Barney Curley

Broadcaster and former jockey Mick Fitzgerald ‏@(mickfitzg): "Surely it's a case of well done Barney. Plan executed perfectly. My builders are full of chat about it, as will betting shops nationwide." 22 mins ago
 
Good post bar

Dinosaurs on here and in racing circles seem to be oblivious to competing markets. Mates of mine are most definitely drifting towards other sports

And anyone wonders why?

Anyone who thinks this is good publicity is out of their minds.
 
Just because others are doing something, doesn't make it right.



I think there is a world of difference. Murray is obviously trying his bollix off. He is using tournaments to achieve full fitness. That is very different from not performing well wilfully to get a lower handicap mark in order to win future races more easily.



Again, there is a world of difference between these two scenarios. One is cheating, the other isn't. If a horse or player needs match practice, that is the way it is.



This is true, but why does racing have such a bad reputation? Maybe because of Curley and his ilk?



Two wrongs don't make a right.



OK, I don't know what to make of this point.



I agree that racing lore includes these great gambles, but maybe this is why the sport is marginalised. Do they really do more good than harm? I am not so sure.

I wasn't arguing about the rights and wrongs of it. No number of wrongs will ever make a right.

I'm not sure any wrong was done in the first place and I'm merely trying to point out that racing shouldn't be singled out as the only sport where alleged rule-breaking takes place.
 
And akin to admiring someone for fiddling their expenses

You present yourself as a self-made business person.

I've yet to meet the self-made business person who has not at some point screwed someone on the way up or had their business expenditure at least tweaked favourably or their tax return completed to [at best] avoid tax.

If you are a paragon of virtue then it's a perfectly fair and admirable comment and I doff my cap to you.

If not, you are a hypocrite.
 
You present yourself as a self-made business person.

I've yet to meet the self-made business person who has not at some point screwed someone on the way up or had their business expenditure at least tweaked favourably or their tax return completed to [at best] avoid tax.

If you are a paragon of virtue then it's a perfectly fair and admirable comment and I doff my cap to you.

If not, you are a hypocrite.

That is completely irrelevant. Absolute rubbish point. And you have no right to make a judgement on how I file tax or run my business. None whatsofuckingever

And as it happens I work as a broker for finance

And as it also happens I avoid financing firms that are underhand short term and abuse trust. I could name them too

Because I take a long term view for my clients
 
I agree that it shouldn't be singled out, Dessie. As you may know, I am a massive fan of cycling, and it gets tarred with a dirty brush way more than it deserves.

But the reality is that racing is seen as bent, and cycling is seen as doped, and the authorities need to go beyond the normal realms of administration to ensure the image of both sports is cleaned up.

Having lads like Curley and Jonathan Tiernan-Locke in the papers really just reinforces the beliefs of the public.
 
In my days as a tax inspector well over 90% of a/cs submitted by the self-employed and critically examined were found to contain "mistakes", intentional or otherwise, which reduced the profits of the taxpayer. Unfortunately, at that time and it`s probably worse now, HMRC were only given the resources to critically examine less than 5% of all a/cs. Dessie`s view of self-made businessmen is widely shared by those who actually examine their accounts. Of course, there are exceptions like clive:)
 
Back to the racing, we spent so much time second guessing Cocozza and left Eye Of The Tiger and co out of calculations!
How many pounds had these horses cumulatively dropped in the ratings ?
I imagine the rating of a listed or group horse.
To get all four back near on song on the same day is some achievement however it was done and no mention of a needle anywhere either to inject joints, epo, sungate or anything else, not yet at any stage.
Curley never associated with any of these to my knowledge.
 
Would those objecting to yesterday's coup please explain where they think the rules have been broken, what cheating has occurred and who exactly are the victims? And perhaps they could show us some actual examples of bad publicity arising from it?

All we have on the thread so far are subjective statements of disapproval.
 
Horses were stopped in order to get the marks they had yesterday. I'm pretty sure you dont believe otherwise grey!
 
I definitely believe otherwise, there was no need to stop them.

They were cheaply bought half broken down horses that used to be talented. They were run a few times after being acquired and then put away to get their problems sorted out.
 
