THE RACING POST WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5th 2011 BHA LICENSED RACE RIDERS' CALL THE PROPOSED NEW WHIP TACTIC DIRECTION INTO QUESTION

RACING POST WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5th 2011

RACING POST WEEK MONDAY OCTOBER 3rd to SUNDAY OCTOBER 10th 2011

GRAHAM DENCH “TIDE TURNS AS RIDERS CONDEMN CHANGES TO WHIP RULES’

“The consensus of support for the new whip rules voiced by senior jockeys when they were revealed last Tuesday was in danger of breaking down yesterday just six days before they will be implemented.”

J MARGARET CLARKE TURFCALL

THE FIRST THING  that needs to be recognised and rectified to be recognised properly right across the board in this sport, is the difference between a person or persons' who have achieved 'Bloodhorse Literacy' as is the case with KIEREN FALLON and a person or persons' who may well love going racing but factually have not achieved 'Bloodhorse Literacy' at all themselves. eg: Paul Roy and Tim Morris

Bloodhorse Illiteracy is the reason that British horseracing is not being regulated properly. People who cannot drive call a cab to get from A to B. A cab, a vehicle, a machine, not flesh and blood. Much harder to achieve Bloodhorse Literacy, than to pass a driving test.

FALLON closes title gap to seven, in his relentless pursuit of champion jockey PAUL HANAGAN for the 2011 Flat race title yesterday, as he cut his rival’s lead to just seven with a double at Leicester, can he close on Hanagan to make this his seven-time championionship win?

INTERVIEW MICHAEL HOWARD

HOWARD'S WAY  Former Conservative party leader MICHAEL HOWARD, now chairmen of Northern Racing, shares his views on the current state of the industry and his love of the sport .....  the devestating shrinkage of the levy has been catastrophic and must be remedied .....' 

JULIAN MUSCAT talks to former top politician about his love of sport and his views on the current state of racing.

A LIFETIME OF RACING PASSION HIDDEN BEHIND  

RELUCTANT POLITICAL EXTERIOR

“THE silhouette of Lord Howard of  Lympne – or former Tory Party leader Michael Howard as many will remember him before his knighthood last year – conjures myriad images in the mind.

“On this occasion Edward Whitaker, this newspaper’s esteemed photographer, is keen to portray him by his reflection in a black-glass table-top. The potential for something with a sinister slant is obvious. Howard is slightly bemused as Whitaker  issues a series of brisk instructions. He probably hasn’t been spoken with such  insouciance since he entered the House in 1983, yet Howard complies with every request bar one. He won’t kneel down on the floor so as to rest his chin on his hands at table height.

“Perhaps it’s because Whitaker is unwittingly treading on sore toes. Intuition warns Howard that the image might carry overtures of a barb made 14 years ago by Ann Widdecombe, who famously said there was “something of the night” about Howard.

“Nevertheless, Howard, 70, is all smiles on Whitaker’s departure, commending him for finishing his business quickly. He didn’t hang around,” Howard chuckles, although he chuckles , “although I bet he’d never ask John Gosden to get down on his knees.”

“Many with a passing knowledge could place Gosden among racing’s elite, but Howard’s interest penetrates the skin. The teenager who stumbled across the sport at Llanelli Grammar School is now free from Westminster’s shackles and is rekindling a first love.

“Since 2008 Howard has been chairman of Northern Racing, David and Simon Reuben’s company which owns nine racecourses and manages Ffos Las. He serves in a non-executive capacity but, despite his disclaimer he is far too naturally inquisitive to allow boardroom business minutiae to pass unabsorbed.