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With cameras, access to jockeys’ mobile phone records and the exchanges I’d say that whilst cheating is prevalent it has moved with the times and been modified.
IMO the extent of it depends on the type of race. There are plenty of non triers in maidens and novice hurdles but a trip to the paddock and betting ring gives punters a clue.
Conversely in top grade races or the Chetenham festival most connections are trying because it is an expensive businessjust to get there.
The races I avoid are the Class 6 handicaps which comprise most of the surfeit of daily dross. Journeymen trainers and jockeys "compete" for £1900 gross to the winner before deductions. "Racing for rosettes" as Richard Hannon snr mocked them. His jockey Richard Hughes went further in calling them "cheating races where there are no rules" in print in his ghostwritten column in the RP late this summer. Needless to say Hughes wasn’t sanctioned nor even asked to explain his remarks by the authorities because everyone knew what he meant and that he was right. The prize money doesn’t far in eating into training fees so the alterative is to plot horses up and back them instead. Countless times I’ve seen gambles, some successful and some not, on horses that have shown nothing for a year or two but are heavily backed in Class 6s. Horse may have had the ability in the dim and distant past to win such a lowly event but hasn’t been allowed to show it! You’re either in on the inside info or blindly follow the £. Ordinary public and other connections are being deceived. The AW gets its justified fair share of criticism over these cheating races, but in reality there are similar contests on turf.
God knows what Tanya Stevenson’s accent is but it’s fecking horrible when she’s not mumbling in the background.
Thames Estuary Essex. She is a bookies daughter from Southend on Sea
It was an ugly spectacle on that ground and over that distance. McCoy once said that "there is heavy, then there is Ffos Las heavy".Chepstow, Uttoxeter and Lingfield pretty gruelling as well.
I was told that Warwick were working to a budget based on a crowd of 600 for the meeting yesterday.
897 in attendance.
Mike
How many actually paid though ? Some courses include annual members (whether they show up or not) plus stable staff and bookies in the figures
My opinion is that keen racing fans like ourselves make too much noise about the whip rules. The vast majority of races and jockeys abide by the whip rules. It’s not a huge issue for me and I don’t think its that big an issue for non racing fans either.
Correct but of course the biggest noise of all comes from the BHA/Stewards with their farcical whip stroke counting and bans.
A case of horse racing regularly shooting itself in the foot.
I don’t recall any posters making any noise about Coleman’s ride prior to the belated enquiry or Aspell’s ride prior to his ban.
The fact is anyone who advocates disqualification for whip offences is either clueless or not a serious punter, could be both.
Punters would stop betting on the sport in their droves.
The nonsense is that Bittar leaves behind a fudge arising from when he hastily adjusted the whip rules and sanctions in the aftermath of their hasty introduction , Hughes going on strike and Soumillon speaking out.
What we are left with is a tendency for jockeys to flout the rules in big races and "win at all costs". Horseman such as Doyle, Hughes and Moore have done this in big flat races such as Champions Day. We have seen it in jump racing by Condon, Coleman and Aspell recently. Racing looks ridiculous because it has a set of rules which it won’t adequately enforce. Connections of horses whose riders complied with the rules may be disadvantaged in that had their jockey broken the rules as well their horse may have won.
Racing is divided with correspondents likes Thomas supporting Precott’s DQ idea. Conversely Cunningham and McGrath are worried that punters would switch to other sports.How about two alternatives?
1. Abolish the number of strikes whip rule completely and go back to how Irish jockeys behaved at Cheltenham in the 80’s and American jockeys continue to do so.
2.Leave the rules as they are, but if a rider breaks them, strip connections of all prize money but allow the result to stand. On the flat they would still get stallion fees but it might stop some of the rule breaking over jumps.
Coleman dealt with, perhaps they can also let us know how they have dealt with the inept Stewards?
True. However had disqualification of the winner been a sanction available to them it may have focused their attention as all of us can count.
