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It’s the principle of it. If they rip you off this year ….which ?7.50 is let’s be honest then what do they charge next year…a tenner? Where does it end? You’re there so they charge whatever they want because most will pay it. Doesn’t make it right though!
 
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The thing for me is that at one of the best sporting events in the world imo, I would love to have a lovely pint and take it all in. But instead I am stuck in a terrible queue (surrounded invariably by the worst people in attendance, I don't know how I manage it) to be slowly served a pint of absolutely substandard slop, and then have to pay a 50% mark up for the privilege.

Look they're a business and I understand they want to make money - but they also frame the event as this great spectacle. Fine if they just want to gouge people, but it really commoditises the experience. I took a load of work people last year and after all my eulogising they were like "I don't get it Rob, that was pretty shit tbh". 9 of us last year, only 5 coming back this year.

Sorry to go all marketing bumpf on you, but there's a great talk I use for a lot of my clients by Simon Sinek about starting with the Why. Every business has a What, a How and a Why - and the why is the most powerful part of i, it infuses everything else with purpose. But businesses often focus overly on the practical elements of the what and the how. It feels to me that the Jockey Club has forgotten the why - the greatest show on turf - with the what and the how of maximising yield per customer.
 
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The thing for me is that at one of the best sporting events in the world imo, I would love to have a lovely pint and take it all in. But instead I am stuck in a terrible queue (surrounded invariably by the worst people in attendance, I don't know how I manage it) to be slowly served a pint of absolutely substandard slop, and then have to pay a 50% mark up for the privilege.

Look they're a business and I understand they want to make money - but they also frame the event as this great spectacle. Fine if they just want to gouge people, but it really commoditises the experience. I took a load of work people last year and after all my eulogising they were like "I don't get it Rob, that was pretty shit tbh". 9 of us last year, only 5 coming back this year.

Sorry to go all marketing bumpf on you, but there's a great talk I use for a lot of my clients by Simon Sinek about starting with the Why. Every business has a What, a How and a Why - and the why is the most powerful part of i, it infuses everything else with purpose. But businesses often focus overly on the practical elements of the what and the how. It feels to me that the Jockey Club has forgotten the why - the greatest show on turf - with the what and the how of maximising yield per customer.

Agreed with all of this.

I was a member last season, so I went to every meeting and every day of the festival. By the end I was utterly sick of it. The horse racing is still top notch of course, but being there just isn't that enjoyable any more. You can't see the racing properly, and end up watching on a screen if you're lucky, you get overcharged for anything you want to buy, it's absolutely rammed and most people are drunk. I'd much rather watch from my sofa, which is what I will be doing this year.

I tell this story a lot, but I made that decision while (trying) to watch the Gold Cup last year. I've never watched the Gold Cup live before so I was quite excited by that. I end up about 20 rows back after fighting my way through the Guinness Village, stood behind a 7 foot mountain. Half a mile in, he starts cheering his horse on like he was jumping the last, and carried on the entire way around. At the end of the race he turns around to me and asks "who won?". Luckily I'd managed to catch a glimpse of a screen to see the end of the race, and replied "A ploo tar" (pronunciation is key for the story). He looks disappointed, so I ask what he backed, and he shows he his betting slip. "A Plus Tard". It's the same bloody horse you've been cheering on for the past 5 minutes... :beaten::beaten:

I know he has as much right to be there as I do, and I'm totally fine with that, but it was just the icing on the cake (more like a shit sandwich) for me. Aside from meeting a few Fat Jockeys, it was basically a waste of time, because I'd have had a much better experience watching at home.

I think they need to somehow separate those who just want to go there for alcohol and those who actually want to watch the horse racing, not sure how exactly they do that. I'd be tempted to buy a seat in the stands if I were to go again, that seems like a much better experience.
 
Dandrew99 cricket does this really well - I booked tickets for Headingly this summer and knowing there's a place I can go if I have a kids, if I want to be in fancy dress and get wrecked, if I don't want to drink at all and if I want to have some beers and enjoy the game is a much better system than just dumping everyone in the same place
 
Went for the first time last year - previously I’ve always watched on the telly, but a mate got me a seat in the Guinness Grandstand, second row. Without a doubt was a superb view, bar inside, sheltered from the terrible weather on Wednesday and your own reserved seat. Booked again this year and would recommend it to anyone.
 
Dandrew99 cricket does this really well - I booked tickets for Headingly this summer and knowing there's a place I can go if I have a kids, if I want to be in fancy dress and get wrecked, if I don't want to drink at all and if I want to have some beers and enjoy the game is a much better system than just dumping everyone in the same place

Yeah agreed, although it's significantly easier to do that in a stadium as there's obviously a lot more space! But I like to think someone better at planning than myself could think of something...
 
Epatante fans, 4/7 final decs up at Donny with Denise(antepost NRNB section)If she can’t beat that lot she ought to be 100/1 for fez.

**don’t know where the roll up thread is.
 
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Not really economic though is it. ?
Unless you know the costs and profits for both events.
I could have a damn good guess though. :greedy_dollars:

Normally you can reduce prices when sold in massively bigger volumes, or alternatively, choose to profiteer from a captive and loyal (mostly stupid) audience.

And your example of your mate does not reflect everyone who goes to the festival.
It's a good example, but not representative of the majority.

Take your lighters, watch "woodstock 99" the night before, and burn the lot down.
Although wait until after the martin pipe as if you do it before you'll ruin it for me :highly_amused:

Anyway, remember my tip for anyone wanting to buy a pint.
Go to a card only bar. (probably all are)
"How much for cash mate"
There's bound to be some of those casual workers on the rob, because they're having the piss taken out of them as well.

edit - The choices argument is also interesting, but how far do we go with that ?

We could drink meth, eat out of bins, piss in our pants and sleep on the street.
All would solve some of the problems Cheltenham festival going brings upon us.
Some even pay all the money and still end up doing this :highly_amused::highly_amused:

How many drinks did I have last night then? If you're counting... Does my drinking offend you?​ :very_drunk:

Me? Lager. Kevloaf? Lager. Lobos? Lager, sometimes cider. Different drinks for different neeeeeds :highly_amused:
 
How many drinks did I have last night then? If you're counting... Does my drinking offend you?​ :very_drunk:

Me? Lager. Kevloaf? Lager. Lobos? Lager, sometimes cider. Different drinks for different neeeeeds :highly_amused:

Best part about last year was them going cashless only for all the systems to fail & no one being able to get a drink for 45 mins. The peeps pouring the drinks wouldn't take cash in hand either. "Go get the Guitar" :livid:
 
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Best part about last year was them going cashless only for all the systems to fail & no one being able to get a drink for 45 mins. The peeps pouring the drinks wouldn't take cash in hand either. "Go get the Guitar" :livid:

HAHAHA :biggrin-new:

The widespread office quotes on here are fantastic.

The cash in hand idea is a good one.
 
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Tricky day for me tomorrow.
Might get seriously involved (already have a little bit) after a quiet few weeks.

Energumene 4/7 v 2/1 Edwardstone

Protektorat 13/8 v 9/4 Noble Yeats

Paisley Park 5/4 v the field

I actually fancy decent bets in all 3 of these races, but Paisley Park is by far the best option in relation to his opponents as I only rate Gelino Bello as a "potential player"
Based on Paisley's performances at this track over the years including winning this race the last 3 times, and his current form, his price looks very generous to me.

I think Energumene is obviously a more likely winner in the match up but the prices look too far apart so have risked that bet also. Not as much as I might have done as a single though as the other 2 options in combinations will be enough I reckon.

