RACING POST WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15th 2012
RACING POST WEEK MONDAY FEBRUARY 13th TO SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19th 2012
,TODAY'S CARDS Fairyhouse (IRE) Jumps Turf. Kelso Jumps Turf. Kempton Park Flat (AW). Lingfield Park Flat (AW) Southwell Jumps Turf.
http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/cards/home.sd
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/aintree-synchronised-is-top-weight-in-best-national/987441/
JMC TURFCALL
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PRICEWISE GRAND NATIONAL
A GREAT VALUE BET FROM THE PUNTERS' CHAMPION PRICEWISE, FOR THE MOST FAMOUS RACE IN THE WORLD. UNBEATABLE BIG-RACE FORM, PAGES 14-22
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It could be said that ALDANITI partner BOB CHAMPION in winning the 1981 Grand National made this the most famous horserace in the world. Just as it could be said that the Grand National 2011 was the most infamous Grand National in the world.
BUT HOW WILL GRAND NATIONAL 2012 PAN-OUT TO BE? FAMOUS? OR INFAMOUS?
JAMES PUGH "Top weight no bar to SYNCHRONISED bid .... O'Neill believes star has what it takes to shine at Aintree."
J MARGARET CLARKE TURFCALL JOHN GOSDEN LICENSED TRAINER OF WORLD RENOWN (bloodhorse literate) SAYS:
"STEWARDS' (bloodhorse illiterate) DECISION IS BORDERING ON THE ABSURD. "
"STEWARDS' (bloodhorse illiterate) DECISION IS BORDERING ON THE ABSURD. "
RP DAVID BAXTER reports "GOSDEN FUMING AT MACKAY WHIP BAN
(RP Tuesday February 14th 2012)
“JOHN GOSDEN yesterday branded the decision of the Wolverhampton stewards as “bordering on the absurd” after they handed a bitterly disappointed NICKY MACKAY a ten-day ban for excessive use of the whip when winning aboard STARS IN YOUR EYES.
“The Gosden – trained filly was sent off 1-2 favourite for the 1m4f maiden and won by a nose but gave MACKAY a torrid time, demonstrating considerable inexperience by going very wide rounding the turn near the stables and again down the home straight when drifting across to the nearside rail.
“She touched a high of 7-1 in running with Betfair and MACKAY received widespread praise praise for his ride, which Gosden described as “extraordinary”.
"Under the new rules, MACKAY was given a five-day ban for striking the filly nine times – another hit was discounted by the stewards –exceeding his quota of seven strikes by two, but the penalty was doubled as it was the rider’s second offence in the last 12 months. However, MACKAY felt some hits in the straight should have been discounted as he was trying to keep the four- year- old on an even keel, and without the whip could have gone through the rail.
“He said “I’m very disappointed they can’t override the rules in a case like this. I’ve hit her ten times and I understand rules are rules, but I don’t understand if a situation like this occurs why can’t they use a bit of discretion …….
“I’d say at least three of them (strikes) should have been disregarded. It wasn’t even the fact of winning, it was the fact of keeping myself safe. Now this is my second offence so next time it happens it will be triple.(the number of days).”
“Mackay later said of the stewards on At The Races: “They are sitting in there handing out days but half of them have never ridden a horse, so they don’t know.”
“Although Mackay said at the time he would not be appealing the ban, Gosden reported later: “I’ve spoken to Nicky about the ride and we’ll have a look at it in the morning, but we will be appealing. It was an extraordinary ride of a filly who was intent on hanging to the outside rail and I thought it was a requirement to correct that. This ban is bordering on the absurd and is an example of stewards not using their discretion. The next stage would be a jockey being wiped out for two or three months.”
“He added:”Nicky also looses his money. What makes it worse is that he rode six winners or me in January and after he had paid his petrol and his agent he came out of it with about £300.00.”
“Stipendiary steward Simon Cowley did not think Mackay’s defence was strong enough to merit more than one hit being removed under discretion, and said: “We looked at the video and listened to his evidence. His case was he felt the filly was hanging badly and he felt under threat and in danger. …….
“On viewing the video we didn’t feel that case was strong enough. She was hanging badly, but when he used his whip it didn’t have any effect in stopping her and in those circumstances if the whip’s not having any good effect we expect them to do something different; use it less or put the whip down and try to correct it with hands .........
“By reducing the total strikes to nine, the stewards did cut Mackey’s ban by four day’s, as he would have been given 14 days for using the whip ten times. Cowley added: "The discretion we have is in the area of safety and we feel there was an obvious safety issue. We didn't feel she was going to crash through the rails, therefore we couldn't discount all the hits. We did let him off one because when she got very close to the rail he gave her one tap and I could understand why then; to try to move her off the rail. She was hanging like a lot hang here and we don't use discretion in all those cases.
"New Professional Jockeys Association chief Paul Struthers confirmed he would be talking to Mackay today."
"Apprentice DARREN EGAN, second in the race partnering MISTER FIZZ, was given a four-day ban for the same offence." END
Where the Wolverhampton stewards correct?
RP TONY SMURTHWAITE - YES -
QUOTE: "He (Mackay) accepted that the number of times he used the whip was in breach of the rule and then questioned why discretion was not used. Here, surely, is the nub of the issue; are jockeys heading out to ride believing in salvation - a new discretionary power for the stewards - without knowing how it will be applied?
Where the Wolverhampton stewards correct?
RP PAUL EACOTT- NO -
QUOTE: "Yesterday's incident was the perfect example of where they (stewards) could have used their discretion, resisted the temptation to ban Nicky Mackay and in the process given the jockeys confidence in rules that - let us not forget - they have worked hard to abide by. He (Nicky Mackay) probably thought the stewards would use their discretion. After all the rules state that strikes of the whip can 'legitimately be disregarded' if it has been used for correctional purposes.
"Mackay was almost dumped on the ground when his mount tried to veer up the 7f chute. He did not pick up his whip at this point and only resorted to such action when she hung again in the home straight. For this Mackay deserves praise. Instead he got punished.
"There has to be something wrong with a decision-making process that means a jockey is found in breach of the rules when his use of the whip was as a last resort to stop his mount running through the rails .
"If Mackay had allowed that to happen, would he then have been praised for riding within the rules? Of course he wouldn't. At the same time he shouldn't have got in trouble for knowingly breaking the rules in order to prevent much worse happening."
MACKAY DISMAY AT WHIP BAN
JMC TURFCALL SOME KEY QUOTES
Gosden quote: "It was an extraordinary ride of a filly who was intent on hanging to the outside rail and I thought it was a requirement to correct that. This ban is bordering on the absurd and is an example of stewards not using their discretion. The next stage would be a jockey being wiped out for two or three months."
RP David Baxter quote " STARS IN YOUR EYES by going very wide rounding the turn near the stables and again down the home straight when drifting across to the nearside rail.
RP David Baxter quote "Mackay felt some hits in the straight should have been discounted as he was trying to keep the four-year-old on an even keel, and without the whip could have gone through the rail."
Mackay quote: "It wasn't even the fact of winning, it was the fact of keeping myself safe."
Mackay quote: "They are sitting in there handing out days but half of them have never ridden a horse, so they don't know."
Gosden quote: "I've spoken to Nicky about the ride and we'll have a look at it in the morning, but we will be appealing."
Gosden quote: "Nicky also loses his money. What makes it worse is that he rode six winners for me in January and after he had paid his petrol and his agent he came out of it with about £300."
JMC - RP HEADLINES AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
WHOEVER designed Wolverhampton all weather racetrack made one fatal error, which is causing all races run there significant and constant problems for riders, as was noted here last Monday badly affecting STARS IN YOUR EYES attempting to get back to the racecourse stables where she felt safe, she clearly was not enjoying her run, and made every effort to succeed not once, but twice to get back to the stables if she possibly could. Mackay was literally a passenger with or without using his whip, a horse, any horse who is determined to get to safety or out of an unpleasant situation if possible by hook or by crook cannot be stopped.
Horses are four legged creatures, when push turns to shove the two legged variety have no chance.
No wonder that Nicky Mackay feels so downhearted by the way he was treated by the stewards. He was placed in a difficult situation and how he managed and coped and went on to win is indeed as John Gosden says 'extraordinary'
JMC TURFCALL COMMENT
The only steward named was stated to be Stipendiary Simon Cowley who stated:
"Mackay's ride had 'no obvious safety issues' . Where is this man at?
Only a bloodhorse illiterate person could make such a statement as in this case.
"Mackay's ride had 'no obvious safety issues' . Where is this man at?
Only a bloodhorse illiterate person could make such a statement as in this case.
An incident as this is one of the most dangerous there is for a rider, upsides being carted.
What bloodhorse literate achiever could possibly have any confidence in phoney stewarding as this, leave alone any chance of the likelihood of bloodhorse illiterate discretion .... Who on earth wants bloodhorse illiterate discretion?
A phoney stewarding zone, a phoney regulation zone, a phoney licensing zone, a phoney passport zone, a phoney discretionary zone, a phoney non existent career direction zone, it could be said that anything and everything to do with the needs and rights of the bloodhorse literate, the horses, their owners, and their breeders is of absolutely no interest to any and all of these dishonest people.
RACING POST ONLINE VOTING
"What you say, online voting. Should Nicky Mackay have been banned?
"What you say, online voting. Should Nicky Mackay have been banned?
YES 15%
NO 85 %
NO 85 %
THE RACING POST - BE IN THE KNOW
STARS IN YOUR EYES partner NICKY MACKAY AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE
HORSERACING A UNIQUE AND REMARKABLE SPORT
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