• REGISTER NOW!! Why? Because you can't do much without having been registered!

    At the moment you have limited access to view all discussions - and most importantly, you haven't joined our community. What are you waiting for? Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join Join Talking Horses here!

Does this make you think racing is straight?

Surely there is really obvious evidence of this in betting patterns on the exchanges? There would be a higher volume traded onto he race than a typical race of this class etc.

Reminds of Italian Serie B on Betfair about 15 years ago. Truly hilarious when looking at the volume traded - matches towards the end of the season between teams playing for nothing. You'd see a handful of grand bet on the other games and £100k on one game 🤣
If they couldn't pin Denis Hogan for the Dundalk claimer then they'll never do anyone. Paul Kimmage and David Walsh my hole , not one of them has the balls to say what I'd say on the matter. I broke the story that Denis Hogan was getting off after a two year investigation into the claimer.
 
I never for one second thought any motive (if there was one) was to get the mark down - it's not how you do it for a kick off - and I always smile when Paddy Power talk about cowardice when they immediately restricted me to betting to win a fiver after I took a lousy £160 off them just after first opening an account some years ago.

I flatter myself it was a sound business decision by them, but brave it wasn't.
It was a claimer and the horse was 13/2 from 13/8 where really only two horses could win on the formbook. It was out and out cheating and any mention of handicapping is beyond irrelevant.
 
He's a racing outsider. He was never going to get anywhere. Racing is asymmetrical: Ronan McNally gets the book thrown at him while Denis Hogan walks free after fixing a race. This isn’t the first time Charles Byrnes has fixed a race—he stopped one two years ago at Gowran Park, and his son threw the jockey under the bus. Any defence of what happened at Wexford is just wrong. The money involved is drug money, and it's corrupting the sport to a level beyond anything you can deem acceptable.
 
He's a racing outsider. He was never going to get anywhere. Racing is asymmetrical: Ronan McNally gets the book thrown at him while Denis Hogan walks free after fixing a race. This isn’t the first time Charles Byrnes has fixed a race—he stopped one two years ago at Gowran Park, and his son threw the jockey under the bus. Any defence of what happened at Wexford is just wrong. The money involved is drug money, and it's corrupting the sport to a level beyond anything you can deem acceptable.
Good old Ellaat...I laid him 4 places and he couldn't stop him getting 4th. Story of my life!
 
Megan Nicholls and Mick Fitzgerald discussed this incident, with replays and stills, on the Opening Show. Megan was particularly forthright in expressing her views on it and it was pretty obvious what they both thought. I’m a bit surprised ITV let that be broadcast.

Makes it more surprising the Stewards at Wexford were so relaxed about it on the day. Surely, they should have referred it upwards to the IHRB? and the Stewards report should have included the jockeys explanation. The lack of scrutiny and interest by the stewards is damaging to the sport. That said, I can’t imagine the belated enquiry will result in any punishment (or if it does, the appeals will probably reverse it) unless there is some hard evidence of wrongdoing. I would have no confidence in the IHRB to uncover anything, that would require police involvement.
 
Megan Nicholls and Mick Fitzgerald discussed this incident, with replays and stills, on the Opening Show. Megan was particularly forthright in expressing her views on it and it was pretty obvious what they both thought. I’m a bit surprised ITV let that be broadcast.

Makes it more surprising the Stewards at Wexford were so relaxed about it on the day. Surely, they should have referred it upwards to the IHRB? and the Stewards report should have included the jockeys explanation. The lack of scrutiny and interest by the stewards is damaging to the sport. That said, I can’t imagine the belated enquiry will result in any punishment (or if it does, the appeals will probably reverse it) unless there is some hard evidence of wrongdoing. I would have no confidence in the IHRB to uncover anything, that would require police involvement.
Watching this morning Mick Fitz was trying to find a legit reason for the UR but it was obvious he was struggling to justify it.
I thought the slo mo and head on made it even more obvious that it was not caused by the horse and as Matt Chapman stated several times the jockey knew the horse, he jumped most of the hurdles in the same way and if there was a potentially jumping issue with the horse he should have been better prepared.
To my untrained eye it looked like his feet were out of the irons ( purposely) as the horse was about to land.
And agree that the IHRB will most likely not take any action which will be a disgrace and two fingers up to punters who have a bet at smaller tracks in Ireland.
 
As stated as nauseum I don't read or watch or listen to the racing media any more, but when I did I formed opinions - and I either worked with or have met quite a lot of the older ones.

I also know presenters get asked by Producers to adopt for and against stances for TV debate.

I was hanging out in the same area as Megan Nicholls at Sandown Park on Thursday night, I don't know her personally, but I actually quite like her.

Why?

Because IMO she doesn't look or act like a typical posh trainer's daughter.

She actually looks and speaks like a normal modern young woman from the suburbs and she's got a bit of a mouthy edge to her - she actually has opinions and will deliver them with feisty attitude.

Mick Fitzgerald, who I have met, is, on the
other hand, a very affable chap, but an apologist who would still blindly defend racing if the sport was caught red handed plunging the murder weapon into a murder victim. 😂
 
Last edited:
Too many presenters are too circumspect about saying anything controversial in case the writing on the welcome mat at the various yards they visit is changed to 'Feck off ya backstabber!'

MN this morning - fair play to her - got the balance right between calling it and wording it legally.
 
It's much easier to call out when it's a small yard and a nobody jockey. Just ask Ronan McNally. The silence on Oisin Murphy has turned to gushing praise about him the last few weeks.
Nail on the head.Alistair Down was great for calling out people like the Wildensteins and Terry Ramsden.Relatively soft targets.
 
Irish racing? As a nine-bob note.

However, if they wanted it to lose there are lots of easier, better, less blatant ways of doing so. Also no threat of injury to the jockey.
It's easy to say that, but those claimers are very shallow races. He was clearly expecting the favourite to win easily, and when that wasn't happening, he had no choice. Why would you jump off at the first if you thought there was one to beat you? Kieran Fallon got caught the same way—assuming the favourite was coming.
 
I don't think racing in Ireland is appreciably lower on integrity than UK racing.

I see stuff all the time but keep it to myself.

The reason?

Well, I have known the following all my life, but a relatively (to me) young fella with something of a social media profile once paraphrased an Irish financier by saying: "No one ever advanced their position in life by opening their mouth."

Beautifully put.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top