RACING POST THURSDAY JANUARY 19th 2012
RACING POST WEEK MONDAY JANUARY 16th TO SUNDAY JANUARY 22nd 2012
TODAY'S CARDS Taunton. Ludlow. Lingfield Park. Wolverhampton. Thurles.
J MARGARET CLARKE TURFCALL COMMENT
THE BRITISH POLITICAL AND HORSERACING AUTHORITY SCAM
The British government together with the British Horseracing Authority have colluded together over decades to rob all bloodhorse literacy achievers of their worth, their skills go unrecognised, all taken for granted. There is no career structure of any sort in place and bloodhorse literate achiever George McGrath president of NASS finds he is unable to go to any schools to talk to any of the children who may be interested in looking at a career in horseracing.
The Bloodhorse Illiterate Burnham Report was equally scandalous advising all licensed trainers' to employ superstore shelf stackers to come in part time to ride out and handle thoroughbred racehorses placed in training by owners, to be paid at the minimum wage. After that there then followed a bloodhorse illiterate government commission.
Out of these two bloodhorse illiterate efforts the Stable Lads Association became known as the National Association of Stable Staff all lumped in together with the student learners, dishonestly judged by both government and the horseracing regulators to be of no account, other than to provide cheap labour, which the licensed trainers would have to get by with as best they could.
The present glitterati handler rider awards as reported in today's Racing Post by David Milnes "PAUL NICHOLLS' long-serving head lad Clifford Baker and National
Association of Stable Staff president George McGrath are among the nominees for the 2012 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards. Both have achieved bloodhorse literacy.
Both the government and the horseracing regulators bloodhorse illiterate working practices are slowly trashing this sport and are well on the way toward finishing the job off.
NOW THE PUNTERS CHAMPION RED-HOT PRICEWISE GOES IN SEARCH OF THE BETFAIR HURDLE WINNER
ANTI - POST PRICEWISE TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BETFAIR HANDICAP HURDLE TO BE RUN AT NEWBURY ON FEBUARY 11th .
"OF ALL the handicap hurdles run during the season, the one that has always floated my boat the most is the Betfair Hurdle - the race we came to know as the Totesport Trophy - at Newbury.
"It is run on the best and fairest jumps track in Britain and it comes at the perfect time of the year for horses who have Cheltenham Festival aspirations, hence the reason it used to be a very good trial for the Champion Hurdle ....
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RACING POST WEDNESDAY JANUARY 18th
"ON THE DAY PAUL BITTAR takes up his new job at the BHA we ask major figures to send him a message.
MESSAGES IN THESE THREE CATAGORIES, RACING, BETTING, BLOODSTOCK,
Here are a few of these messages.
RACING
Jim McGrath, channel 4 presenter and former BHA board member
"When he reads thoroughly all 78 pages of the BHA's report in conjunction with the RSPCA statistics available on their website and sees the disparity between the number of incidents
concerning domestic animals and how the British public do or do not look after those, compared with the almost non-existent transgressions in the racing world, it beggars belief that it led to the whip rules we currently have. They need renewing - they are grossly unfair."
Kevin Darley, chief executive, Professional Jockeys Association
"I understand he'll attend our meeting on Friday and it will be interesting to hear his views (on the whip rules) I'm told he's a grassroots racing man, which is refreshing to hear. The meeting is a general catch- up and we'll look at races our members feel have mitigating circumstances. The rules are not where we want them to be right now.""
Nicky Henderson licensed trainer
"He's got a big task and I wish him all the best. I'm looking forward to meeting him. There are lots of things to sort out but it comes down to one thing in the end -prize-money."
Brendan Powell, licensed trainer
"There are two main things we hope he can get right. One is a bit more prize - money and the other is to sit down and get a bit of common sense with the whip rules. Nobody wants to see any abuse of horses but we need a little leeway."
Cornelius Lysaght, BBC racing correspondent
"Paul Bittar starting his job is even more important than FRANKEL and KAUTO STAR for racing. There is so much that is negative in racing. Prize-money is poor, moral is poor. He has the perfect opportunity to really do something. This is the most significant thing in British racing in recent years and the early signs from his visit in November were positive.
BLOODSTOCK
Bob McCreery, veteran breeder and former TBA chairman
"Racing has been badly run since the act legislating off-course betting came in during 1963. It is in a bad way financially because the government does not pay any attention to it. The BHA has done nothing about it, causing trainers to go out of business and employment to fall within the industry. Paul Bittar (needs to) get racing properly funded like France and Ireland."
Larry Stratton, agent
"He needs to engage with the government, which was notably lacking with previous racing administrations in this country. Unless he does this and ensures a more equitable system of funding for racing, the industry will remain in trouble."
Charlie Gordon-Watson, bloodstock consultant.
"The main issue facing Paul Bittar is off shore betting. It is difficult to encourage owners to have horses in training when the annual fees could be around £25,000 and the horse could win a race worth only £1,700."
David Hodge, owner, Llety Stud, Carmarthenshire
"His key task should be to secure proper funding over the next 50 to 100 years. Horseracing is a worldwide sport in which one country's prize-money is continually competing with another. British racing is the best in the world and it is important the prize-money in Britain can contend with countries like Dubai, France and USA."
