 2,743 Posts

    Rain forecast and he's still watering

    At Cheltenham on Friday the forecast going is good (going stick 7.4) yet that clown Claisse is still watering despite all the rain being forecast.

    Only a couple of weeks back we had, according to the BBC weather bulletin, in one day "more rain than the entire contents of Loch Ness" (and Loch Ness as any primary school kid can tell you is the most voluminous lake in the country, holding more water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined) so we' haven't really had a dry spell.

    Credit is obviously due to the management of the track over the years that it can still prodice good ground so soon after the deluge but watering again when heavy rain is forecast, to me, borders on reckless.

    I do feel sorry for connections of horses that prefer fast ground. They never seem to get a proper shot at decent money with clerks of the course hell bent on softening it.

    Rant over. Time to calm down and think positive thoughts...
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    719
    Thanks
    35
    Thanked 115 Times in 97 Posts
    The other side of the coin is Chepstow didn't water because heavy rain was forecast and of course it didn't materialise. Ground was good/firm and half the field withdrawn.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13,884
    Thanks
    2,576
    Thanked 4,128 Times in 2,052 Posts
    We haven't had much of the rain that was forecasted in the last three weeks, our near neighbours Ludlow, Hereford, Chepstow have also been the same.The course is in fantastic condition with a good grass covering. Raining now but not heavy. Tomorrow is forecast as mostly dry.

    Picture taken October 15th by Ben, Head Groundsman.

    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Diamond Geezer; 21st October 2020 at 11:27 AM.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to Diamond Geezer For This Useful Post:

    wilsonl (21st October 2020)

  5. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Surrey
    Posts
    3,722
    Thanks
    414
    Thanked 790 Times in 572 Posts
    It's amazing how much excitement a photo of turf can generate
    Alcohol, because no good story ever started with "I was eating this salad..."

  6. #5
    Senior Member an capall's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Dalkey
    Posts
    5,496
    Thanks
    422
    Thanked 840 Times in 477 Posts
    Blog Entries
    1
    Exactly. Looking at those photos reminded me how I felt when I got a sneaky peep at a Playboy magazine photo when I was 14.
    Last edited by an capall; 21st October 2020 at 12:11 PM.
    "And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.

    And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."

  7. #6
    Senior Member trudij's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Hurry up and move!!
    Posts
    5,579
    Thanks
    1,038
    Thanked 763 Times in 407 Posts

    Rain forecast and he's still watering

    Quote Originally Posted by Desert Orchid View Post
    At Cheltenham on Friday the forecast going is good (going stick 7.4) yet that clown Claisse is still watering despite all the rain being forecast.

    Only a couple of weeks back we had, according to the BBC weather bulletin, in one day "more rain than the entire contents of Loch Ness" (and Loch Ness as any primary school kid can tell you is the most voluminous lake in the country, holding more water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined) so we' haven't really had a dry spell.

    Credit is obviously due to the management of the track over the years that it can still prodice good ground so soon after the deluge but watering again when heavy rain is forecast, to me, borders on reckless.

    I do feel sorry for connections of horses that prefer fast ground. They never seem to get a proper shot at decent money with clerks of the course hell bent on softening it.

    Rant over. Time to calm down and think positive thoughts...
    I’m astonished you’re surprised by this. I won’t comment my thoughts about cheltenham’s watering habits


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by trudij; 21st October 2020 at 12:31 PM.
    #YourStorm
    Mr Brightside

    All posts are based on the following:
    I know what I'm talking about/ I'm having a stab in the dark
    I'm bored/ You're an idiot and I'm poking you with sticks

  8. #7
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,660
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,483 Times in 2,743 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by trudij View Post
    I’m astonished you’re surprised by this. I won’t comment my thoughts about cheltenham’s watering habits
    I just thought that with all the rain there's been even he wouldn't water.

    I'm all for watering to promote grass growth but the summer would have sorted that anyway and this weekend the ground should have been as close to virgin as Mary.

    As for the non-runners when faster ground prevailed elsewhere, I don't have a problem with that. Those non-runners will get their chances in due course. Good ground horses deserve to have their conditions now and again even if it means smaller fields. Looking back at the Ascot results on Saturday, half of the fields could have been withdrawn because of the ground without affecting the results as they were unable to show anywhere near their true ability. Maybe if more connections had insisted on withdrawing their horses, or even threatened to do so in the week leading up to the meeting, they would have considered using the jumps track on which the ground was reportedly nowhere near as bad.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  9. The Following User Says Thank You to Desert Orchid For This Useful Post:

    Eleanora Duse (25th October 2020)

  10. #8
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,660
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,483 Times in 2,743 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by an capall View Post
    Exactly. Looking at those photos reminded me how I felt when I got a sneaky peep at a Playboy magazine photo when I was 14.
    What is Playboy magazine?
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  11. #9
    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13,884
    Thanks
    2,576
    Thanked 4,128 Times in 2,052 Posts
    There's a virtual preview of the meeting tomorrow night, Simon Claisse is on the panel. Why don't you ask him why he's been watering ?

    https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/chel...eview-evening/

    Current going

    https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/chel...ers/the-going/
    Last edited by Diamond Geezer; 21st October 2020 at 1:13 PM.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

  12. #10
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,660
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,483 Times in 2,743 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Diamond Geezer View Post
    There's a virtual preview of the meeting tomorrow night, Simon Claisse is on the panel. Why don't you ask him why he's been watering ?
    I would only end up more frustrated as I wouldn't trust him to give an honest answer. More chance of an honest answer from Bojo the Bozo.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  13. #11
    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13,884
    Thanks
    2,576
    Thanked 4,128 Times in 2,052 Posts
    Picture taken late afternoon today

    Attached Images Attached Images
    "The owls are not what they seem"

  14. #12
    Senior Member an capall's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Dalkey
    Posts
    5,496
    Thanks
    422
    Thanked 840 Times in 477 Posts
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Desert Orchid View Post
    What is Playboy magazine?
    A monthly publication with really well written articles on politics, culture and civic society.
    "And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.

