Gollings lashes Order of Merit proposals

Simon

Simon

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Steve Gollings has slammed the decision to restructure the British Horseracing Authority Order of Merit claiming that the decision will not help smaller yards achieve success.
The Order of Merit was established as an incentive to trainers to run their best horses as often as possible and the competition proved hugely popular with racegoers and trainers alike.
However, there are concerns that the new points system could persuade trainers not to run their charges and therefore allow less well-known horses triumphing.
Indeed, the Jump Racing Development Group has expressed its concern over the proposals, believing the new system would lead to a repeat of Royal Shakespeare's win in 2006, a claim which has angered Gollings.
"A tough, reliable and totally genuine horse like Royal Shakespeare should be celebrated not castigated," Gollings told the Racing Post.
"I would have thought he epitomised what the Order of Merit should be about, so therefore I was deeply disappointed by the unnecessary reaction from this committee.
"It's particularly galling as his injury [he is currently recovering from a double fracture to a bone at the back of his knee] at Kempton was caused because he was trying too hard."
Royal Shakespeare won the Elite Hurdle and Agfa Hurdle on his way to claiming the Order of Merit and Gollings is angry that the Jump Racing Development Group feels a more fashionable horse should have won.
"Why not give the cash and the trophy to Paul Nicholls yard at the start of the season? That should help to attract a new sponsor," Gollings continued.
"It would save all the nasty, competitive stuff. After all, the very last thing we need is another super tough horse from a small yard winning again, do we?"
Currently points are awarded to reflect the relevant grade of the 68 races from October through to April that make up the Order of Merit.
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I didn't know of any re-structuring going on :confused:
 
Since when was the Order of Merit popular with racegoers? Fair play to Steve Gollings for grasping the nettle but the competition is, and always has been, a steaming pile of poo.
 
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Given it was created to encourage the best horses to run more often, it's lost all relevance since the demise of Best Mate.
 
I think he was right to speak out about it, although I still do not know what re-structuring is going on.
No doubt Nicholls will win again this year and put the smaller yards further down and down.
 
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I wouldn't describe Royal Shakespeare as average. Not a worldbeater, not Brave Inca, Katchit or Hardy Eustace but certainly not average.
 
Simon said:
No doubt Nicholls will win again this year and put the smaller yards further down and down. Afterall, he has nicked most of their decent horses.
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Has he?? Which horses would they be, and which yards did he "nick" them from?

I was under the misguided impression that an owner decides where to send their horses and to whom they will pay training fees.
 
There are plenty of ways it can be done, I'm sure you're only too aware of that.
 
You must mean French owners, Simon.

French owners who are generally only too happy to sell their horses, for the vast sums Anthony Bromley's clients are prepared to pay.

Nicholls success is built on the relationships he has developed over a number of years - Barber and Bromley probably being the two most significant - and that fact that he happens to be an outstanding trainer of racehorses.

The suggestion that he has bullied his way to the top, is well wide of the mark.
 
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I'm not saying he's bullied his way to the top. He's a very good trainer of horses, no doubt, but I do believe he's trying to get any good horses or wealthy owners to have their horses with him. I'll find you an old post from here of Heads, which is very, very true.
 
Yes, I forget that Nicholls is in the habit of holding a shotgun to owners' heads and forcing them to move their horses to him.....
 
Originally posted by Headstrong@Mar 23 2008, 04:09 PM
I am starting to find his domination very worrying, however well deserved - it can't be good for the sport in the long run. Even 2nd-rung 'rich men' like John Webb are now moving their horses to Nicholls, so depriving yet another small trainer in Steve Gollings of half his string, even though he's done well for Webb.

It's very bad news imo when most trainers are going to have to tell their owners that except at the very bottom level, it's pointless to expect anything from their NH horse except a day out, watching the top few yards and esp Nicholls win all the decent prizes. If the trend carries on Nicholls will have to run his stars against each other - there'll be booger-all else to run against!
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Here you go...it's even relevant to this topic.
 
Whether you agree with what is said in that post or not, nowhere is it stated that Nicholls 'nicked' horses from anyone.

I'm sure Webb (and other owners) are big enough and ugly enough adults to move their horses to other trainers of their own free will.
 
Grasshopper said:
Name a decent Nicholls hurdler.
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Pierrot Lunaire and Celestial Halo.

Lets get back on topic. The topic was the Order of Merit and these shake-ups and what Steve Gollings has to say about it and not particularly Paul Nicholls, although he was mentioned.

Everybody knows I'm a big fan of Gollings, for obvious reasons but lets get discussing this OoM shake-ups, shall we?
 
For the love of Jesus H Christ Almighty, Simon - it was you who brought Nicholls into the topic by slagging him off in the first place!!!!!!!
 
I guess my comment and what I meant was put incorrectly. I didn't mean to slag the man off, he's obviously a wonderful horseman.

Can we move on now?
 
Well, I wouldn't call them bad. Nicholls reckons he's aiming both at the Champion this year, from what I've read and knowing him he'll probably have a 1-2 :D
 
In fairness to Simon (although I'm not in total agreement by a long way), when Nicholls was fighting Pipe for the Trainer's Championship, a surprising number of horses suddenly appeared in his yard from odd sources which looked a little odd at the time. It's more than possible that that was an anti-Pipe backlash as much as anything, but it was still slightly unsettling.
 
Simon said:
I guess my comment and what I meant was put incorrectly. I didn't mean to slag the man off, he's obviously a wonderful horseman.

Can we move on now?
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So, if you didn't mean to use this as yet another gratuitous opportunity to slag off Nicholls, what did you mean?? I'm no enormous fan of the bloke, but only you could drag him into a topic by slagging him off, then demand that everyone stops dragging it "off topic" by expanding on the very subject you brought up in the first place!
 
Both are a long way from bad, but neither are likely to cause mass sticking of heads in ovens by owners of other hurdlers.
 
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