Bittar departs with the whip rules in chaos. Racing needs to find a suitable way of dealing with the win at all costs mentality in big races over both codesNot as bad as some of the previous heads of the Bha , clinical , very good for getting the levy agreed , but at what cost !!!
Love to say useless , but in truth he was ok , the Zarooni affair really laid out his stall , he did everything to protect Shiek Mo , was that a good thing .??..maybe it was , but the full truth will never be known , at least until he has gone , someone will leak it eventually
The whip resolution was a quick fix , but in truth it was not a fix at all , so that is still a thorny issue to be sorted
The bookies are in control now , he will go on to another job as predicted by me several times , so how do we judge him
5 out of 10 for me …just ok
imo
The Sungate affair was also neatly suppressed.
Alongside the bookies, the racecourses are also in control. Between them they control the bloated fixture list which the BHA seem powerless to resolve with ARC threatening to take legal action
Derek "Thommo" Thompson – he’s a household name
But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE not Gina Harding nee Bryce she’s so boring would rather watch Mick Fitzgerald
A totally off the wall suggestion Ant & Dec they know nothing about racing but could bring in more and different viewers.
Incorrect. Ant and Dec are or were owners. Inverdale also involved in ownership with Henry Candy
Prize money may also dictate field sizes alongside geographical location. Read somewhere that Chelmsford putting up £75k for initial meeting and £50k plus for other meetings
A rider who polarises opinion but far too young to retire. With Doyle, Buick and Atzeni tied to retainers there should be some decent spare rides
A new betting system seems to have emerged at Lingfield AW.
Look out for potentially well handicapped horses moved from Best and sent elsewhere and back them first time out for the new trainer.
Last Saturday, SABRE ROCK won at 9/2 first time up for Julia Fielden.
Today’s gamble on LEWAMY (2/1 F), first time with Michael Bell went astray.However Bell did land Division 2 with HABESHIA (7/4F).
Who knows what he ended up beating but he appeared to have plenty of petrol left in the tank and has a likeable attitude.
There seems to be some concern that he didn’t handle Newmarket but would that stop him winning at Epsom?
Personally, I would rather take a chance on him than those at half the odds who have achieved less on the racecourse.
Elm Park outclassed the field on soft going yesterday. Owner keen to go for the Derby but Ian Balding had doubts when interviewed on C4 as at Newmarket on good ,good/firm places the horse didn’t seem happy in the dip, changed its legs and almost skipped. It is quite big and doubt would be Epsom undulations on fast grounfd.
I’d prefer to row in with O’Brien once he has sorted his geese from swans.
Doyle pragmatically accepts the ban which rules him out of the Breeders cup:-
Yep £10k fine plus 7 days ban for use of the whip.
Plenty of bans today as horses came off the bridle earlier than usual in the bog.
Smullen 3 days careless on winner of first race (seemed lenient to me as he mullered Leading Light)
O’ Brien 2 days careless on Ruler of the World
Hughes 4 day stick ban on Night of Thunder
Crowley 4 day stick ban on winner Madame Chiang
from reports Doyle is pragmatic and not complaining-reality is that in G1 races it is win at all costs and riders take bans on the chin. They know that their horse is unlikely to lose the race and their is no incentive to keep horses straight or comply with stick rulesNothing wrong with the ride given to Ivawood today. Got nosed off and had the rest of the field well beaten. For me the going prevented it kicking away from the field as in the past. You also wonder whether others are catching up with it physically. It was never value at the SP in that ground. The Fillies Mile and Dewhurst also produced shock results. Blame the schedulers for putting on "Future Champs day" on soft ground at the fag end of the season.
Kingston Hill a non runner with Varian stating too soon after the Arc. Surely the scheduling of this "Champion " race needs looking at given the number of defections.
I note that the Racing Post (front page lead story) and BHA are now indignant that the images have now been reproduced on the online version of the Daily Mail.
Having said its peace forcibly in relation to the Daily Mirror story I would have thought the racing industry was were better off letting things pass rather than just perpetuating the story.
One thing racing isn’t short of is PR types.
