Blindfold Removal

[Irish Stamp]

Are there lessons in this at the various racing schools?

Ryan Powell (yes pocket talking here) has just removed the blindfold on the well backed Oriental Girl about 3 or 4 seconds after the off. The horse missed the break 10-15 lengths and was beaten 1 1/4 lengths.

Shame no bookie I bet with pays out on the moral winners

[eddie case]

I blame the BHA for allowing it to happen, lets face it the whole starting procedure is a shambles, blindfolds flying in all directions when the stalls open, one of Frankie’s rides a few days ago shied away and nearly went through the rails when hit by a discarded blindfold.
We also have the integrity of the sport, that sort of thing just doesn’t look good but you can hardly put all the blame on 7lb apprentice just starting out in the game.
All blindfolds should be removed before the stalls are opened imo.

[Grey Desire]

Didn’t stop Frank the other week

[conundrum]

The purpose of the blindfold, as I understand it, is to enable the horse to enter the stalls. I agree that it should be removed immediately upon the gate being closed.
If subsequent events lead to an unruly horse then that needs to be handled differently and if it becomes a regular difficulty with a particular horse then the trainer should be instructed to apply eyeshields or blinkers on race days.
The blindfold should not be used as a pacifyer once its original purpose has been achieved IMHO.

[placemat2]

some jockeys take them off late to make sure the horse is held up.So its hard to know sometimes if it was meant!!

[rory]

Oriental Girl was a total **** before tonight’s race at Chepstow and while Ryan Powell was at fault in not removing the blindfold, he was getting a torrid time of it from a filly with a history of being too cute for a boy and I can understand him getting in a flap. She certainly should have won, though.

[aji]

It’s not very safe a horse leaving the stalls with it’s blindfold still on, and it’s not very fair to those who backed it when it stays put when the gate opens because it can’t see.

So how hard does it have to be? Stalls open – blindfold still on – big penalty for the jockey. He’s the only person responsible!

[eddie case]

A stall handler at Hamilton just removed Mandarins Spirit when the stalls opened (maybe he’d lumped on)and the horse got a flyer. Ridiculous, come on Paul Struthers lets see some action. Oriental Girl would have won if a stalls handler had done that for her young apprentice.

[Author]

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