"JOCKEYS TO FOCUS ON DISCRETION OVER WHIP
By Andrew Scutts 9:06AM 17 JAN 2012
STEWARDS' lack of discretion in applying the new whip rules has been identified as a particular grievance for jockeys in advance of this week's meeting between the BHA and riders' representatives.
The controversial subject has returned to the news agenda with a vengeance in the last week, after seven jockeys were given bans totalling 93 days last Thursday, which was followed by Will Kennedy's seven-day ban and loss of prize-money for his acclaimed ride on Swincombe Flame in Saturday's Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton, which he won by a nose.
This Friday outgoing Professional Jockeys Association chief executive Kevin Darley will be among those meeting BHA officials, including new chief executive Paul Bittar, who starts his job on Wednesday and has already expressed his willingness to amend the whip rules for a third time if it is deemed necessary by theregulator.
Darley said on Monday: "The PJA is looking forward to the first formal opportunity since last year to discussing with the British Horseracing Authority the current rules concerning the using of the whip.
"We'll participate in and contribute to the review group meeting on Friday - which has been scheduled for some time - and make constructive suggestions on the best way forward.
KEVIN DARLEY: Friday meeting ....
"Jockeys have a number of ongoing concerns about the rules as they stand and are committed to working in a positive way with the regulator to address them. In particular, we do not believe that additional discretion for the stewards - which the BHA outlined in November - is being used sufficiently.
"There have been examples since the latest amendments to the rules when jockeys believe discretion could have been used, but it has not been. There are also concerns about the way in which some of the rules are being implemented and we will make those points on Friday."
Darley added: "There are still challenges to be overcome and jockeys collectively will continue to work positively and constructively with the BHA to resolve these issues."
The BHA announced on November 10 that stewards would be allowed more leeway, their statement on that element of the amendments reading: "The stewards will have enhanced discretion when it comes to the use of the whip, and whether specific uses should count towards the race total, on a case-by-case basis."
BLOODHORSE LITERATE HORSERACING AWARDS
CLIFFORD BAKER bloodhorse literate handler rider of KAUTO STAR on short list for award
By David Milnes 6:46PM 18 JAN 2012
"PAUL NICHOLLS' long-serving handler rider Clifford Baker and National Association of Stable Staff president George McGrath are among the nominees for the 2012 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards, the shortlist for which was revealed on Wednesday.
There are ten remaining finalists in each category of the awards and a glittering ceremony will be held at the Jumeriah Carlton Tower Hotel in London on February 27, where the winners will receive their prizes from two-time champion jockey Paul Hanagan.
Each category winner is to be chosen by a panel comprising the Racing Post's Brough Scott, Dinah Nicholson, wife of the late David Nicholson, Ian Balding, Pat Eddery, David Redvers of Tweenhills Stud and Judith Allen of the British Horseracing Education and Standards Trust.
In addition, the judges will also pick an overall employee of the year, while a NASS special merit award will also be announced.
David Nicholson Newcomer Award : Ginny Whales (Ashbrittle Stud), Christopher Lynn (Ferdy Murphy), James Horton (Sir Mark Prescott), Lucy Dawson (Yorton Farm), Daniel Grice (Scott Dixon), Robyn Gray (Dianne Sayer), Jordan Taylor (Luca Cumani), Katy Tyler (Mark Johnston), Katy Lyons (Geoffrey Deacon), Keith Rischards (Waddesdon Stud).
Stud Handler Award : Jeffrey Langdown (Southcourt Stud), Rachel Savage (Oakgrove Stud), Terry Albone (Mr & Mrs D Haynes), Graham Nicklin (Glebe Stud), Katie Burrell (Old Mill Stud) , Brian O'Rourke (Highclere Stud), Julie May (Tweenhills Farm & Stud), Frances Eilbeck (Minster Stud), Gordon Laing (Fittocks Stud), Lesley North (Aston House Stud).
Handler Rider Award : Charlotte Cox (Henry Candy), Rose Loxton (Paul Nicholls), Simon Archer (Sir Mark Prescott), Uttam Singh (Scott Dixon), Peter Johnson (Johnson Racing), Kate Robinson (Jamie Snowden), Natalie Lofts (Luca Cumani), Michaela Inness (Philip Hobbs), Faisal (Richard Phillips), Zafar Abbas (Godolphin-Mahmood Al Zarooni).
High Achiever Award : Jessica Bell (Brian Ellison), Clifford Baker (Paul Nicholls), Dawn Holley (Paul Nicholls), Rory O'Dowd (Brian Meehan), Louise Pascal (David Lanigan), Laura Warren (Jeremy Scott), Andrew Bottomley (Mark Johnston), Darren O'Dwyer (Philip Hobbs), William Reddy (Eve Johnson-Houghton), George McGrath (Willie Musson).
Dedication to Racing Award : Derek Wilmot (Ermyn Lodge Stud), Robin Trevor-Jones (Ed Dunlop), Willie Cowe (James Ewart), James Power (Juddmonte Farms), John Smith (Henry Candy), William Lord (Chris Wall), Burney Hutchinson (David Lanigan), Lenny Brinkley (Roger Varian), Joan Plant (Sir Henry Cecil), Richard White (Philip Hobbs).
