The Grand National | Vital Football

The Grand National

DeanoVilla

One Bloody Number
Come on then where's your money going?

I've got the bulk of mine on TeaforThree and Balthazzar King.

Also got a smaller one on Always Waining.

That'll do me nicely. Feeling highly confident as always. Ready for the big come down when they all fall at the 1st.
 
We are having a sweep in work.

I've picked a number for myself and 1 for Acorns.

Me - Soll
Acorns - Always Waining

I know nothing about horse racing but I always enter a sweepstake in work.
 
I've seen a few tip Imperial Commander but just can't see it.

Misses out on the 2 most important trends. Weight and Age. Too heavy, too old.

Could just about look past one of those (infact I have as Always Waining is also a 12 year old) but not both.

Having said that.... good luck Dennis. lol
 
Deano , for the class he is (beat Denman and Kauto Star to win the Gold Cup) he isn't carrying as much weight as he should be.

Also last years winner was 11 and carried 11 stone 6 pounds.
 
Got an odds on double today.

My Tent or Yours and Sprinter Sacre. Wont even double my money but just can't see it not happening.
 
They need to make some serious changes to horse racing, and this race inparticular. I understand a horse was killed yesterday having suffered a heart attack, it didnt even fall it was just pushed beyond it's limits.

The animals were never meant to be ridden, in fear and smacked for our entertainment. In order to justify the sport then they have to do away with the whip for a start off, make courses shorter and less demanding and I'm sure many other things that people with more knowledge than me could advise upon.

I went to Cheltenham this year so its very contradictory, but I had a sour taste in my mouth leaving the course after a horse died in the final race. At the time I vowed never to return.

If jockeys were killed at the same rate as race horses there would never be a question as to the sport being outlawed.
 
They make changes every year Jim to try to make it safer for the horses.

In terms of casualties there were more at Cheltenham last year than the Aintree Grand National meeting.

So it annoys me when people pick on this race.

That heart attack yesterday..... do you think football should also be looked at as some footballers such as Fabrice Muamba are pushed beyond their limits?
 
James the death rate in horse racing is 0.2 % and there are deaths in every other sport but not the outcry there is once a year about the National.

Racehorses get the very best care and attention and are looked after much better than ordinary horses.

Plus they wouldn't race if they didn't want to and you see many that are pulled up as they are not enjoying it.
 
Havent watched or bet on it for about 15 yrs due to the cruelty.

I used to love it, one of the best days when I was a kid, getting the Mirror, going through the pull out, reading about the horses, picking my three, going the bookies with my dad, and then watching it

(if I wasn't at the Villa of course)

However, it was the one they ran midweek in the late 90's. My horse was winning, there was the usual pile up, I think 7 died at one fence - that was it for me, didn't even pick my winnings up.

To me, its not the fences, it is the amount of horses going over them at once.

Personally I think it should be started like a long distance athletics race, 40 runners, broke into 4 seperated parts of the track until about fence 8

That would thin them out, and if a horse does fall, the risk of others being involved is minimised.

Until then, I'll be giving it a miss, which is a shame, as I would love to do the same with my kids as I did.

(EDIT) I also totally agree with James - why a whip ? , there is no justifyable reason for it, none what-so-ever !. If they ban it, its fair for everyone isn't it.

 
With regards the footballers, it's a genetic condition that Muamba had and that killed Marc-Vivien Foe and others. I'm sure that tests and medicals are carried out regularly to try and prevent this, and I'm sure there was a campaign to get everyone doing the tests following Muambas 'near miss.'

The national highlights a problem in the sport because it's the main event. Just like if a high profile boxer suffers serious injury or death it highlights the issue across the sport.

There is no argument for use of the whip. It is aimed at fooling/scaring the horse into running faster. If the horses do enjoy it, then banning the whip with immediate effect should be no issue.
They need to take the death toll due to falls down to zero IMO.
 
Also , and if anyone can argue this point, then please do.

I wouldn't mind betting that there are horses priced at more than 500-1 tomorrow, maybe even more. Can I ask why the hell if a horse is that price why it is racing in the most gruelling race in the world.

You don't get Fat Baz from Smethwick racing in the Olympic Marathon do you !

If it is really the "pinnacle of horse-racing" then it should be for the cream of the crop - not 500-1 donkeys who have more chance of dying than winning.
 
150-1 the highest price horse , Holtelower and all horses are running to their correct ratings tomorrow .
 
150-1 then (which will probably drift to 200-1)

So lets put that into football perspective, it is like entering Moor Green into the Champions League, only the difference is the chances of the Moor Green players being killed is probably less than 50/50,

Absolutely, no defence to it. I also agree Cheltenham is too dangerous, but at least Cheltenham race the premier horses that stand a chance of handling it.

As I said, I understand the glamour and suspense of it all, but please don't try and convince me it is not cruel - because it plainly obviously is.
 
Mon Mome was 100-1 when he won the national so the price isn't a reflection of their chances , just economics as the bookies will push out a price in order to get people to back it.

Presumably all contact sports should be banned then if you are talking about danger.
 
Cruel, abusive, blood doping, steroids, gh, pure caffeine injections, severe abuse during training, if you are talking about "how well" they are treated you are talking from a position of ignorance, I know four local trainers very well, one of them was engaged to my brother, and we've been riding together a few times and another one just over the water in Ireland, in my line of work I get asked for all sorts of "performance chems" and some of the stuff they get up to you wouldn't believe, but just like the suffering of the animals you shove in your mouths, if you don't see the abuse and the cruelty it's okay isn't it?

So enjoy betting on your blood sport, but don't try and validate it as anything other than another species getting abused for your entertainment.



 
sirdennis - 5/4/2013 15:20

Presumably all contact sports should be banned then if you are talking about danger.



Utter bollocks! Did the horse go and sign up to race? Was it given a choice?

IF you CHOOSE to participate in a contact sport that is your CHOICE, IF you CHOOSE to endanger your life that is up to you.

Getting born into a regime where you are whipped, cropped, and bullied into running is not a personal choice, or do you think only humans deserve choice?