Horses - RTÉ 1 Tonight (Tue) 22.15

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Documentary following three National Hunt racehorses over the course of one turbulent racing year. With beautiful footage of the horses themselves and narration from John Hurt

Narrated by John Hurt, this beautifully shot and exciting documentary follows an eventful year in the lives of three champion racehorses. Set at a National Hunt stable in Wexford, it's a family business led by trainer Paul Nolan, who oversees the three very different horses featured: Ardalan, Cuan na Grai and Joncol. Using intimate footage, unusual behind-the scenes access and an evocative experimental soundtrack, Horses promises to be quite an experience - especially for horse lovers.

From RTÉ website

thesandeman

You beat me to it. Just popped over from Gambling Forum to let ye know. First few minutes seem interesting anyway.

cson

Why is it called 'Horses' nd not 'Paul Nolan On Tour'? :rolleyes:

Seriously substandard stuff; following Nolan and a donkey called Ardalan around. Maybe donkey is a bit harsh as he was decent before going seriously off the boil. But all the same, such an incoherent ****e docu with no direction. Typical RTE send a camera for some footage and narrate whatever comes back, and then slap it all together.

mike65

It was made by the BBC for the Storyville strand, anyone who knows Storyville will also know the subjects are covered in an idyosycratic style - its up the the directors own vision. It was shown on BBC last week, there is a thread here. I liked it.

Whyno

Paul Nolan is a twat

Aidric

mike65 wrote: »

It was made by the BBC for the Storyville strand, anyone who knows Storyville will also know the subjects are covered in an idyosycratic style - its up the the directors own vision. It was shown on BBC last week, there is a thread here. I liked it.

Apparently it was subtitled when shown in Britain, according to this article in Sunday's Tribune.

http://www.tribune.ie/sport/racing/article/2010/mar/14/on-the-air-pat-nugent-stable-characters-are-stayer/

The BBC version also includes subtitles on most of what Paul Nolan says throughout the programme. This couch originally viewed the non-subtitled RTÉ version of the film and it never occurred to us that Nolan, or anybody around him for that matter, was anything less than intelligible. Now perhaps we're being overly touchy here but every subtitled syllable made us want to punch the TV [That's definitely overly touchy – Sports Ed]. You'll regularly see Scottish or Welsh people speak on the BBC without their crazy exotic accents being subtitled. In fact you'll see footballers who only speak English as a third language interviewed on Match of the Day without anybody feeling the need for recourse to subtitles. Indeed, perhaps the reason we don't see subtitles on Match of the Day is because somebody somewhere decided that suggesting Johnny Foreigner can't speak the Queen's English properly might be interpreted as insulting or condescending. As a convoluted revenge, this couch sent an audio tape to the BBC informing them of the whereabouts of our pot of gold, safe in the knowledge that they'll be left tearing their hair out unable to fathom the directions, as they were delivered in a twinkly-eyed, pig-carrying, Guinness-swilling, potato-loving, Colcannon-thick Irish brogue. Right, rant over. Better end this unfeasibly long parenthetical break.)

thesandeman

Lol @ subtitles for the English. Wonder if half of it was beeped out as well. Thought it was quite good. Could think of better narrators than John Hurt though.

mike65

I call BS on that article.

There were about three/four moments that got subbed mainly cos of ambient sound.

WHIP IT!

Watched this on BBC last week. No subtitles & no John Hurt. It was an excellent documentary in my opinion.

mike65

I wished I'd had a look, sounds like they made some changes for the RTE showing.

edit its on the www.rte.ie/player and sure enough - John Hurt! He wasn't on the BBC4 transmission.

dotsflan

very good program!!

chinguetti

The music running over people speaking was annoying. As for the horses been donkeys, i think they should have kept Ardalan to hurdles and i'm sure every stable has 'substandard horses' or as i prefer to call them, the ones that didn't turn out as you hoped they would.

It was 3 horses they picked at the start of a year, horses get injured too and run poorly. They are 100 average ones to ever one that runs at Chelthenham, never mind wins. Owning a Joncol is a dream that few ever get to fufil.

jossnjuice

just finshed watching it now, had it recorded on sky +, absolutley loved it. nolans quote, that hed prefer to look sh1te and win, rather than look good and lose was an absolute pearl.

never fully appreciated joncols size, knew he was big alright but jaysus hes massive.

has a runner today up north, 2-1 fav, might have a nibble depending on how chelts is going.

any idea what joncol is up to?? checked attheraces and theres only one entry from the yard.

Nulty

I thought it was good too. I have no racing connections whatsoever so it was
a nice insight to the goings-on at a stable. Also listening into instructions to
his jockeys and connections. Nice to see the stable coming to terms with Joncol.

I especially liked the fact they had a mental horse Cru de Grai. "Stupid horse"
The way he headbutts the wall sometimes is gold! Makes us townies realise the
personalities horses have.

I like Paul Nolan but I'd get fed up with him pretty quick if I had to deal with him.
I might end up saying, "Paul, do me a favour and just shut the f*ck up." Like him
from a distance though

nlm1980

Nulty wrote: »

I thought it was good too. I have no racing connections whatsoever so it was
a nice insight to the goings-on at a stable. Also listening into instructions to
his jockeys and connections. I might end up saying, "Paul, do me a favour and just shut the f*ck up." Like him
from a distance though

Fair play Nulty, as someone who is industry I think I can see how insightful it must have been for people who are on the outside. People shouldnt be so critical it was all very true to real life, and I think with Paul Nolan u can take him or leave him but he is good craic and good for racing. Too many hot heads in the game:D

Nulty

Cuan na Grai (The Mental Horse) is running in the Arkle Bar Novices Chase at Fairyhouse today.

Easy to back on Betfair at 17/1. Wonder if he'll wear a skull cap like Petr Cech with all the wall headbutting he does.

convert

Nulty wrote: »

Cuan na Grai (The Mental Horse) is running in the Arkle Bar Novices Chase at Fairyhouse today.

How'd he run?

Nulty

convert wrote: »

How'd he run?

Terribly. Out paced, uninterested, didn't jump and pulled up

Head banger :P

Nulty

Well we know the secret to this head banger now! Nice win today confidently ridden. Im taking a real liking to this animal

3:45 - Eventus Marquees Novice Chase

* » Full result

2m2f, €13,000.00

1 Cuan Na Grai 11/2
2 Themoonandsixpence 4/1
3 Woodbine Willie 5/1

NR: Chasing Cars (IRE), Got Attitude (IRE), Jewel Of The West (IRE), Sarteano (FR)

9 ran Distances: 8l, 7l, shd
TIME 4m 45.50s (slow by 15.50s)

Jockey: A P Cawley
Trainer: Paul Nolan

WIN £6.20 PL £2.00, £1.50, £1.80
Ex £23.60
CSF £28.16

convert

Had a nice run - I was especially glad he won as I'd a few bob on him!

SRFC

won well today..good ride as well he was set out for this for months now had 100 ew at 9s first thing.. rule 4 applied but what can ya do

Nulty

convert wrote: »

Had a nice run - I was especially glad he won as I'd a few bob on him!

Glad to hear it convert!