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Quote: from Aidan on 3:58 pm on Sep. 24, 2006[br]What was BBC’s slant on it, were they saying the stewarts were right or wrong?
running a pacemaker to unsettle another horse by contesting the lead is one thing, running a ‘pacemaker’ who, when dropping off the lead, physically hampers your main rival, deliberately in the view of the stewards, is quite another
Like someone else said, it was not the bump before hand, it was Heffernan’s positioning earlier in the race.
Carson basically reckoned that the treatment of Heffernan was harsh but the stewards were proving a point about the running of pacemakers.<br>You wouldn’ expect the BBC to criticise the media friendly darling Frankie would you? Question of Sport and all that!
O’Brien said they wouldnt appeal, but the press have been pretty much against the decision this morning and all the comments on the forums seem to think Heffernan has hard done by. Interesting to see do Coolmore have a change of heart and look to appeal.
I too saw the replay this afternoon and it seems to me that Ivan Denisovich was not running on his own merit or to achieve the best possible placing but rather as a "spoiler". That said, I doubt Librettist would have been a lot closer anyway as I don’t think he stayed and also may have been over the top – doubts I raised on another thread.
Simon Crisford has also stated that both Librettist and Proclamation were lame this morning.
(Edited by Librettist at 5:44 pm on Sep. 24, 2006)
Although the incident itself was only minor, I can see why the stewards took a dim view.  There have been enough complaints about pacemakers being used (by both Coolmore and Godolphin) over the last few years for any straying from the rules to be cracked down upon.
Why was Ivan Denisovich in the field?  George, obviously, was running on his merits, and River Tiber was his pacemaker.  Ivan is not a Gr.1 horse and was not run to make the pace.  His position throughout the race was to stick to Librettist and keep Dettori occupied.  Librettist went wide and Heffernan ensured that he stayed there.  Although interference was minimal and the result was not affected, the whole incident had uncomfortable echoes of Carvill’s Hill and Golden Freeze.<br>
One little irony is that the rules regarding pacemakers and team tactics were partly brought in as a result of spoiling tactics from now Ballydoyle employee Fallon in the contrived and meaningless Shergar Cup team competition a few years ago.Think it was Hughie Morrison who blew a gasket over how the chance of his own charge was ruined whilst used as the spoiler
Ivan Denisovich was there as a pacemaker, in the same way as River Tiber. Is this the same operation who, for no other reason, ran Blatant in last years QEII in order to prevent Rakti settling in the race?? This was so widely known it resulted in Philip Robinson having to race up away from the main group but ended up in the softest ground!!!<br>
Cormack, I’m not in any way suggesting it was Frankie’s fault that he got bumped. I’m saying that it is his fault he went so wide. He seems to bugger up quite a bit in the QE2.
"Is this the same operation who, for no other reason, ran Blatant in last years QEII in order to prevent Rakti settling in the race??"
That is part of the point, Aidan.  Controversial pacemakers tactics have been seen as damaging to racing, and I believe these incidents have encouraged the stewards to take potential spoilers more seriously.
You can’t complain that one incident is unfair and should be punished and then complain again when the rules are tightened.
Don’t sweat it! :)
Interesting that these new pacemaker bans were only been introduced 2 years ago. So based on Frankie’s view that he was pushed wide, would Richard Hills be given a 14 day ban for purposeful interference on Give The Slip in the Irish Champ since he caused Galileo to go wider than Fantastic Light?
I’ve seen the race must be a dozen times now and I really don’t know what Dettori is complaining about. Heffernan’s ban is nothing short of ridiculous, he did nothing but race ride there’s nothing to say he has to move out of the way to make things easy for thr great Frankie Dettori.
Didn’t hear Frankie complaining when he tactically inconvenienced Sir Percy in the Derby.
I think its probably just frustration coming out at yet another disappointment for Godolphin. :jivin: :clap:
Didn’t Godolphin also use a pacemaker (Narrative) to take Nayef wide and barge him in the Eclipse in 2003. Spencer picked up a 5-day ban for that incident.
Strong stuff indeed from O’Brien and most unlike him, publicly at least.
His comments on what happened in the aftermath of Scorpion’s win were also interesting (won with Frankie on board, Ballydoyle told, on enquiring about Frankie’s availability for another ride sometime later, that Frankie was ‘not allowed’ to ride for them anymore).
Intriguing stuff.
Are you a light blue or a dark blue then?
Interesting piece by James W as well in the RP today highlighting that in Frankie Dettori’s own book he admitted the plan was for Give The Slip to go wide in the Irish Champion Stakes allowing Fantastic Light to slip through the inner and forcing Galileo wide. Like a bit of double standards there Frankie????
It was heat of the moment stuff from Frankie surely
<br>Can think of a lot worse behavior from certain jocks :angry:
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