RACING POST FRIDAY DECEMBER 16th 2011
RACING POST WEEK MONDAY 12th TO SUNDAY DECEMBER 18th 2011
TODAY'S CARDS Ascot, Uttoxeter, Southwell, Wolverhampton, Dundalk and Jebel Ali
FANTASTIC FRIDAY Spotlight on Ascot as two-day jumps meeting kicks off with cast of young pretenders headed by HAZY TOM. Feature race previews and RP selections.
"BEGINNING OF THE END for silver ring? Special report.
PYMAN'S THEORIES French - bred novice chasers in focus - an interesting perspective.
COMMENT
J MARGARET CLARKE TURFCALL
THE BLOODHORSE ILLITERATE BRITISH HORSERACING AUTHORITY LURCHES FROM ONE SERIOUS ERROR TO THE NEXT .... ROCKING THE SPORT FROM ONE DISASTER TO THE NEXT, LEAVING YOUNG LIVES AND CAREERS UNJUSTLY CONDEMNED SCATTERED RUINED IN ITS WAKE.
THIS IS A YOUNG MAN'S SPORT. A sport that needs top athletic handler riders. If possible starting out as Lester Piggott did in his early teens, within the right environment as Twiston- Davies' two sons show us in today's world.
SOME OF THE RACING POST HEADLINES OVER YESTERDAY'S
"WARNED OFF" HEADLINE
DAVID MILNES and RODNEY MASTERS
"QUINN: I'll carry on riding after serving ban. " Jockey says he has been overwhelmed by support. I'm too easy-going with people. I didn't know who they were."
"Less keen to talk has been former champion apprentice FAIRLEY, who is thought to be embarking on a career in tree surgery after undergoing training partly financed by the Jockeys' Employment Training Scheme. The rider's former boss Mark Johnston, a BHA director, said yesterday : "I find the matter terribly sad and I've no idea why all this has happened .
"It's clear in the report that the jockeys were not the instigators. They were used. I wonder to what extent they were used and also to what extent they were too frightened to speak out against these people.
"I'm terribly concerned Greg felt unable to talk about what was going on. He told us nothing. He was clearly a very talented rider. I wouldn't have considered him untrustworthy in any way . He's not a criminal. That's all the more reason why a 12- year ban seems so extraordinary. He was riding out for us until September, October but I've not seen him since then."
COMMENT
J MARGARET CLARKE TURFCALL
LETS TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT PAUL SCOTNEY. WHO IS THIS MAN?
Scotney states "We take no pleasure in uncovering such serious breaches of the rules of racing. However, the findings of the disciplinary panel vindicate the hard work of BHA's history, the scale and complexity of this case is unprecedented."
What total rubbish this man talks, this statement,` one of a fool.
COMMENT
LEE MOTTERSHEAD RACING JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
"THE glass is half-empty depending on which way you look at it.
"Headlines in the national press on corruption in racing are plainly bad for the sport's image; headlines on corruption ...
"That Fairley and Doe committed offences worthy of 12- year disqualifications ....
JMC COMMENT
But did Farley and Doe commit offences worthy of 12-year disqualifications?
In who's opinion was a 12-year disqualification justified?
There are some very serious problems within British horseracing, this flare up
is not one of them as it is totally ridiculous. Licensed riders need protection
against the like of Maurice Sines and James Crickmore.
DAVID ASHFORTH GRAB A GRAND FOR CHRISTMAS DAY FOUR
"I've actually backed a winner. Suddenly everything feels different. Could this be the turning point?
"There's more than one way to skin a cat. All of them must be pretty revolting, though. Take my blob system, for instance; a big blob for a big fancy, a small blob for a small fancy.
"Proper punters don't have blobs, because they don't really have fancies, they just have figures. They use what they hope is their superior knowledge to work out the odds against each horse winning a race, compare their odds with those available in the betting market and try to exploit discrepancies.
"They are backing their judgement against the market's. If they think a horse's actual chance of winning is 4-1 and bookmakers price it up at 6-1, they'll back it. They might fancy a lot of horses, one way or another, at the right price.
"Anyway even though I do often have big blobs at Towcester, I haven't awarded anything a big blob today. Worryingly, there's hardly a small blob in sight, either. The card is impossible but I refuse to be deflected from my goal. If Dale Carnegie was here (he isn't having died in 1955) he'd say "I can and I will," win "£800 today."
DAY FOUR The slight fightback
Towcester 1.10
Bet: £211 win
Selection: CLOSE HOUSE
Plus + £351
Towcester 1.40
Bet: £43 win and £54 place
Selection: THEDREAMSTILLALIVE
Minus - £97
Towcester 1.40
Bet: £33 win
Selection: THE LAODICEAN
Minus
- £33
Towcester 2.10
Bet: £55 place
Selection: TONY DINOZZO
Minus - £55
Towcester 2.40
Bet: £22 win and £33 place
Selection: PICTURE IN THE SKY
Plus + £222.61
Towcester 3.10
Bet: £22 win and £33 place
Selection: ROMNEY MARSH
Plus + £22 win and £33 place
Minus - £55
Towcester 3.40
Bet: £44 lay
Selection: TOTO CORDE MEO
Minus - £52.80
Towcester Placepot
Bet: £40
Minus - £40
DAILY TOTAL
+ £240.81
RUNNING TOTAL
- £558.92
RACING POST - BE IN THE KNOW
HORSERACING A UNIQUE AND REMARKABLE SPORT
