The draw on Friday for next summer’s World Cup in South Africa saw England grouped with the USA, Algeria and Slovenia for the group stage. The resultant fixtures will prove kind to fans of both football and racing, like Yours Truly, as none of England’s first three games are scheduled to clash head on with June’s premier race meetings.
The opening match of the World Cup will be on Friday June 11, between the hosts South Africa and Mexico, and England play the United States the following day. But it’s an evening kick-off so will not clash with the main afternoon meetings at York and Sandown.
Also the team’s second game, on the Friday of Royal Ascot, has a 7.30pm evening kick-off. England’s only afternnoon game on Wednesday June 23 falls on a relatively low key day with meetings scheduled at Carlisle, Worcester, Bath, Kempton and Salisbury.
It’s good news for the Racing industry as during the last World Cup, betting turnover on horse racing fell by 20 per cent and some racecourse attendances plummeted by more than half, especially at meetings that went head-to-head with the England matches.
The industry will have to play it by ear, depending on how far England progress in the month long tournament, but track management are already holding discussions about how best to satisfy fans as well as racegoers, and maintain revenues whilst the World Cup is running.
On Saturday Ruby Walsh asked “Will the REAL Twist Magic please stand up…” and the Nicholls horse duly obliged. He ran the field ragged from pillar to post, and barely put a foot wrong. I said on Friday I was not completely sure of his reliability, but he was on his best behaviour in the preliminaries, and went straight to the front as the tape went up. It was another great weekend for Paul Nicholls, as he landed this race for the fifth year in succession, and the seventh time in the last ten years. Kauto Star landed the Betfair Chase a couple weeks back, and Denman was masterful in the Hennessy last week. It’s a stable well and truly on fire (so to speak!) Chapeau Sir. My pick Big Zeb didn’t run any sort of race, so I’ve been given a detention for sloppy home-work.
We can look forward to some more fine steeplechasing this coming weekend, with the Boylesport Gold Cup at Cheltenham. I will put some thought into the race and all being well make a detailed post on Friday.
I’m currently testing a laying system by Henry McAnenly, and I will bring you an update during the week. It’s busy, busy at the moment, as I’m also trying to work out exactly when I’ll be doing my Christmas shopping!!
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