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Are you willing to name the trainer Alf?
Hi PC, probably not appropriate/relevant to name and shame on a public forum really. Said trainer did come up with various excuses at the time for not running and it was only when I saw stuff on social media re the swanning about at Ascot that the penny really dropped, but it’s not an allegation I could substantiate with 100% certainty, although it was an obvious enough conclusion to draw. The main reasons given were trip and ground, which was clearly cobblers as we’d finished 2nd at Fontwell over the same trip and going 2-3 months previously.
It was really just to emphasise that owners, in my experience anyway, don’t get enough say and whilst of course the trainer has the expertise and knowledge (for which he/she is well paid)the poor sod coughing up all the cash ought to at least have a bit of influence over when/where the horse runs once in a while. Or is that really a bit too Utopian?
Trainer’s perspective from Twitter:
"A J Honeyball @AJHoneyball 2h2 hours ago
Page5 @RPWeekender Tom Segal comments about trainers absolute disgrace. Arrogant chippy blast which may be better aimed at BHA race planning"
No great surprise there. My own experience as a former owner leans more towards Mr Segal’s view, and indeed the majority on this thread. Always seemed to me that, unless you were a big owner with a sizeable string, trainers viewed your opinion as worth slightly less than the milkman or the bloke who delivered the feed. Didn’t matter that the small owner paid the same daily rate as the bigger ones.
Final straw for me was when my then trainer chose to spend a day swanning about at Royal Ascot rather than run my moderate novice chaser in an even more moderate race at Stratford. Nothing to do with prize money on that occasion, but nonetheless an opportunity to win a race missed – the beast that won it had finished 6 lengths behind us at Taunton the month before and we would have been 5 pounds better in as well. No guarantee, obviously, but enough to make me want to spend my hard-earned on something else.
Was watching this year’s Cheltenham again over Christmas, and for my money, nothing was more impressive than Our Conor’s win in the Triumph. If Hurricane Fly beats him tomorrow giving him 3 lbs, he’s some animal.
Agree with Joe, OC could be very, very special.
A friend of mine belongs to this one:
racegoersclub.co.uk
and speaks very highly of it. Not expensive, race days, stable visits & regular e-mail updates (which is a damn sight more than I got from my trainer for my grand+ per month, but that’s another story)
They have horses with trainers at both ends of the country, flat and jumps, all in all seems a good way of being involved for minimal outlay.
Not sure there’s anything mysterious about that result.
The winner had some decent bumper form, but hadn’t jumped all that well in its previous hurdle races, which were all a higher grade than today’s. It was entitled to go close if its jumping held together in this less competitive event..
The runner up had been off the track 7 months, was up in trip for the first time and probably ridden to get that trip, only for the winner to have already stolen a march.
Easy to be wise after the event, I know, but my PP account would tell you that I was also wise
before
the event……
It takes the form of a plastic card with your photo on and says on the back "not transferable".
Mind you, I guess you might get away with it if the guy on the gate isn’t too observant or officious. Nobody’s ever studied mine too closely.
Also, it doesn’t get you entry to every single meeting. When your Dad’s stuff comes through, he’ll get a booklet with a list of what they call "participating fixtures". It covers most to be honest, but not the festivals/major meetings, although it does apply to all meetings at Donny, so that should include the St Leger meeting I guess.
And yes, it does get you into the owners/trainers facilities.
Hope that helps a bit, let me know if you need any other info.
I don’t think any of them do, because of the manual nature of settling. VC did tell me (before they closed my account) that they’d accept a RR bet by telephone.
Charlie Longsdon has tweeted that he’s lost the best horse in his yard. Desperate for all involved, sincere condolences.
I’d also add that I didn’t think it was a ‘great ride’ from Coleman at all. I thought he looked clumsy at best. If anyone gets pleasure out of watching a ride like that then I’m afraid we’re on different planets. Not only was he hitting when he should have been riding, several of his smacks were also poorly aimed. One in particular seemed to hit the horse on the back (and it didn’t look to be the end of the whip that made contact either) as he was flailing a bit IMO, probably out of tiredness/desperation.
I cannot understand why people put up rides where the jockey simply thrashes the horse home as indicative of a ‘great ride’.
It was a crap ride. He looked ungainly, broke the rules and lost his share of the prize money. Brilliant stuff.
Spot on. AC is one of the more over-rated riders around at present. Anyone who follows the Venetia Williams yard will have noticed that the past 2 seasons, and this one, have been distinctly average by comparison to previous years. Who has been stable jockey in that period? Coincidence? Maybe, but I know of at least 4 owners with horses there who are far happier when Sam Thomas or Liam Treadwell ride for them and there are others who get more than slightly miffed when, as yesterday, the stable jockey chooses to go off and ride something else when their horse is running.
So, a guy who has won a Gold Cup, a King George, 2 races over the National fences etc etc is suddenly hopeless just because he was a tad untidy in keeping a tired horse up to his work at the end of a brutally fast 3 mile chase?
Pocket talk.
Thanks everyone, a fair bit to follow up on there.
I’ve read Riders Down by John McEvoy, and did enjoy it as a story. However, I find it harder to get into American stuff, simply because I’ve never been there and consequently find it harder to picture the settings.
Of all of the others I’ve read, the majority of the action takes place on British or Irish race-courses, or certainly in and around them, and, having been there, I can picture the scene that much better.
Having said that, probably my favourite racing thriller of all is A Killing Joke by Mark Daniel, which is based around the Pardubice. Would highly recommend it.
Anyway, thanks again for the responses, much appreciated.
Can anyone recommend an author who is writing decent racing fiction at present?
To date, I’ve read everything produced by Dick Francis, John Francome, Richard Pitman, Jenny Pitman, Mark Daniel, Charlie Brooks and Graeme Roe, all with varying degrees of enjoyment. There doesn’t seem to be anyone else occupying that particular niche though.
Any suggestions gratefully received.
All bumper horses are shite that go to the festival. Not one of them has ever lived up to their potential
Its a grave yard race for me
Monsignor? OK, injury prevented him from showing whether he had it or not in the long term, but his win in the Sun Alliance (now Ballymore) the year after winning the bumper seemed impressive enough.
Racing UK’s coverage of the Aintree Festival was infinitely better (as far as horse racing fans and punters were concerned) than the fancy camera work, poor analysis and celebrity interviews offered by BBC.
Couldn’t agree more. The choice of Machin, Hoiles & Hunt to share the National commentary was inspired, they did a superb job.
Only downside was having to share the day with Bangor & Thirsk, but that’s been debated elsewhere, so won’t go into that now.
La Bombonera was very disappointing in the two runs she has had, most recently at Cheltenham
Needs soft ground.
There’s a very nice Alderbrook mare at Venetia’s, Cool Cascade, that will be novice hurdling next season. Has strengthened up immeasurably since her debut bumper, has schooled exceptionally well and, once there’s a bit of juice in the ground come late September/early October, she’ll be on the course. Watch this space.
So are they persisting with La Bombonera next season then?
I believe so. The owner has 2 ex-French youngsters in the yard and I doubt he’d be giving up on them just yet. Probably best to reserve judgement until next winter when the mud starts to fly again to see whether either of them can fulfill their potential.
