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If Bolgers behaviour is not a reflection on Irish racing and just bolger, then I take it that his glory moments are similarly just a reflection on Bolger and not irish racing. Cant have it both ways.
Totally agree with that Clivex.
If Bolgers behaviour is not a reflection on Irish racing and just bolger, then I take it that his glory moments are similarly just a reflection on Bolger and not irish racing. Cant have it both ways
What baffles me about him is that he hasnt even shown one bit of understanding towards punters in his comments. Even if he didnt really mean it, just a word wouldnt have killed, would it?
Seems almost perverse really…
As for the ponying, im not bothered myself
is oliver cromwell’s behaviour in Ireland a reflection on English people?…….only kidding! look, Bolger can be a bit of twit alright, I’ll be the first to agree, but at the end of the day, thats racing!
Not a fan of Bolger and never have been, and I have never championed him on this forum.
JohnJ.
I would like to sell this 4yo. He ran in last years Derby. Finished last but acted beautifully in the post parade. Any bidders?This other fellow was late down to the start but won the Derby.Any bidders?
Was a grand Derby this year and fair to say that the best horse won in the end and although people will be annoyed with Jim Bolger at the end of the day he knows and trains the horse and foremost has to do what is right reagarding the horse and its owner.
Sure some people were a bit peeved but New Approach is a monkey of a horse and being ponied down to the start did cause a delay but in the end it was justified with the result.
I don’t understand the furore about his finally running. If there was a plot, it woudln’t have been for financial reasons – though I suppose stud value could have come into it, in theory. But, heck, New Approach’s price enabled you to hedge on him and still make a profit. And, as it happened Casual Conquested dipped out anyway. Not that Tartan Bearer’s late charge wasn’t scary.
Just speculating, but it occurs to me that the uncertainty raised by the connections’ prevarications could have been introduced as a kind of bargaining counter, to persuade at least some concession from the stewards with regard to the special "ponying" arrangements.
Also, with the concerns about New Approach’s temperament, taking the onus of hot favouritism – which he would have surely have attracted otherwise, could have seemed and actually proved to be a good idea. It certainly makes sense of Mr Bolger’s remark about his being glad he’d made the mistake.
I agree with you about the parades too. Utterly gratuitous. I’d rather see Seb Coe at his best – even if he is a Tory – than a slower runner, with less flakey principles!
I think the rancour stirred up against the winner’s connections by some racing journalists was a disgrace.
On Jim Mcgrath, well i’ve defended him in the past but yesterday he showed he’s lost his skills. When he realised he’d called New Approach the winner too early, he then called Tarten Bearer as coming back to NA when really he wasn’t.
They all (bar one elderly Irish commentator) seem to think it’s much more important to sound excited than to report what’s actually happening in front of their eyes. It would be crazy enough if it were only their eyes, and we couldn’t see what was actually happening in the finish.
I’d swear the TV channels concerned – all of them – scour the four corners of the world to find the daftest individuals they can find, and then test them with the following kind of test. "Make the drying of a coat of paint sound exciting."1,2,3: Go!
I also swear that this is the honest truth. I’m not kidding at all. A commentator on a hurdle race the other day, called out in an incredibly excited manner that the favourite had fallen! Then repeated it almost as excitedly.
Well, pardon me, but it might have given a lift to those who had bet against the favourite, but to those who had backed it, it sounded like an incredibly, wanton incitement to violence.
Did those who bet against the favourite need that extra fillip of a demented cry, in which the fact reported was barely intelligible so excited was the commentator’s voice? And weighed against the disappointment of those who had backed the favourite, and didn’t need to hear an exultant cry almost completely muffling the dreadful news? An adrenaline rush turning to dust and ashes in a moment is not good for the ticker.
I’m gradually growing more and more deaf, and I’m beginning to see a silver lining, where the sports commentators are concerned.
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I’ve been away from computers lately ,so didn’t realise that there was controversy over the parade.However, One point I’d like to clear up is that the vast majority of the so-called " baying masses" – of which I’m one – are NOT able to view the animals in the paddock. This is because we are on the Hill., In any case, the present paddock, with the fenced off area for VIPs, is inadequate, even for those on the stands side.
My suggestion would be that the horses walk down to the furlong pole and then back, before cantering down ( or up) to the start.They couldn’t be any slower than they were yesterday.
Btw, regarding J Bolger, I don’t think he had much choice in the matter. I’m afraid breeders and owners care little about the wants of punters, but that was always so.
This is also true of the course owners who have somehow managed to commandeer the Lonsdale.
I suppose they will have some clever bit of one-sided legal documentation to justify their takeover and ever-increasing charges.One good thing to come out of this is the strong press reaction…
Maybe in the past, this would have been glossed over somewhat (and maybe Bolger is still living in those times)
If this serves to make uncommunicative trainers think again, then thats all to the good
I think that there is a growing realisation across the media that the punters need to be treated with respect
Is that a serious question?
I cannot believe that you are unaware of the economics of the game. Do you still think that racing has 95% of betting turnover (or whatever it was)
It is not so much the punters that were directly affected by this as the overall impression that racing is an increasingly shifty game. That seeps into the conciousness of the betting public and the drift towards betting elsewhere continues
I am not saying that JB is "shifty" at all, but its unbelievable that he could not be aware of the consequences of his utterances or be so dismissively insular
Punters are the lifeblood of the sport. They are the customers. Without an audience, the sport would not survive. The idea that its only about the trainers and owners (as suggested by some) is retarded thinking of course
Any business that does not respect its clients does not deserve to survive
Neither trainer nor interviewee is a reflexion on anyone else except the one who did them. Likewise neither Fallon’s riding nor his drug problem is a reflection on his origin.Anyone who told you otherwise is a fool.But the Irish will be both proud and shamed by the behavior of oirish people, only natural.This phenomenon or trait may be shared by other ethnic groups.
If such means did not exist then Mr Bolger may be deserving of criticism, but they do and he is not
Frankly thats complete rubbish IMO and misses the point i made entirely
I am not convinced theres an integrity issue at play here but there is a contempt issue. Quite simply, if every trainer acted like Bolger had, then the dwindling support that racing receives would quickly drain away. No one would want to follow a sport whos leading players respect for its supporters.
Its not the money involved..its the attitude
Andyod…i agree. This isnt a flag waving sport IMO
I have a peculiar attitude to racing. It is my belief that owners are the life blood of racing.Nobody but nobody races their horses for the benefit of the public.It is like the movie "Field of dreams"race your horse and they will come. But most owners will race their horses even on the beaches of Ireland where pony racing is conducted.The stands, the bookies, the restaurants and the car parks are for the viewing and betting public but the races are for the owners.I am reading "Not by a Longshot"a wonderful book about racing which is a great read and I recommend it highly.
Andy
I hope it was my recommendation… Its a wonderful book. best ive read on Racing bar Seabiscuit
But would the owners be interested in racing if the prize money was zero and the derby was played out in front of 200 punters with no tv./press coverage
I never said that Racing is on its knees but it has a declining share of the betting pound, which is a concern. More and more punters look elsewhere for betting opportunuities
But even if all was perfect, thats still no excuse for complacency and arrogance
Ask Gerald Ratner
Obvious some dark shadows loom, but they are of a macro economic nature, out of Racing’s hands (I am referring to the impending recession).
Yes. And?
Heard the phrase "control the controllable"?
As for mu involvement…not relevant. A stupid assumption to think that everyone only talks through their pockets. For what its worth, I didnt back anything ante post or on the day
Not to me it doesn’t, and to suggest that most people have forgotten about Bolger’s perceived lying, is hopeful in the extreme.
Colin
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