    And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."

  15. #13
    Senior Member trudij's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Hurry up and move!!
    Posts
    5,579
    Thanks
    1,038
    Thanked 763 Times in 407 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by an capall View Post
    A monthly publication with really well written articles on politics, culture and civic society.
    It also contains high quality art


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    #YourStorm
    Mr Brightside

    All posts are based on the following:
    I know what I'm talking about/ I'm having a stab in the dark
    I'm bored/ You're an idiot and I'm poking you with sticks

  16. #14
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,660
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,483 Times in 2,743 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by an capall View Post
    A monthly publication with really well written articles on politics, culture and civic society.
    Ahh, that explains why it would pique your interest so firmly.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  17. #15
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,660
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,483 Times in 2,743 Posts
    The ground is now good, good to soft in places after today's rain.

    I'll say it again. Claisse is a clown.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  18. #16
    Senior Member Maxbet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    2,053
    Thanks
    392
    Thanked 355 Times in 269 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Desert Orchid View Post
    The ground is now good, good to soft in places after today's rain.

    I'll say it again. Claisse is a clown.
    Would have been G/F had he not watered DO...The Devil you DO...The Devil you DO...n't

  19. #17
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,660
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,483 Times in 2,743 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Maxbet View Post
    Would have been G/F had he not watered DO...The Devil you DO...The Devil you DO...n't
    We don't know that certain, though, Maxbet. The rain might have produced perfect good ground.

    And why should horses who act best on fast ground be denied opportunities to run at top tracks and pick up some reasonable prize money? The likes of Brain Power ends up being sent to America to get his ground because he's denied opportunities here by over-zealous clerks hell-bent on pandering to the majority who want softer ground.

    We get soft ground pretty much from early November through to the end of March when the big money is being contested. The vast majority of horses are catered for then with no shortage of opportunities.

    I don't care if fast ground means smaller fields, to be honest. Sometimes very heavy ground results in small fields too. That's probably as it should be as so few horses genuinely act in extremes.

    I just want to see fast ground horses get a fair shot at some prize money for their owners.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  20. The Following User Says Thank You to Desert Orchid For This Useful Post:

    Eleanora Duse (25th October 2020)

  21. #18
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    719
    Thanks
    35
    Thanked 115 Times in 97 Posts
    One thing you haven't commented on is the risk to the horse. I lost a good horse at Haydock because they described the ground as Good when really it was G/Firm. Its nearly November and any owner that wants to run his horses on Good or better has had the past 4 months to do so. I personally think on this occasion Classie has done a super job and the course looks magnificent.

  22. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to frontrunner For This Useful Post:

    archie (22nd October 2020), Beef or Salmon (22nd October 2020), Diamond Geezer (22nd October 2020), Grasshopper (22nd October 2020), tiggers1972 (22nd October 2020), viking (22nd October 2020)

  23. #19
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    23,660
    Thanks
    2,930
    Thanked 3,483 Times in 2,743 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by frontrunner View Post
    One thing you haven't commented on is the risk to the horse. I lost a good horse at Haydock because they described the ground as Good when really it was G/Firm.
    Surely there has to be an element of responsibility on the trainer and/or his representative(s) to check the condition of the track before sending a horse out to race on it. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a horse but going reports are notoriously misleading at many tracks so surely trainers have to satisfy themselves that it's safe for any particular horse.

    Quote Originally Posted by frontrunner View Post
    Its nearly November and any owner that wants to run his horses on Good or better has had the past 4 months to do so.
    But not really in races of decent quality. They're very few and far between during the summer although I accept Perth tends to attract a decent level for decent money but nine out ten runners at Perth are incurring significant expense and logistics just to be there. If memory serves, even the good summer handicaps at Market Rasen this year were on good-to-soft.


    Quote Originally Posted by frontrunner View Post
    the course looks magnificent.
    Of course it looks magnificent. It hasn't been raced on since March. If it looked anything less than magnificent you'd really have to be concerned about his competence.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  24. #20
    Senior Member Grasshopper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    16,018
    Thanks
    1,467
    Thanked 1,553 Times in 1,112 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    Quote Originally Posted by Desert Orchid View Post
    The ground is now good, good to soft in places after today's rain.

    I'll say it again. Claisse is a clown.
    Over the years, I have been on the ISIS-wing of people slating Claisse’s mis-direction vis-a-vis the ground at Cheltenham, but I have to say in his defence, he’s been getting it more right than wrong this last 2-3 seasons......and it’s hard to go to town on any Clerk that produces G/G-S which is about bang where you’d want it at this time of the year.

    In this case, DO, I think you’re being unduly harsh, I have to say.
    "Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".

    SlimChance, March 2018

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •