[MarkTT]

Stamina is a major issue with the Grand Naitional, but i think this placed fourth or higher in a 3 mile + race is just a stat grasped from thin air. Some superficial changes because they’re pandering to people with little knowledge of the sport.

Also, i love the cliche that gets rattled off now about the Grand National being a better race because 20 years ago it was full of 120 rated slow paced nags :

Party Politics won in 1992, was rated 153 and ran off 10-7
Royal Athlete won in 1995, was rated 155 and ran off 10-6
Minnehoma won in 1994, was rated 153 and ran off 10-8

These were good races with quality horses.

People praise the handicapper for compressing the weights, but a few years ago he had Crozan – winner of one novice chase – rated only 3 or 4 lbs below Monkerhostin. That’s crazy, and potentially dangerous for the horse.

Some commentators should get their facts straight before they go on air. How many times have we heard one talk about the great form of a trainer, when in actual fact they’ve had one winner from twenty runners ? Think it was someone waxing lyrical a few weeks ago about Gosden and a look at the stats told you he was going through one of the worst spells of the season.

Cliches, platitudes. Racing is full of them.

[MarkTT]

Ferdy Murphys stable is well known to have a "slow" start. This "needing the run" business is now so out of touch he is way behind a lot of the trainers.

I find it hard to believe how badly his horses are running and people put it down to, "well thats just Ferdy", I’m sorry but thats old school now, and trainers are way ahead of him.

He had a poor-average season last year, he blamed the snow, yes it was a bad month or two, but when your horses aren’t fit and then the snow comes, you may as well give up. We had horrendous snow in Scotland yet Lucinda Russell managed to fire out 41 winners and have her best season, Ferdy has so far fired out 2 winners this season with a 3% strike rate, in the last five years he’s gone from 61 to 29 winners.

I watched Divers today, a class horse, who ran terrible and probably was 70% fit, what a way to dissapoint the horse and owners, poor Graham Lee must be pulling his hair out.

I know it’s a bit harsh to have a go, but he is rapidly falling behind the Nicholls, Pipes, Vaughans, Longsdens and in the north McCains and Russells, who all realise they need to fire out winners all the year around for their owners and stable profile.

Ferdy needs to move on, or he will be left behind.

Rapidly falling behind ? He’s always been behind. Wouldn’t trust his runners as far as i could throw them.
Then he gets one ready for Cheltenham and it’s cliche time ! " Murphy – always one for the big races "

[MarkTT]

We often come across race when a jockey drops his hands near the finish of the race, loses 2nd or 3rd place and end up with a hefty ban.

I wasn’t around yesterday, didn’t have a bet, so I was just catching up on some video watching.

I can’t believe what I just saw.

Richard Johnson, was riding Artic Ben in the 1.50 at Towester.

I watched this race live. He was travelling comfortably and when he started to go backwards, i expected to see him urge / bump the horse along. Nothing. If you look closely he talks to the jockey of the eventual winner at the bottom of the straight. No effort, just sits there.
I expected him to walk in last but then you side him ride out the finish !

I’d love to hear an explanation but the race wasn’t high profile enough

[MarkTT]

Tullamore does look tempting at 25/1.

Tullamore Dew certainly does in the Hennessy at that price !

[MarkTT]

I doubt At First Sight will stay.

[MarkTT]

HGM
Don’t be fooled into thinking the Melbourne Cup is an "

out and out stayer’s"

race – it isn’t, as such as Yeats and Scorpion have proven in the past. In British terms it’s a stop/start race around a tight track, on turf several degrees faster than our own going descriptions, and favours far more the 12/14f horse from these quarters.
Modun may have run well in the Ebor and beaten listed types at Kempton, but he’s bred to be a Cup horse, races like one, and unlikely to have the speed for this. Imo, of course.

Jollyp
Where does Americain stand in relation to last year’s weight (if you have that information yet)?

My hope is that he improves yet again for the trip and no matter how you cut it it’s 2 miles, a 2 miles that changed So You Think from Aussie superstar to not so super.

