• HELP US - Become a Patron - Fat Jockey is a horse racing community focused on all the big races in the UK and Ireland. We don't charge users but if you have found the site useful then any support towards the running costs is appreciated ... a small donation each month would be a huge contribution. Become a Patron!

Cheltz Fest 2021 Behind Closed Doors ?

Was listening (Sadly) to a leading specialist in vaccinations on Sky news about 2 weeks ago. Vaccines are all about trial and error and the chance of finding a vaccine first time up is highly improbable. And if by chance a working vaccine is produced in early 2021 the first wave of immunising will be for the elderly and at risk category which will take weeks/months to adminster. Then I’d imagine a School vaccine program (like the good old days) which will take even longer nation wide. So the likes of the average working 20-50 year old healthy people will be the last ones to get access to a vaccine so may not be until 2022.

If you could guarantee me a 2022 festival packed to the rafters I’d snap your hand off
 
Last edited:
Anyone received refunds yet on first 2 meetings missed ??
 
Lobos said:
Anyone received refunds yet on first 2 meetings missed ??
Click to expand...

Not yet, I was speaking to a mate about this. I'm wondering if they're gonna wait until the end of the season to refund, that way any refunds can be rolled over to next season if people want to.
 
ryanh97 said:
Not yet, I was speaking to a mate about this. I'm wondering if they're gonna wait until the end of the season to refund, that way any refunds can be rolled over to next season if people want to.
Click to expand...

Ah right. Thought they might take same stance as Football Clubs but makes financial sense.........for them !
 
Lobos said:
Ah right. Thought they might take same stance as Football Clubs but makes financial sense.........for them !
Click to expand...

That's an absolute guess from me Lobos but that's my thinking.
 
Furlough being extended till March is a massive indicator the gov don't expect things to be back to normal till at least then.
 
charlie said:
Furlough being extended till March is a massive indicator the gov don't expect things to be back to normal till at least then.
Click to expand...

There is an initial break at the end of January, so that would be the first Furlough review.
 
charlie said:
Furlough being extended till March is a massive indicator the gov don't expect things to be back to normal till at least then.
Click to expand...

Don't think that the reason they've extended it at all. It's to give Businesses the confidence of being able to retain staff for the foreseeable future and consumers the confidence that they will continue to be paid and enable them to spend as they normally would leading up to Xmas and beyond.
 
Lobos said:
Don't think that the reason they've extended it at all. It's to give Businesses the confidence of being able to retain staff for the foreseeable future and consumers the confidence that they will continue to be paid and enable them to spend as they normally would leading up to Xmas and beyond.
Click to expand...

Charlie was relating the furlough extension decision to normality.

It's not normal that the government pays 80% of peoples wages whilst they stay at home, not working.

It would be a brilliant New Normal if it was, especially if we were also free to do whatever we wanted, like go to the pub, or to Cheltenham on mass.

But that's dreamworld.
Or Lobosworld ? ( as popular as Disney ! )
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kevloaf
Quevega said:
Charlie was relating the furlough extension decision to normality.

It's not normal that the government pays 80% of peoples wages whilst they stay at home, not working.

It would be a brilliant New Normal if it was, especially if we were also free to do whatever we wanted, like go to the pub, or to Cheltenham on mass.

But that's dreamworld.
Or Lobosworld ? ( as popular as Disney ! )
Click to expand...

No. Charlie was saying the extension until March says they don't think things will be back to some normality by then. That's not correct. They are reviewing in January so they could end furlough then if things are better. The 'extension' is simply to provide Business/Consumer confidence.
 
Lobos said:
No. Charlie was saying the extension until March says they don't think things will be back to some normality by then. That's not correct. They are reviewing in January so they could end furlough then if things are better. The 'extension' is simply to provide Business/Consumer confidence.
Click to expand...

But you seem to be forgetting why furlough is required. Even if it's only till January.

Is Santa going to make the virus go away ?
Or Jesus ?

They may suspend furlough sooner than March, but things won't be normal will they ?

It's been shown that even in less dense populations that to reduce the virus down to zero, you have to completely lock down for 3 months.
We'll never do that, so it'll keep popping back up till we accept it, are able to treat it better, or vaccinate quickly and successfully.

Issuing vaccines to millions will take a long time and will need a lot of GP's. Unless they put it in the water :highly_amused:
 
Quevega said:
But you seem to be forgetting why furlough is required. Even if it's only till January.

Is Santa going to make the virus go away ?
Or Jesus ?

They may suspend furlough sooner than March, but things won't be normal will they ?

It's been shown that even in less dense populations that to reduce the virus down to zero, you have to completely lock down for 3 months.
We'll never do that, so it'll keep popping back up till we accept it, are able to treat it better, or vaccinate quickly and successfully.

Issuing vaccines to millions will take a long time and will need a lot of GP's. Unless they put it in the water :highly_amused:
Click to expand...

Agree, it'll be with us forever now but we'll learn to live with it like every other disease. It will become the norm like flu in time.
 
Lobos said:
Agree, it'll be with us forever now but we'll learn to live with it like every other disease. It will become the norm like flu in time.
Click to expand...

Even if Covid eventually became the norm like flu, all this goes back to in time for Cheltenham, and I'd say there is zero chance that happens.
 
charlie said:
Even if Covid eventually became the norm like flu, all this goes back to in time for Cheltenham, and I'd say there is zero chance that happens.
Click to expand...

Never say never. I've definitely not given up hope yet that at least Members will be allowed in. A long way to go yet.
 
We had a large section of summer where things were very quiet on the covid front and still they didn't let people into racecourses aside from the odd one off. No chance IMO that Cheltenham has a crowd bar owners and trainers. I want nothing more but I just can't see it based on how things have been managed so far, plus add in the fact that, whether I agree or not (I definitely don't, Cheltenham followed the guidance and people were being incredibly good with hand washing etc... from what I saw, everyone was doing what they thought was right at the time), the festival has to tread more carefully than most on the PR front.
I follow a God awful football team in Division 6 (N) and I haven't been able to go to any games yet, even friendlies were behind closed doors. A blessing all round as it turns out, but still...

I've already started prepping the ground with local pubs to see what the craic is with booking an area out so the lads I usually go with can still get together and have a laugh in town at least, but if there's normal everday punters in attendance in March i'll be forced to reconsider everything I thought I knew about the tooth fairy and co.

I remember early this year, one of my friends mrs' is at a decent level in PHE and was telling us we should more or less forget the tickets we had for Euro 2020 as it'd almost certainly be behind closed doors. We were bemused to say the least. This was back when the WHO were tweeting sh1te and I was thinking my trip to Northern Italy in late March would be ok as they'd get it under control in Feb and it'd be all over soon enough. Some year eh?!
 
Well then, after writing that word salad, it turns out an awful lot can change in a few days! Still think it's unlikely but there's now a bit of hope that at least some sort of crowd will be there.
Although I still shudder at Oliver Dowdens 'freedom passport' comment on Marr recently...
 
Sorry for my ignorance Jorvik - why you getting hope? What's been said?
 
OverTheLast said:
Sorry for my ignorance Jorvik - why you getting hope? What's been said?
Click to expand...

Nothing Cheltenham specific, just todays news, . Supposedly 10m doses on their way to us by the end of the year, with another 30m ordered. The logistics should be good fun, but still, something real to pin a little bit of hope to at least!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54873105

The Old English Sheepdog is back at his lectern talking about it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-54869918
 
Last edited:
Yep. Fabulous news. A chink of light at the end of that tunnel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom