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I agree that the Weekender is much improved lately. I take some credit for that (only kidding) as I sent a letter to the editor a while back complaining that there were too many adverts…
I think Sakhee will take his place in the race and I think that we may see some rain between now and Saturday. I’m looking out of my office now in Wiltshire and it looks like it’s going to rain anyway.
My three are:<br>1)Sakhee<br>2)Bach<br>3)Granderra
This post just seems to have decended into a farce with IHAL just looking for any excuse to slag off MJ. <br>IHAL; you didn’t have many good words for Kieran Fallon on another post today either – why all the anger ?
Let’s face it, there are very few (I’m actually scratching my head to think of one) trainers who are completely forthcoming with regards to their horses. The trainer is after all not doing his job for the benefit of the punter, he’s doing it for the benefit of himself, his employees and his owners. <br>The whole Aidan O Brien Versus Mark Johnston debate is a pretty tame one anyway. O’Brien looks like a startled ‘rabbit in the headlights’ whenever I’ve seen him interviewed. The whole Coolmore operation is run on a strict need to know basis. True Mark Johnston doesn’t give a lot away either but the point I want to make is that he doesn’t have to as it’s not in his job spec. Neither guy is ‘punter’ friendly<br>Is there any more that can be said on this subject ?
On reflection I think this whole affair is just very sad for racing in general.<br>At a time when racecources are investing millions in improving facilities and new ventures like attheraces and tax free betting are trying to expose racing to the masses, this whole affair puts the sport in a very poor light.<br>I know the old heads on this board have adopted the ‘nothing new what’s the fuss’ mentality but it’s not the old heads who would have watched the programme with any interest anyway. Kenyon’s programme may have succeeded in putting off those families who go to racing for a day out and are the sport’s target audience at the moment. Why ? because they now know what the seasoned punter has know for years – racing is bent.
It’s a shame Keynon didn’t speak to Martin Pipe. Perhaps he could have asked him why Ravenswood and Polar Red couldn’t win a maiden hurdle between them but were good enough to win big handicap hurdles off paper weights.<br>Suprise Suprise the money was down for both of them in these handicaps….(I backed Polar Red to be second three times in maiden hurdles…not bitter like)
I think you’re being a bit harsh on Johntone here. <br>Firstly, neither horse had run at Epsom before so he really couldn’t have predicted whether either of them would have handled Tatenham Corner.
If you read the Racing Post Weekender last Wednesday incidentally, you would have known that whilst Johntone favoured Bandari, Kevin Darley thought Fight Your Corner was the best of the two. This would surely suggest therefore that the trainer really didn’t know which was the best horse…he said this publically !
Finally, a trainer is usually reticent about a horse’s chances so as to not affect the starting price…as both the Coolmore horses and Dettori’s horse were heavily backed, does it really make that much difference that Johhnsone didn’t go public on his first choice anyway ?
Finally Finally, As both Godolphin and Coolmore’s perceived second choices (on the basis of jockey bookings) beat the supposed stable fancy; can we really count on any trainer to tell the truth ?
