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Betfair boss Andrew Black wrote these words on his blog this morning.
I think he has made a very valid point.” A good days racing today, but one that has left me more concerned than ever before about the state of the game at the top level.
It seems to be the standard these days for Ballydoyle to have multiple entries for every Group 1 to be run in the U.K. and this is a situation that neeeds to be monitored carefully.In the Coronation Cup this year Geatway managed to get boxed in between 2 O’Brien horses. Fair enough and Macarthur had the right to run his race,but would he have moved over a little if it had been Soldier Of Fortune jammed in behind I wonder?
Roll on to The Queen anne and Honoured Guest apparently a pacemaker is on the rail with Haradasun in his slipstream- If he’s running the rail he’ll stick to the rail but he does not – he pulls out to let Haradasun through causing a ripple effect- others in the race have to pull out further – Haradusam, with the perfect passage scrapes home by a head.
How is this fair?
Why was there not a stewards enquiry?
In The Eclipse last year 2 Ballydoyle pacemakers apparently conspired to cut off Authorized from his pacemaker. Why arethere no limits to this sort of behavouir?
In The Irish 1,000 and 2,000 gns both Ballydolyle winners were heavily backed while their beaten teamates drifted in some cases sharply.
Theres plenty of betting money to be made by insiders here, particularly if they know the plans.
The Derby was a strange affair this year, and it was surely affected by the 2 no hopers that cut out the pace, one of them from Ballydoyle.
It detracts from the race- It was not the test of stamina it was intended to be.When horses are running for other reasons than to win the race there are a lot of issues to deal with.
Aiden O’Brien has a huge number of talented horses at his disposal and it is entirely reasonable for him to have multiple entries, but he should be upfront about his plans and ensure that his pacemakers keep it honest.
If there are question marks over his team tactics he should be called to account’
Harsh words from Bert and I think that there have been some underhanded tactics employed by his jockeys.
Like a lot Sports there is rules and if won in a way that looks to be wrong but still within the rules traniers & not just O’Brien will use them to their advantage and i wont believe for a 2nd that no one else would if they had same horses at their dispossal…..
until rules are broke i think these comments hold no weight, the above mentoned races what happend were all within the rules of racing. If not the there would be an enquiry, there wasnt so let it go…..
Very poor race reading from Mr Black, I’m afraid.
Regarding which race?
The Queen Anne yesterday was disgraceful, the way Honoured Guest veered sharply to his right to allow Haradasun up the rail. It didn’t affect the running of the horses at the business end but that was more by luck than design.
Totally agree with Black. He could also have mentioned the targetting of Librettist at Ascot a couple of years back by Team Ballydoyle.
Easier said than done, maybe most owners can’t chuck tens of thousands away on entry fee’s on no-hopers just to manipulate the running of a race in their favour.
Personally i found yesterdays race and the Coronation Cup very unsatisfactory, anyone who is saying its all in the rules etc etc might want to imagine a future where the Derby is 8 Coolmore owned horses trying to block in Godolphins best horse and one trying to win, and 8 Godolphin horses trying to block in Coolmores best horse and one trying to win.
I’d say easing off the rail like in the Queen Ann wasn’t in the horses best interests of trying to achieve its best possible finishing position, isn’t that against the rules? Thats not even mentioning interfering with half the field while doing it.
Very poor race reading from Mr Black, I’m afraid.
Regarding which race?
The Queen Anne yesterday was disgraceful, the way Honoured Guest veered sharply to his right to allow Haradasun up the rail. It didn’t affect the running of the horses at the business end but that was more by luck than design.
I was particularly referring to the Coronation Cup where Stephane Pasquier was entirely the architect of his own downfall.
marble – there is a difference between a pacemaker and a spoiler. People were up in arms about Fergus Wilson’s horse Maidstone Monument running in the Derby and the fact that it was a front-runner and what would happen when it started to slow – would it impede other horses etc etc. What David McCabe & Honoured Guest did yesterday was EXACTLY that but it’s not given a second thought. McCabe looked left yesterday to see where Murtagh was (did he get a shout?) and then veered right WITHOUT looking first.
Just as diving slowly crept into football and is now endemic, we are now seeing these team tactics slowly creeping into racing. In 5-10 years will we all be despairing over how to stop team tactics which are ruining the sport or should it be stamped out now before it gets that far.
David
"Just as diving slowly crept into football and is now endemic, we are now seeing these team tactics slowly creeping into racing. In 5-10 years will we all be despairing over how to stop team tactics which are ruining the sport or should it be stamped out now before it gets that far."
It is difficult to stop things once they are endemic. One just has to note how much criticism the referee attracted giving a penalty in the European Cup when a defender blatantly shirt-pulled an opponent down in the box, on the basis that it happens all the time. But if the will was there, such conduct could be stamped out: if penalties were awarded each time, within a few weeks defenders would conduct themselves differently. However, the example of whip abuse, where fines and suspensions result rather than races forfeited, suggests that the racing authorities are as unwilling as their football counterparts to impose penalties that really would end undesirable conduct.
"Team" racing poses real problems in respect of evidence. Trainers often run more than one horse, with each running on its merits, and it is hard to be sure a move by one that benefits another of the stable’s runners was done for that purpose. But despite the evidence problems I agree with you that the issue needs to be addressed before it becomes more widespread.
Maybe its not the Maktoums style to ‘win ugly’ in this obvious fashion. I agree with David Brady, Murtagh gave him a shout.
McCabe didn’t ride that horse to achieve its best position, is this against the rules?
I don’t buy in to this "if you can’t beat them, join them or do it better" line of thinking. Its out of order and needs nipping in the bud, not encouraging others to make the problem worse.
The Derby was a strange affair this year, and it was surely affected by the 2 no hopers that cut out the pace, one of them from Ballydoyle.
It detracts from the race- It was not the test of stamina it was intended to be.This is just absolute nonsense.
I’ll never forget seeing Carvills Hill blunder round in the Gold Cup due to the attentions of Golden Freeze who was entered in the race specifically to put his jumping under pressure. It certainly left a sour taste in the mouth.
I know that many who write for the Racing Post would never question any motives by any of the top trainers whether they compete on the flat or over the jumps.
I hope that Andrew Black sends a copy of his blog to the Racing Post as I would be interested to see if there are any replies by the Ballydoyle connections.
Yep and while we’re at it why dont we put a blindfold on Tiger, tie Floyd Mayweathers right hand behind his back and boot Man U and Chelsea from the Premiership.
What a load of utter whingeing nonsense. Coming from the co founder of a multi million pound legalised insider trading platform his comments on drifters are particularly nausea inducing.
Small Minds Betfair.
Andrew Black clearly states his views are his and have nothing to do with his company.
He however is in a good postion to mention how some of the Ballydoyle horses drift alarmingly and that there may be some privvy to the O’Brien plans.
Anyway its a good blog with some nice tips on the site!
I’ve posted on here before on this subject. The rules are quiet clear that every horse has to be running to its merits to achieve its best possible placing.
Whether you restrain a horse at the back or send it off at an impossible pace at the front (like a pacemaker would) then you are breaking the rules.
Simple!
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