Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicky.
'Only' 1 horse died this year at the grand national..thats unusual isn't it?
Also agree, not any real issue with flat racing, its the jumps. And I genuinely hope that TS is incorrect about the hurdles being specifically so the horses get injured/more excitement. Though, not sure what I thought they WERE there for really, thinking about it. I know hes not wrong, but I still hope he is, if that makes sense  |
It's not specifically to make it more dangerous for excitement or "danger"; it's because flat races are straightforward speed / strength contests - the fastest horse on the day wins the race (with a few caveats, e.g. a horse that usually wins by having a very fast "burst" at the end could lose if the jockey mistimes the surge forward, meaning the horse doesn't reach the front by the line, or gets there too early then tires and falls back).
Jumps add an element of unpredictability: A horse that is a clear "paper favourite" could stumble or fall on a jump, falling right back or being out of the race entirely, or losing their jockey. Occasionally a horse will just refuse to jump at all. Likewise a horse with huge odds could get lucky with space / timing / confidence and clear the jumps more easily than faster horses, and get far enough ahead to win or place.
The aim of the jumps isn't to get horses to fall or be injured, just to "slow them up" as they try time the jump right, or lose speed on the landing, which adds a "chaotic" element to the race where the random horse than Granny picked actually stands a decent chance of being in the top 6. Flat out, generally speaking, 1st and 2nd favourites win nearly 60% of races. Conversely, the rate of 100/1 Grand National winners is over 5% where the number of 100/1 winners in "standard racing" hovers around the more accurate 1%.
So it's to make it more exciting but not because of the risk factor, but simply because it makes predicting the winner harder and thus the event more "surprising" (each jump is a gamble). But the obvious side effect is injuries and worse.