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A horse that the BHA had spotted had been stopped in maidens (third run, rider banned). Why make the game so easy by giving them a mark of 50 to play with. Anyone want to guess who the ‘Partners’ of Mrs V. P Baker and Partners who own the filly are, and whether they’ve backed the filly today?
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Trainer on TV said he dont know who has backed it, and is hoping they’re right.
Is that the same trainer that is under investigation from the BHA for landing 2 gambles with what they believe to be an ex-flapper?
I see that when the Mrs Baker and Partners picked her up from the sales, she was part of the Findlay/Bloom dispersal.
Harry Findlay must be devastated to have let a potential gamble through the net.
- Total Posts 17716
Is that the same trainer that is under investigation from the BHA for landing 2 gambles with what they believe to be an ex-flapper?
Careful David, I am sure you know about libalous comments dont want to see you get sued by an anonymous viewer – keep it clean.
Surely you’re not suggesting that "Mrs V P Baker and Partners" are in any way related to Harry Findlay’s mother – who also has horses with George Baker?
It has to be said for a horse that George Baker had "bought out of a field" in Ireland and had only had for two weeks he must have been very very fit when he went to Wolverhampton
Is that the same trainer that is under investigation from the BHA for landing 2 gambles with what they believe to be an ex-flapper?
Careful David, I am sure you know about libalous comments dont want to see you get sued by an anonymous viewer – keep it clean.
MONDEGO, winner of two races in five days this month for trainer George Baker, is at the centre of a BHA investigation amid claims the German-bred gelding has been flapping.
The seven-year-old was widely tipped to complete a hat-trick as forecast favourite for the opening race at Wolverhampton on Friday evening before being withdrawn after Baker was contacted by security officials earlier in the day.
Mondego was supposedly returning from a layoff of almost two years when landing a gamble – backed down to 15-8 favourite from a morning price of 9-1 – in a classified stakes at Dunstall Park a week earlier, before again justifying market support in handicap company at Lingfield on Tuesday.
But acting on information received by investigators, it is suspected the son of Big Shuffle had been winning on the flapping circuit in Ireland under the name Reverse The Hearse, and that his most recent success in this unregulated arena possibly came as recently as three weeks ago.
Knowingly running a flapping horse under rules is a serious disciplinary offence that carries potentially heavy penalties, and Mondego, who carries the colours of Lady Forwood and Partners, will not be allowed to race until the investigation is completed.
BHA spokesman Paul Struthers said on Saturday: "We are investigating whether Mondego has raced in illegal flapping races in Ireland. It was something we were investigating prior to Friday but, having received further intelligence, we decided to speak to the trainer on Friday, and he agreed to withdraw the horse.
"George Baker is co-operating fully and we are working with the Turf Club, but we cannot comment any further at this stage."
Contacted by the Racing Post, Baker, who reportedly bought Mondegoin Ireland last month, said: "At this point I am obviously fully co-operating with the BHA.
"I purchased Mondego in good faith on the basis of the publicly known form, ie the form that I looked at on the Racing Post website.
"I target a lot of sellers and claimers, and I bought this horse thinking he could do a job for me under both codes. I had no idea of any non-official form, and still have no idea of any non-officialform."
Asked about the ownership of Mondego, Baker said: "It is as stated in the racecard, Lady Forwood and Partners, the primary partner being me."
Can’t see anything libellous about DJ’s post.
MONDEGO?? BY BIG SHUFFLE??
Oh my word!! This is THE Mondego, formerly trained by Christian von der Recke himself! To be honest, Christian trained him before I got to know him, but the fact that he broke the course record (or at least got very close to it, not many horses run sub 1:40 for 1500 metres there) at Neuss before going on to finish about 2 lengths beind Nicaron, who went on to win the 2005 German Derby, proves what a decent horse he was.
I didn’t even know he was still going, but believe me, as a three year old, he was a really decent horse. I would have to speak to Christian to see where he went afterwards, but I think he may have gone to Ireland directly from Christians stable.
War is Being Won Against Betting Corruption
screamed the Racing Post headline this morning, and who could argue with that?
A horse found guilty of non-trying, with no worthwhile form, ridden by a man found guilty of corruption, gets punted into favouritism and lands a gamble for psychics unknown.
A proud day for Paul Scotney and his team. It’s little wonder that the world’s sports are knocking on his door wanting to mimic the HRA’s unique brand of light-touch regulation.
From the BHA site’s
Stewards Room
feature:
Coincidentally, Matthew Davies left George Baker’s employ a couple of days ago.Lovely to see that the physical problems which have prevented this filly from being let down, have finally been cured. Heart-warming stuff indeed.
I had a lump listening to poor old Mr Arbuthnot on RUK this afternoon as he recalled the treatment that nasty handicapper dished out to Pere Blanc following the horses 55lb improvement on handicap début at Kempton last month.
Gut wrenching stuff.
I don’t really understand your original point about Blue Dog’s rating, David.
Today’s race was a selling stakes, in which ratings played no part, so I don’t see where you’re heading with that.
He ran off 58 (notionally) today.
I’m surprised to hear all the other negative comments too. Did everyone miss the boat with this one?
I almost did, because by the time I got in from work at lunchtime I could only get 5/6, but as time went on, that looked a good price.This thread is a Lazarus, Hippo Joe. DJ made the original point about The Blue Dog in February last year, around the time George Baker’s horse hacked up in a Southwell Handicap after being allotted a lenient handicap mark due to it’s previous trio of lacklustre performances.
The Baker yard repeated the dose two weeks ago with Jack’s Revenge in the
very same
Southwell contest. Quite a feat.
Some clever guys on the machine offered 13/2 to bus fare on Jack’s Revenge the night before. Corals, who went a remarkably short 11/4 at 10am were filled in good and proper at that price. I can imagine the odds compilers had their ears tickled.
By 1pm, I heard that bookmakers were turning punters away. Not just offering reduced odds – turning punters away.
The horse went off just over evens and, given a positive ride from the front for the first time, was never in any danger of defeat under Culhane.
In the aftermath, one bookmaker at Southwell – highly respected by the locals and who laid the horse to proper money – hasn’t been seen on course since and, by all accounts, is offering his pitch for sale. Racegoers muttered. Apart from a village idiot they let on course for free as a social gesture there was no applause for the horse as he returned to the winner’s enclosure.
The two girls with Jack’s Revenge were interviewed by the stewards. To be honest, they looked embarrassed by the whole thing. Still, someone won a bomb – just like with The Blue Dog today – so that’s alright then.
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