- This topic has 43 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 6 months ago by
.
- Posts
I understand your point JG.
What I don’t understand is why you feel the need to use personal comments, albeit uninformed, to elaborate on my theory.Would someone care to explain exactly why horses that are safe, sound, and happy; with owners who are able to pay the fees; should be banned from racing simply because of their low ratings, assuming these do show a genuine level of ability.
I understand your point JG.
What I don’t understand is why you feel the need to use personal comments, albeit uninformed, to elaborate on my theory.I have used examples of horses in your yard, but that’s hardly the same as “personal comments”, Cheekster. Quite the opposite – I have been at pains to point out throughout that neither of us regard your yard’s lesser lights as unworthy of racing, and that the care accorded to them is not in doubt.
Please re-read the previous posts, and see if I’ve really, really given it you with both barrels at any point.
Oh, and I ought to add – well done on landing a brace at Bath last weekend, and let’s see if Hoh Hoh Hoh can hold on just a touch longer at HQ this afternoon.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Would someone care to explain exactly why horses that are safe, sound, and happy; with owners who are able to pay the fees; should be banned from racing simply because of their low ratings, assuming these do show a genuine level of ability.
#
That situation is out of the ordinary.
Most of these cases are horses that are thoroughly sick of the game, posess no ability at all, or are hurting somewhere.
To hammer them when they could be enjoying something else is not on.
A lot of trainers keep theses animals in the yard as an empty box earns them nothing, and all it serves to do is sicken owners who could otherwise be getting a bit more enjoyment for their money.JG,
I suppose things fell right for the remainder of Reflex Blue’s £44k prizemoney too?
I understand completely what you are saying, but just think the comparisons are invalid. None of the examples given could be considered as complete donkeys.I think we can all agree that the welfare of the horse itself is paramount, and that when dealing with living creatures statistics can be meaningless without the wider picture…. racing isn’t just about superstars, the less talented horses give us lots of fun and pleasure too as long as they’re also enjoying it.
JG,
I suppose things fell right for the remainder of Reflex Blue’s £44k prizemoney too?Heh-heh, not at all!
As TRF’s unofficial Patron Saint of Modest Jumps Horses, it did bring a smile to the heart to see him pop up at Stratford (I was race-reading that day), as he’s clearly been a trusty servant to connections for some time (for all that a beginners’ chase won by a 72-rated animal (as he was then) wouldn’t necessarily rate the best example of its kind).I’m not suprised to learn that he’s been sold for pointing now, as Richard did actually say after the race that it represented his last chance to delay that eventuality, and that the horse probably heard him!
There’s no shortage of handy pointing yards in your neck of the woods. Care to tell us where he’s gone to?
I understand completely what you are saying, but just think the comparisons are invalid. None of the examples given could be considered as complete donkeys.
Fairy nuff! Shall we move on? All thoughts on the card up the road from you at Hereford tomorrow received with interest, and not just because I’m doing my prep on it for the media as we speak at the moment. Oh no.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I think we can all agree that the welfare of the horse itself is paramount, and that when dealing with living creatures statistics can be meaningless without the wider picture…. racing isn’t just about superstars, the less talented horses give us lots of fun and pleasure too as long as they’re also enjoying it.
That’s the long and the short of it, yes!
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
We do actually like the horse, so would be gutted if any of the local would be’s got their hands on him. He went to a girl down south somewhere, could clean up in weak ladies races if he feels like it.
Ecclewall Lady interests me tomorrow, showed promise at Bredwardine (mad keen ) and Scu isn’t one to waste time in bumpers when he could be working towards a mark.Ecclewall Lady interests me tomorrow, showed promise at Bredwardine (mad keen
) and Scu isn’t one to waste time in bumpers when he could be working towards a mark.True, true, and this’ll be her first try in a bumper on a faster surface having got bogged down in the mud twice before. Scu’s strike-rate of 4-123 (4%) in bumpers in the last five years doesn’t inspire me, though.
I was at Didmarton the day It’s All Chat made all very impressively in an open maiden on good to soft / soft, and he could conceivably try to do the same here and break all his rivals around a course arguably more suited to such a tactic than that particular pointing track.
However, the one I went for in the end was Oliver Sherwood’s debutant Roscrea, who looks a very generous price on Betfair’s win market at present (15.00) given the presence of bumper winners in his immediate family and the yard’s fair form in the last couple of months from the small number of runners sent out.
Elsewhere on the card, Full Of Zest, Otage De Brion, Pen Gwen and Abutilon leap out for me. Watch them all sink without trace now.
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
As TRF’s unofficial Patron Saint of Modest Jumps Horses, it did bring a smile to the heart to see him pop up at Stratford (I was race-reading that day), as he’s clearly been a trusty servant to connections for some time (for all that a beginners’ chase won by a 72-rated animal (as he was then) wouldn’t necessarily rate the best example of its kind).
) and Scu isn’t one to waste time in bumpers when he could be working towards a mark.- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.