I must admit I fancied Modun the minute I knew he was entered and haven’t read through the form as most of it would mean very little to me. Just looking at the racecard as published by the racing post it would appear that only 2 horses out of the entire field have won at the trip.

I see that as a plus to Modun who will at least see the trip out.

I agree about Modun. Is it right that it’s now with Godolphin ? I see that as a plus considering the season Stoute has had. Might result in short-term improvement

[MarkTT]

Reacting to the ban, Richard Hughes said on Racing UK:

"I only used the whip as a corrective measure, the horse had his head up beside me and I kept pulling on the left rein."

I thought corrective measures would be taken into consideration by the stewards, resulting in no ban ? Are they calling Hughes a liar and / or poor jockey ?

Funny he should be one of the first banned when he has been the most vocal against the new rules…

[MarkTT]

Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Racing is run about as well as football is. People in charge have little clue or inclination to change for the good.

How is it possible that a jockey on Strong Suit is allowed to use the whip the same amount of time as McCoy might have to on a 4 mile chaser ?

I think we’ll see a strike.

[MarkTT]

There’s no way they have quick ground on Sunday. Good or slower and i cannot see Reliable Man outside the first three. 12-1 is a steal.

[MarkTT]

I very much like the weights of Notre Pere and From Dawn To Dusk…

Heavens to betsy i’m wondering if State of Play will even manage to get in this year. Imagine what a waste of season that would be?

I think i can safely say however when i look over some of these weights that Phil Smith…. is an idiot. Does he actually know what he’s doing or does he just draw numbers from a bingo machine? Some of the weights he’s given out are just pure stupidity.

I’m not being cute, i do legitimately believe there is something wrong with him.

A few years ago he had Monkerhostin only a couple of pounds higher than Crozan

Man’s an idiot. Never forgiven him for those comments about Cheltenham a couple of years ago " Ideally, i’d like to see a 50-1 shot beat the favourite "
He’s in the back pocket of the bookies.

Worst piece of rating i’ve ever seen was early last season or a couple of seasons ago. A plater with an appalling strike rate, who was rated about 70 odd over hurdles, managed to win a dog-end race by 15 lengths. It was given a 24lb rise. Unbelievable.

[MarkTT]

Le Beau Bai.

Brilliantly weighted when looking at it’s runs 12-15 months ago.

All over it.

[MarkTT]

Imagine if a this had happened a horse like Sea The Stars…it would be simply catstrophic for the sport.

The owners surely must get compensated for this lack of comptence by Newbury for losing their animals in a non race related issue.

I’m still amazed and disappointed that there are well regarded people in the industry claiming Newbury did everything professionally

They did not

They knew about the theory of an electrocution before the start of the first race. Lads / handlers said it. Vets said it.

To continue racing and allow people to stand in that area after the deaths of the horses and evidence from those nearby – even if it was still uncertain as to what caused it – then they should have abandoned the meeting and moved people away from that area as soon as possible.

Did someone at the course realise the problem ? Simply closing down the paddock and think of going ahead with the meeting. Incredible.

Why must we need disasters to implement cautionary measures ? Yesterdays could have been much worse. Because it wasn’t isn’t an excuse to commend those involved and simply move on.

Yesterday i was appalled at someone comparing Newbury to Hillsborough, but there is a lesson to be learned there.

Imagine if those in charge had not been so lackadaisical, so disinterested, so completely inept and had thought for a moment. Four years after Bradford and still the belief was " it’ll never happen ". Leppings Lane begins to become overcrowded and right there someone makes the decision to filter people into the side pens. Prior to this, if someone had decided not to allow such build up outside the gate.

Football learned from a grave, terrible mistake. Stadiums were modernised. Over 20 years on and it’s worth billions.

Seems like racing wants to change but doesn’t know how. The people in charge are regressive, out-of-touch and influenced by those taking money out of the sport – the bookmakers.