In my days as a tax inspector well over 90% of a/cs submitted by the self-employed and critically examined were found to contain "mistakes", intentional or otherwise, which reduced the profits of the taxpayer. Unfortunately, at that time and it`s probably worse now, HMRC were only given the resources to critically examine less than 5% of all a/cs. Dessie`s view of self-made businessmen is widely shared by those who actually examine their accounts. Of course, there are exceptions like clive:)

Bullshit. Don't give us that.

I work with any number of tax accountants and there is no way they could operate if 90% of claims they submitted were wrong. And most self employed or small businesses use these people (not me I should say)

Also most cannot be arsed with the sheer bother of saving a few quid and the risk of fines and subsequent continual inspections

About to chat to a tax guy this afternoon as it happens
 
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But the reality is that racing is seen as bent, and cycling is seen as doped, and the authorities need to go beyond the normal realms of administration to ensure the image of both sports is cleaned up.

I think the public see through most sports for what they are but some get away with a better image than perhaps they deserve.

Football, cricket and F1 have all been damaged recently in one way or another.

Nearly everyone suspects mass doping in athletics and there are plenty of athletes not off an inch in Diamond Meet competitions.
 
I think the public see through most sports for what they are but some get away with a better image than perhaps they deserve.

Football, cricket and F1 have all been damaged recently in one way or another.

Nearly everyone suspects mass doping in athletics and there are plenty of athletes not off an inch in Diamond Meet competitions.

Yep.

And I do recall football and cricket fans congratulating various Pakistani cricketers and distant Eastern European football teams for their "coups"
 
That is completely irrelevant. Absolute rubbish point. And you have no right to make a judgement on how I file tax or run my business. None whatsofuckingever

Obviously touched a nerve there, didn't I??

It's not irrelevant. You have no right to make a judgment on Curley yet you called him akin to someone who fiddles their expenses. If you fix yours - and I never accused you of doing so - then you're being a hypocrite.

Nor did I make a judgment on how you file tax or run your business.

I can only let my imagination run riot... :lol:
 
It was in response to your sweeping statement about ALL businessmen. You have just been watching too much tv

I gather you and dan are (or were) in the public sector.

Do you both write these posts all by yourself or do you wait for someone to tell you to do so? And do you post after 3.30 in the afternoon?
 
Grey chooses his words well and has done so on this thread. 'Horses not at their best' might be a better description than 'half broken down horses' otherwise I agree with his argument. When they last ran it was not necessary for them to be cheated with.

Clearly there appears to have been coordination yesterday, its is hard to argue otherwise. This would indicate a conspiracy, word with unpleasant overtones. However what has happened it that some shrewd parties have kept tight the fact that not just one, but four, possibly five horses' have substantially been brought back to their former levels over a lengthy period of time. Given the nature of racing folk that is a major achievement.

If it were the case that the horses had been deliberately run down so as to give poor performances that would be cheating. The length of time that it has taken to bring these horses to the boil mitigates against that and giving the benefit of the doubt I see this as a well managed plot rather than cheating.
 
Bullshit. Don't give us that.

I work with any number of tax accountants and there is no way they could operate if 90% of claims they submitted were wrong. And most self employed or small businesses use these people (not me I should say)

Also most cannot be arsed with the sheer bother of saving a few quid and the risk of fines and subsequent continual inspections

About to chat to a tax guy this afternoon as it happens

I trust your chat is before 3-30, Clive.
 
It was in response to your sweeping statement about ALL businessmen. You have just been watching too much tv
I never once mentioned all businessmen. For a successful self-made businessman, your reading skills fall well short of GCSE level. You're probably self-employed because you'd otherwise be unemployable.


I gather you and dan are (or were) in the public sector.
Ah yes, the public sector. The lazy target so beloved of chinless wonders.

Do you both write these posts all by yourself or do you wait for someone to tell you to do so?
I can show initiative. Just gimme the go-ahead...

And do you post after 3.30 in the afternoon?
Being retired, I can pretty much post as and when I can be arsed.

Next question?
 
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