JC / Railbird

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

An International Triple Crown

Greg Wood commenting on his column re: the Arc or America dilemma:

For as long as Champions Day sits between Paris and America, it will force owners to send a horse to two out of three, and the benefit of extra time to recover means that will, in many cases, be the events on either side of Ascot.

It’s just stupid that they should need to choose at all. Put Champions Day in the right place and you have the makings of a modern Triple Crown, on offer to a horse that can win at Ascot, Longchamp and then in America. What an achievement that would be.

Indeed! It’s hard not to like a proposed schedule that makes the Breeders’ Cup the culmination of a top-tier international season, but there’s a disjunction between audiences that weakens the likelihood of such a set-up, even if the BHA succeeded in finessing the scheduling issues involved — the BC dirt races don’t stir Euro passion, and the turf races are secondary to Americans. On this side of the Atlantic, whether Champions Day is in September or October is all the same to many fans. On the other side, the question is why bother?

Posted in Racing on August 28, 2012 / Tagged Breeders' Cup, Champions Day, International, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, UK

It’s the Same All Over*

Greg Wood on Sir Michael Stoute’s post-Arc reticence:

It was a reminder that for all the good intentions at Racing For Change, the attitude that the punters do not really matter will always have the upper hand until the Stoute generation makes way for younger, less-blinkered trainers.

My only quibble is that it’s about mindset, not age.

*Borrowed from Equidaily.

Posted in Racing on October 6, 2010 / Tagged Media, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Sir Michael Stoute, The Uncommunicative, Trainers, Why Won't You Talk?