Bumpers worth £1,300. Novice Hurdles £2,000. Graded races like the Classic at Warwick being worth several thousand less then they were a few years ago, yet costs on the rise.

Need to stop believing that " Racing must go on " and instead thinking and acting like " Racing must improve "

[MarkTT]

Racing Post report this morning:

However, Henderson withdrew the five-year-old after he went to the ground on his hind legs minutes before the incident, believed to have been caused by an undergroundelectric cable.

Inaccurate – he was withdrawn after he’d gone down to the start.

Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, Henderson said: "I think our horse was extremely lucky as he definitely got the effect of it.

"I realised shortly afterwards what had happened to him and he was probably lucky to get back on the rubber walkway. He actually had a different type of shoe on to the other horses. It was horrific

So why allow him to go down the start?

Don’t think he means he realised shortly afterwards and then the horse went down to the start.
I think he means he realised shortly after the paddock incident and the electrocution rumours ( whilst KC was probably going down ), realised that the horse was fortunate to have made it back onto the rubber, and then the horse was withdrawn despite the vet giving him the all clear.

If i had to choose one trainer to take care of my horse, it would be Nicky. The Master Of Seven Barrows and all that surrounds it.

[MarkTT]

Perhaps, they could all dress up as Racettes, in their favourite racing colours and skimpy shorts

Those mentioned were an entirely random list of TRF regulars, Pete. How’s your knees? It could be you…

The point I’m making is that the show could be much better. Better ideas, more horse racing, new presenters and most of all, a more inclusive, accessible approach to the people who watch it. I’ll watch it whatever, but I’m less than impressed. However, I’m actually pleased that more people, like your good self, seem to be enjoying it. That will keep it on the air and racing still on the fringes of the spotlight.

The main problem with the programme is an identity crisis. Is it an informative news programme for those going racing on a Saturday, is it hangover TV like Soccer AM or is it breakfast tv with a racing theme ? It cannot be all three and it’s trying to be

The set resembles an ITV studio from a 70’s World Cup. Hopeless

Get rid of Mac. Absolute bore. Don’t care that he’s " a character " or recognisable but he has no input and his rants have no place on this programme – it’s only an hour and i’d prefer to see them discuss the main races

I think Tanya has her merits but was very disappointed recently when her wish for racing in 2011 was to see regulations put in place that prevented gambles from taking place on unexposed horses. Seriously ?!!!! Is that your wish for the sport which needs major rejuvenation ?!!!

And by the way – is it not a bit weird that the RP website will not allow non- paying members to see the Pricewise picks and yet Channel 4 tell the country what they are before 9am ?

[MarkTT]

This thread is going nowhere and needs to be locked.

It’s being spoiled by personal grudges and petty arguments

[MarkTT]

A truly awful day for the sport.

I’m not going to chastise anyone for expressing their opinion on what is clearly a very emotionally charged issue.

We are living in an increasingly paranoid, ‘blame game’ culture.

Today was a totally unprecedented incident. The officials at Newbury were presented with a most bizarre sequence of events, which I’m sure they were totally unprepared for.

It’s easy enough for those of us sitting at home, drinking a cup of tea, enjoying a few custard creams saying "If that was me, I would…".

It’s not so easy when you’re responsible for making the decisions amidst a cauldron of confusion and uncertainty. It was impossible to explain why two horses collapsed and died in the parade ring.

– A few horses have just acted very stangely in the parade ring and now two are dead
– What ?!
– I’m serious. A couple of the handlers also reported the possibility of getting an eletric shock from the horses

And that’s where you suspend the racing and abandon it minutes later when you’ve spoken to the two vets who looked at the horses

Officials are there for a reason
Vets are there for a reason

Horse racing failed today.

Finger pointing ? Damn right. Part of the problem with racing – the main one, in fact – is that the people in charge are incapable, either being inept or regressive.

[MarkTT]

No further horses or people were hurt so what’s the big deal?

Are you serious ?

[Author]

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