Then, although the Cotswold isn't really a match up, I can see the race being set up from the front by Frodon and Ahoy, for Protektorat and Noble Yeats to try and pick them up, but I think Noble Yeats has probably got the better stamina and possibly turn of foot. So the prices look a little wrong here also. Reminds me a bit of Many Clouds. Who sadly burst his own heart in this race :sorrow:

Anyway, with these races and all the competitive handicaps this is going to be a day to remember, one way or another.:highly_amused:
 
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Protektorat 13/8 v 9/4 Noble Yeats

Then, although the Cotswold isn't really a match up, I can see the race being set up from the front by Frodon and Ahoy, for Protektorat and Noble Yeats to try and pick them up, but I think Noble Yeats has probably got the better stamina and possibly turn of foot. So the prices look a little wrong here also. Reminds me a bit of Many Clouds. Who sadly burst his own heart in this race :sorrow:

I've just written about Dusart in the NH Daily Tips thread, and had a bit on him myself. Getting weight from the top lot, one horse he beat in the field tomorrow, Sounds Russian, is now rated 161, assuming the same trajectory for Dusart would have him approx. 162 and then getting 6lbs from 170 rated favourite tomorrow leaves not a lot to find. He's incredibly lightly raced for his age and almost the unknown potential of the field. He's had the a pipe opener over hurdles and has no entry in the Gold Cup, so I'm left thinking, is this his Gold Cup?

14/1 seemed big to me, so I've gone in on him.
 
Hoping you have got two out of three of those right Q!

​​​​​​Jupiter (Beast) is my main one tomorrow,followed by Fugitif (Graded horse in Handicap) , Gelino (Big Bucks the 2nd) and Noble Yeats (electric finish) . They are my 4 bets. I'll be watching the Clarence and XCC with a huge amount of interest . Forget the rest of th​​​​​​e races :biggrin-new:
 
Hoping you have got two out of three of those right Q!

​​​​​​Jupiter (Beast) is my main one tomorrow,followed by Fugitif (Graded horse in Handicap) , Gelino (Big Bucks the 2nd) and Noble Yeats (electric finish) . They are my 4 bets. I'll be watching the Clarence and XCC with a huge amount of interest . Forget the rest of th​​​​​​e races :biggrin-new:

You've got 3 of those 4 right. Swap Jupiter for Scriptwriter and you'd get the full house. Easysland for the super yankee!:greedy_dollars::devilish:
 
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Think Protektorat beats Noble Yeats myself. And I think Energumene beats Edwardstone, fairly comfortably - might look at a lengths bet there. Agree with PP being overpriced though, I guess his age puts people off and connections aren't the fanciest but I'm surprised he's not more popular in the betting given his past record.

I realise I've just backed three favourites here...


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You've got 3 of those 4 right. Swap Jupiter for Scriptwriter and you'd get the full house. Easysland for the super yankee!:greedy_dollars::devilish:

I'm surprised you'd back Gelino over Paisley Park:concern:
 
I can’t stand the way Pricewise and some others on those RP shows slander form of Irish horses (without meaningful evidence) to support British alternatives. By all means have a British bias, but do it for the British horses ability. Kealy is bad for it but Segal is heinous. “When has Energumene ever beaten a good horse”? tonight.

Tomorrow’s a great clash. Why try and make out that the Champion Chaser is toilet?

We’ve all got out hang ups but this really grinds my gears.
 
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I can’t stand the way Pricewise and some others on those RP shows slander form of Irish horses (without meaningful evidence) to support British alternatives. By all means have a British bias, but do it for the British horses ability. Kealy is bad for it but Segal is heinous. “When has Energumene ever beaten a good horse”? tonight.

Tomorrow’s a great clash. Why try and make out that the Champion Chaser is toilet?

We’ve all got out hang ups but this really grinds my gears.

I really feel the RP are just playing up to their UK readers, assuming they would want to hear this. Just about every racing fan I know though, both English and Irish, accept there is pretty total Irish dominance at the moment. As Ruby says, this is cyclical, although in all honesty, I don't see much change .

This is just Kealy and Segal going full contrarian, all very click bait.
 
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