Aidan O'Brien/Ballydoyle

So what? Is he supposed to list every single transgressor over the past few years or something?

And has been mentioned, it is naturally higher profile when the delay affects half the field rather than one. AOB should have been well aware that it would garner comment
 
clivex said:
So what? Is he supposed to list every single transgressor over the past few years or something?
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He is writing a whole article on the subject and only mentions one trainer when another equally high profile incident happened with the Oaks favourite the day before and its not mentioned? Give me a break...
 
why so fussed about trainer comments

what on earth do you think you are going to learn from them??

theres no way before a race of this importence a trainer will make any negative comments about his runners
 
In Gosden's defence, everyone knows Rainbow View gets worked up in the prelims so it was in her and punters interests to keep her out of the parade ring for as long as possible. I'm not sure AOB had the same issues with all 6 of his Derby runners.
 
Gamla Stan said:
In Gosden's defence, everyone knows Rainbow View gets worked up in the prelims so it was in her and punters interests to keep her out of the parade ring for as long as possible. I'm not sure AOB had the same issues with all 6 of his Derby runners.
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That's no defence though....was it in Sariska's punters benefit that RV missed the preliminaries?
 
You seem very focussed on Gosden (1 horse) when the topic and article were both about O'Brien (6 horses).
 
Galileo said:
He is writing a whole article on the subject and only mentions one trainer when another equally high profile incident happened with the Oaks favourite the day before and its not mentioned? Give me a break...
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Rainbow View wasn't the Oaks favourite, Gal.
 
Hamm said:
You seem very focussed on Gosden (1 horse) when the topic and article were both about O'Brien (6 horses).
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My whole point is that Gosden has not been mentioned AT ALL anywhere.

Gosden and O'Brien did the very same thing with their runners - O'Brien got delayed with his runners while Gosden avoided the pre-parade with a buzzy filly.

Both as bad as each other, both got their fines and punishments (rightly) - but only one has been mentioned on the forums and has had articles written up in the Racing Post.

O'Brien was wrong and should he do it again he should get an even heftier fine/punishment but it is absolutely fascinating to see how O'Brien is not only singled out but not a breath is mentioned about Gosden.

It is similar to Champions Day a few seasons back when O'Brien delayed and delayed the decision on weither to run George Washington in the Dewhurst. The press and forums moaned and moaned about O'Brien yet Jarvis did the very same thing with Rakti for the Champion Stakes day and again not a negative comment whispered.
 
You are probably answering your own question about why O'Brien is singled out time and again .... there is a perception in the racing industry that there is an arrogance/aloofedness (word?) about Ballydoyle, whether it is the pacemaker issue, the declaring of horses, the Derby, the lack of interaction with the media, the constant hype ('he could run in the July Cup or win the Leger') etc.

Whether he deserves it or not, there is a common denominator, and that's probably the reason.
 
When you go to the stewrads to ask permission to saddle your horse in the stables or go down to the start early, they don't just usually say yes fine. They ask you why its necessary, does the horse have temperament issues etc. With Rainbow View as GS says, it is well documented that she is tricky - but ALL 6 of Aidens? Sorry I don't agree that all 6 should have been allowed to be saddled in the stables. It can keep horses calmer but then so does keeping horses from walking around the parade ring for the alloted time. I appreciate that Derby Day is alot noisier than every other race day but isn't that part and parcel of the uniqueness of the winner - he has to be able to show strength of character to cope with the razzamatazz as well as the strangest place imaginable that anyone decided to build a racecourse (well and Brighton!). If he copes with all that and takes it in his stride - then he deserves the accolades that go with winner of the Blue Riband. Look at Sea the Stars - a true champion - nothing fazes him.
 
To reiterate what I said earlier, banging on about Gosden not being mentioned regarding holding back a single filly, this is not the first time O'brien has held back a whole squadron of horses. Five horses were held back from the paddock before the Leger last year ( i do not know if he was warned after this or not). when the first, second, third and fourth horses to be saddled could have been sent down to the paddock while each subsequent animal was saddled.

Really with O'brien saddling all runners it was only necessary for one horse to be late into the paddock and that was which ever horse he saddled last. Holding back the whole crew was unneccessary and has not been satisfactorily explained.
 
