THIRTY-SIX FURLONGS OF GRAND NATIONAL

[ballymoss]

Personally, I think this is NOT a sport, but a cruel bit of ancient baggage that should be abolished, not unlike foxhunting. I am all for horses going a distance of ground (on turf), however, I draw the line at negotiating UNMOVABLE BARRIERS, and the resultant many spills and injuries to the HORSES. I care not one whit about the jockeys; they had a choice; the animals DID NOT. That was decided by some so-called 'sporting' humanoid.

Based upon topline pedigree, without knowing a lot of the bloodlines of the obscure jumper sires, here are my selections:

In no particular order, they would be

#5.........TAKE THE STAND......has Exceller, Vaguely Noble, and dam of
super racemare, DAHLIA

#24......POLAR RED..........by late Polar Falcon (grandsire of MEGAHERTZ) and a Sharpo mare

#32........SHAMAWAN.........KRIS[GB] x DARSHAAN...impeccable Euro ped

You can find complete entry list at excellent UK/Irish racing site:

WWW.ATTHERACES.COM

To see owners' colors, ped lines, click on ENTRIES at far right, not the featured articles in center (for tomorrow, if you are reading this on FRI in USA)

If you have broadband, you can also view many Euro races in their archive. They even handicap the USA races from a different perspective.
Great site. Four stars. ****

[wilf]

Thanks Ballymoss for your info on sites relevant to the Grand National. As far as your opinion of the race itself I cannot agree for several reasons although I understand where your attitude may well have evolved from. Your other posts give your mindset away as being one in favour of breeding the soundest horses possible for racing and thereby avoiding the all-too-common breakdowns which haunt everyone who has borne witness to these catastrophies. I agree entirely even though your posts often leave you open to disagreement by virtue of horses that have cheated the hangman and survived bad breeding practices..........The Grand National like every other race is a test, in fact it is the original test where English "Gentlemen" riding out on the heath or across the countryside manicured by hedgerows and ditches would challenge each other to a race across this land towards a church steeple in the distance,hence "steeplechase". The passage of time has developed this match into a commercial venture but still with the same premise , the same premise of every horse race"; I think my horse can outrun yours". No matter how far these races are the winners will be the fittest, soundest , most athletic member of the field.The horses in these races are well tuned for such events and as the law of averages will curse all horses from time to time stuff will happen to cause them damage just as it will to my horses resting in a paddock.I watched the National live once and it rained all day but the smell of the animals and the whiff of cigars in the air takes you back to a far off world of a million horses and thousands of characters that lived with them; toothless jockeys, red faced trainers and emotional owners I dare you to miss it. Please read the story of Red Rum one day if you can get hold of a copy , its a story that you could not invent. It will only take you a few hours to read for once begun you will not put it down. Oh by the way the hedges ARE movable they are brush that bends or just scatters to the ground on contact. Regards Wilf.

[WarHorse]

wilf, I like your style and sense of tradition.

However, I have to agree about the "unmovable barriers," though. I was at the Rolex a few years ago and a horse was killed instantly in the XC, having hung his stifles (both) up on a jump on a wet course. Senseless.

[Joe]

I love Red Rum, wilf. I'm probably the only person around here with a wonderful head print of him in my house. I'm always asked "Who the hell is that?".

Very odd that Ballymoss would slam the entire concept of the race and then give selections and directions how to watch and listen.

I'll probably be too tied up at the wedding. Not exactly, I'll be at Aqueduct. The big races aren't very appealing from a betting stnadpoint unless I see something tomorrow. However, the 3 maiden races on the NY card could make for a dicey Pick 6.

I went to the Grand National once an it was the year they called it a non-contest. They had the starter's tape around the jockey's throat, it was a mess. I always thought a starting gate was a terrible machine until that.

[LSB]

However, I have to agree about the "unmovable barriers," though. I was at the Rolex a few years ago and a horse was killed instantly in the XC, having hung his stifles (both) up on a jump on a wet course. Senseless.

Rolex is a Three Day Event and the Grand National is a steeplechase, two very different sports.

Eventers prefer their jumps to be solid and unmoveable. They think there are far fewer injuries when the horses respect the obstacles.

Much of the steeplechasing in this country is timber, which is more solid than the brush fences commonly used in Great Britain and meant for the horses to "brush" through.

[WarHorse]

I understand they are two different sports. An unmovable barrier is still an unmovable barrier.

[Camish]

I couldn't agree more with Ballymoss. They should change the name to the Ghastly Grand National!!

[wilf]

I dont think that the Ghastly corp is sponsoring sporting events overseas ,they just bankroll the one where grown men go around and around a small oval at high speed endlessly until its over. Enjoy.

[BenB]

For me as an individual, I like the grand national very much.
Allright it is testing. But racing at any level is testing. And always there are
casualties. But just realize that the speed is much lower in the national. and that the horses are able to breath easily when jumping.
What I dislike more is racing at a small tight dirttrack gooiing 4,5 furlong
as a bunch of idiots coming out of the gate up to the wire most horses beiing drugged.
At the end of a lifetime racing, this is costing much more horseflesh than steeplechasing.

Ben

[Joe]

I found this year's Grand National greatly entertaining. It was not ghastly in any way.

[reenci]

For me as an individual, I like the grand national very much.
Allright it is testing. But racing at any level is testing. And always there are
casualties. But just realize that the speed is much lower in the national. and that the horses are able to breath easily when jumping.
What I dislike more is racing at a small tight dirttrack gooiing 4,5 furlong
as a bunch of idiots coming out of the gate up to the wire most horses beiing drugged.
At the end of a lifetime racing, this is costing much more horseflesh than steeplechasing.

Ben

i couldn't agree more.....

[saintlyCZ]

Well, I don't know Aintree and I don't know your unmovable barriers (can anybody tell me what it is???) But... As I'm from country which has another great steeplechase in Velka Pardubicka... I can tell you only one thing: when you don't know the history and you haven't seen some runnings, you don't know anything about the race. After you see horses there, running, after you know careers of those horses and see how they are prepared for the race - for many years, after you see their injuries and - possibly - deaths, after you see everything - then you can say something. Velka Pardubicka is also very difficult, and I also saw some horses killed there. But still I can't agree with opinions - and there are many! - it should be abandoned, it should be made easier, it's cruelty to animals... Anybody who's saying that doesn't know what he's talking about!
And by the way - seeing so unbelievable amount of injuries on US racetracks... everything has two points of view and everything is relative.
Good night.