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Surely Tony Martin has just stuck two fingers up to the authorities regarding being suspended for three months.
He is at Newcastle racecourse and giving riding instructions to Hollie Doyle !!
Shouldn’t be allowed and IMO he is just takin the pi%$ out of the powers that be.
Thoughts …………..
Agreed. Anyone would think poor old ‘Tony’ was at home nursing a cold (even though he wasn’t at home). A trainer serving a doping ban clearly operating as normal. Not the first time, won’t be the last.
Really?? The trainer is not his sister is it? It makes a mockery of his suspension and shouldn’t be allowed!!
Lily livered powers that be . If he is suspended he should be warned off all racecourses and racing facilities and without his attendance at the races it is obvious is sister his training thm in name only
I did find it a bit unsavoury especially when he was on the podium with Hollie Doyle getting her prize.
The more I know the less I understand.
Suspension should automatically mean from all things horse racing related i.e. not being allowed in the stable or to attend any meetings.
Authorities are so big on optics these days that I find it hard to believe they could allow this type of middle finger behaviour to happen.
It sort of sums up the whole sport; what other sport would enable this sort of thing. Yet whole swathes of the sport, and depressingly the media can’t see what is wrong.
To make things better for him, it was Hollie who admitted he gave her the riding instructions and NOT his sister who should have been in charge.
The more Irish trainers break the rules, the more advantage Irish trainers will have, the more Irish trainers will win, the more potential owners will see Irish trainers winning… And therefore the more money comes into Irish Racing.
Do the Irish Authorities want a strong deterrent? Have the Irish Authorities come to the conclusion that weak punishments are in the best interests of Irish Racing?
Value Is EverythingSeems to have raised a few eyebrows.
https://www.racingpost.com/news/ireland/ihrb-to-examine-conduct-of-tony-martin-after-suspended-trainer-joins-in-the-celebrations-at-newcastle-a5t0f7O5pD8r/The more I know the less I understand.
From the Post’s article:
“Martin’s horses are being trained by his sister, Cathy O’Leary.”
Well done to the Post for keeping a straight face.
“It was not my intention to flaunt my suspension.”
And an even better effort by Tony Martin to keep a straight face after that gem.
Reading through the IHRB Rules, as far I can see ‘Suspension’ means that the subject loses the right to hold the licence but doesn’t appear to stop peripheral involvement including on course. In order to be banned from the course Tony Martin would have to have been deemed a ‘Disqualified Person’.
The IHRB statement is about as woolly as you can get:
“For the duration of the withdrawal of Mr Martin’s licence, he is not permitted to make entries or act in the capacity of a trainer. The IHRB is liaising with the BHA in relation to Mr Martin’s conduct at a fixture regulated by them on Saturday. It is for the BHA to establish whether there has been a rule breach in their jurisdiction, while the IHRB will be examining the conduct in the context of the Irish rules of racing.”
Nothing will happen as he probably has broken no rules but whether he should have been giving Hollie Doyle riding instructions is somewhat debatable.
The more I know the less I understand.
“Whether he should have been giving Hollie Doyle riding instructions is somewhat debatable.”
That is the key point. In my opinion, that shows he was acting as a trainer.
When Gordon Elliott had his licence suspended for six months, he never set foot on a racecourse. OK, he probably wanted to keep out of the way after all the controversy. But Martin should have taken a leaf out of his book. To go to Newcastle, act like a trainer and then appear at the presentation was stupid and arrogant.
Holly has gone down in my estimation in riding for him.
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highwaysTricky situation for Hollie what does she do when he starts giving instructions to her, sorry Tone I don’t think you should be telling me what to do.
The more I know the less I understand.
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