I have great admiration for Aidan O'Brien as a trainer of horses and he knows only too well how to abuse the system, push to the limits. Sure his old boss did it with New Approach last year before the Guineas. It is well known that O'Brien doesn't like bringing his horses into the parade ring too long before a race. He oftens arrives in with them just before the bell goes. This isn't just something that happens at the Derby meeting, it happens as a matter of course. One circuit of the ring is all that is required. It's a bit like the banning of children from the parade ring in Ireland, it's grand unless you're Joseph O'Brien and then you're allowed in.
 
Willoughby weighs in (taken from his latest blog post):

I did say these were assorted musings and I am trying to make up a bit for lack of activity on this blog recently. So bear with me while I get a few things down in print that have been nagging away at me.

I have to write about this Aidan O'Brien paddock episode. But it is not the extremely familiar take about how he is supposed to be showing contempt for whoever.

No, my take is about the way the media piles on in these situations.I am not talking about Alastair Down here because I know him well enought to be sure he has an independent mind when it comes to these things and is no points-scorer.

But c'mon, folks. Who are some of youtrying to kid? The same old faces seem to appear whenever they know it is safe to break cover and pile on top of the views already out there of some of our, ahem, opinion leaders. And they do it with such profundity too.

Idon't have any argument at all with the consensus view. It's not good enough; it's not right to delay the event.

But the racing media is extremely fond of banging on about stuff repeatedly and making mountains out of molehills.

O'Brien didn't do it on purpose. The whole thing was a bit of a debacle. Why else were his horses sweating? That must suggest that things went wrong behind the scenes.

If I know the way that the Coolmore boys operate, they would also have been disappointed with the delay. It is not some co-operative attempt to show anyone contempt.

The great Vincent O'Brien was an absolute stickler for his horses doing everything to the minute inthe preliminaries. You can read as much in the books about him.

Those at Ballydoyle and Coolmore are all about professionalism, and things that do not project that or embody it - ie coming into the paddock late - will not be toleratedthere in the long-run.

I know this type of incident has happened before, and O'Brien clearly needs to get a better timetable for pre-race manouevrings. Or else he is letting everyone down - including his horses.

But he knows that now. And so do others at Ballydoyle and Coolmore, so let's calm down and stop the tub-thumping a little, especially when it is designed to appeal to the 'grandstand'.
 
I respect his point of view, but I have little respect for him when he is not strong enough to stand behind a point of view in case it offends his colleague.

He also rather contradicts himself

I know this type of incident has happened before
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But he knows that now.
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To be honest (& to add some balance), I have a lot of time for O'Brien, and his understanding and intuition with horses, his managing of a horse's condition throughout a season and his dedication, and even more for the formation of Coolmore.

It's frustrating when he/Ballydoyle let unnecessary issues such as this (not such a big deal), pacemakers, team tactics, poor communication etc get in the way of admiring their operation.
 
I'm not so sure it is one circuit of the paddock that's required Cantoris, at least not over here. There are certain times posted up when horses have to be in the paddock, going down to the start, etc.
 
Shadow Leader said:
Briefly she was favourite however Sariska quickly took over that mantle, being heavily backed and going off clear favourite.
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I am aware who went off favourite, but as I said at the time of the pre-parade and in the parade ring she would have been Oaks favourite or at the very least challenging for favouritism.
 
Example of O'Brien's useless statements...

"Speaking on Tuesday O'Brien said: "All the horses we ran at Epsom and Chantilly seem to be fine and they will all be considered for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, the Coral-Eclipse Stakes and the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris."

Well how insightful, you'd think he'd at least say if one was favoured ahead of the other for said horse etc.
 
Gamla Stan said:
Example of O'Brien's useless statements...

"Speaking on Tuesday O'Brien said: "All the horses we ran at Epsom and Chantilly seem to be fine and they will all be considered for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, the Coral-Eclipse Stakes and the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris."

Well how insightful, you'd think he'd at least say if one was favoured ahead of the other for said horse etc.
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While I am not holding my breath...there may be more in the paper itself tomorrow.
 
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