- This topic has 45 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 6 months ago by
.
- Posts
The difference between this and Point North is that a lot of recreational punters will, rightly or wrongly, have invested in a high-profile horse in a big Saturday handicap in the hope that they might have a run for their money.
They will have watched the ‘effort’ up the home straight from the greatest NH jockey of all time and perhaps been mystified as to why he was sitting there like a porcelain doll.
I was waiting for someone to start a thread regarding this ride yesterday.
All i am going to say is that i am a massive fan of McCoy, but the ride on Get Me Out Of Here yesterday, was a little ‘tentative’ to say the least.
The horse pulled hard early, and didn’t settle yes, but i’m surprised more wasn’t said.
- Total Posts 17716
The horse pulled hard early, and didn’t settle yes, but i’m surprised more wasn’t said.
Plenty more has been said! But given the facts, to accuse the jockey of "cheating" (as at least one poster has done) is mere rabble-rousing. The horse could not have won this race even if he’d been given the hardest ride and taken the strongest beating, and so criticism of the jockey centres around how early he accepted the obvious.
Given McCoy’s experience, it must have been clear to him that the horse could not win at a relatively early stage (given the hard pulling, failure to settle and inability to accelerate coming out of the back straight) and equally obvious that he was better off saving the ammunition for another day.
I wonder what the horse’s prices in running were?
Given the stable, time of season and weight the horse was carrying, it was always a lay of massive proportions – easy to say now, I know.
Not saying it’s
right
, but unless the horse carried McCoy there and left him no choice but to go all out for the win, a tenderish ride was always on the cards.
We know how it is and , no, it’s not acceptable. But if stewards clobbered McCoy they’d set an unwanted precedent.
AP did the same on another JP horse today at Huntingdon on Award Winner. Just plain odd.
Noticed AP doing the same thing on a number of JJs horses last season clearly looking after them guess its the name of the game.
- Total Posts 17716
AP did the same on another JP horse today at Huntingdon on Award Winner. Just plain odd.
Award Winner’s jumping was largely appalling and he’s not easy to win with at the best of times. He didn’t sparkle in the paddock, either.
Of much greater concern was the rather lacklustre effort of Arctic Ben, who was well backed on course but didn’t appear overly keen to compete; indeed, the race had to be re-started as Richard Johnson was nowhere near the rest of the field the first time around.
- Total Posts 17716
It matters not whether the ride was ‘acceptable’ in some peoples eyes, it clearly contravened the rules of racing.
That the authorities should openly tolerate this kind of cheating, yet at the same time hound those who might pass on information about it, tells us all we need to know about the BHA’s true purpose in life.- Total Posts 17716
I think you should be careful, Reet, in calling this ride "cheating", and I hope the connections aren’t reading this forum.
As for the Rules of Racing, in the viewpoint of several posters, that horse
was
ridden to obtain the best possible placing.
Beating the bejasus out of it from a mile out, after it had pulled away much of its energy and all of its chance in the first part of the race, would have been unlikely to ensure it a closer finish. That the horse got his second wind and finished well is more a testament to the skill than the nefariousness of its jockey, a man who has never (as far as I can recall) been banned for non-trying in his long and distinguished career.
- Total Posts 17716
Check your messages, reet.
I’m a great admirrer of McCoy, but his ride looked inadequate. I can understand him not driving from halfway, with a view to the future, but at least he could have made an effort from 2 hurdles out
As for the Rules of Racing, in the viewpoint of several posters, that horse was ridden to obtain the best possible placing.
Unlike Mister Hyde at Stratford then who was just rode to "run as well as possible and finish?"
As for the Rules of Racing, in the viewpoint of several posters, that horse was ridden to obtain the best possible placing.
Unlike Mister Hyde at Stratford then who was just rode to "run as well as possible and finish?"
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Think it was disappointing from connections of GMOOH, like someone said previously, there will have been a lot of casual type punters who looked through their Saturday papers and were backing a horse who had only previously been beaten once, a hd at the Cheltenham Festival.
The form in the book should still have entitled GMOOH to be a lot closer than 15+ lengths adrift at the finish with the comments ‘never in contention’ never looking good to me, especially from a favourite and a good horse at that.
If the race yesterday wasn’t in any plans to win then IMO they shouldn’t have run there. Is the trainer not good enough to get the horse to it’s intended targets (the greatwood) in peak fitness and ready to win without having some kind of prep run?
I wasn’t going to comment on this subject but then saw Weird Al run today and saw a potentially very good horse, definitely with a view to bigger prizes later on in the season run as genuine a race as you could ever wish for as a punter staking your hard earned money.
Weird Al was first time out and giving weight away to fitter horses today and at one point must have been 5/6 lengths adrift and looking to not have the best of chances, but Noel Fehily threw everything at the horse which responded like true champion horses do and took a share of the spoils.
Just smacks of a few people talking through their pockets and as for calling it cheating I would suggest they have a very careful word with themselves!!
Pulled hard early on, never looked likely to threaten from two out so because McCoy didn’t beat the hell out of the horse people are having a pop because he looked after it. Do me a favour!!
That said, I do think 7/1 for the Greatwood does look a nice price!!
- Total Posts 17716
I think you should be careful, Reet, in calling this ride "cheating", and I hope the connections aren’t reading this forum.
As for the Rules of Racing, in the viewpoint of several posters, that horse
was
ridden to obtain the best possible placing.
Beating the bejasus out of it from a mile out, after it had pulled away much of its energy and all of its chance in the first part of the race, would have been unlikely to ensure it a closer finish. That the horse got his second wind and finished well is more a testament to the skill than the nefariousness of its jockey, a man who has never (as far as I can recall) been banned for non-trying in his long and distinguished career.
I’ll let Lydia answer that – much more eloquently than I ever could!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/racing/article653219.ece- Total Posts 17716
I’ll let Lydia answer that – much more eloquently than I ever could!
Eloquent indeed, if callow. Please note that Lydia Hislop’s (four your old) piece does
not
accuse anyone of "cheating". She knew that those Rules of Racing require flexibility in order to make the sport viable at all. She knew what would happen to her if she accused any individual. Thus she’s happily still with us to write (rather more thoughtful!) articles today, instead of being jobless and bankrupt.
Her encomium of State of Play reads nostalgically four years on. Pleasant reading indeed…
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.