Racing for Change: have your say

 
I see that we have as Project Leader Rod Street -- former MD of Northern Racing -- and as a member of the team Tony Kelly, present MD of Northern Racing. If this is an indication that NR's approach to race programming and prize money is to hold sway, then heaven help our sport.

The people who have presided over the disgraceful downgrading of Chepstow and Uttoxeter should not be in a position to be making recommendations about Racing's future.
 
:confused: It was a good marketing opportunity. We all have our morales but know that sex sells, and so did the publicity about The Decider. Is Ruby trying to make excuses??
Walsh questions Gold Cup build up campaign


By Tom Kerr 7:10PM 27 MAR 2010
RACING FOR CHANGE have defended 'The Decider' - their Totesport Gold Cup publicity campaign focused on Kauto Star and Denman - after Ruby Walsh said the narrow focus was "an insult" to connections of Cooldine and Imperial Commander.
Writing in his Irish Examiner column on Saturday, Kauto Star's jockey Ruby Walsh wrote: "[The build-up] was an insult to Paul Townend and Cooldine, and to Paddy Brennan and Nigel Twiston-Davies with Imperial Commander, among others."
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Ruby Walsh: 'insult to others'
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker
Walsh also used his column to suggest that the intense PR campaign may have subtly affected his race preparations, saying: "I don't know how much of a factor this was, if at all, but was I guilty too of getting sucked into the whole Denman-Kauto Star circus?
"It wasn't that my focus was off, but when everything is focused on one other horse, then sub-consciously you're an inch off where you should be."
In response, Racing For Change public relations director Nick Attenborough said: "The fact that the media really got behind the race was fantastic and created a phenomenal amount of publicity for racing. And even though another horse won I don't think any harm was done."
 
I'm not sure what he's trying to say - his focus was either not off, or it was off by 'an inch from where you should be'. Which means off-focus. The best thing is always to ride your horse's race, not try to outguess how anything else will be ridden. Provided your focus is on the way your horse should travel, and you follow that through, then that's the best you can do.
 
Well! If that doesn't confirm my opinion of Mr R. Walsh as someone who is a t*sser of the first order, nothing will..!!

'Subtle' and 'Ruby Walsh' are not two words I'd ever put in the same sentence..


Didn't hear him complaining before the race about all the media attention, although any averagly intelligent racegoer knew it was ridiculous media hype that was unlikely to pan out.
 
I don't get what everyone has against Ruby all of a sudden. Is it all because he cantered Kauto back? One of the greatest jockeys of his generation, he is a legend.
 
I've got nothing against Ruby Walsh, AP McCoy, Barry Geraghty, Davy Russell, Jamie Spencer, you-name-'em. They can all ride 5,000 times better than any of us and have nothing to prove professionally. I think riding back KAUTO STAR was idiotic, I don't care who was on board, or even if it wasn't KS, but a knackered old handicapper - it's dumb, dumb, dumb. But I've read that blurb twice, and for the life of me I've no idea what the man is trying to say. Perhaps Blogs, like articles, should be more rigorously inspected by editors for not just content, but sense!
 
Songsheet and I obviously come from different planets on this. However, I agree with Kri that a whole lot of the article doesn't make much sense at all. :)
 
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Simon said:
I don't get what everyone has against Ruby all of a sudden. Is it all because he cantered Kauto back? One of the greatest jockeys of his generation, he is a legend.
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I think the majority would agree that he is an exceptional talent in the saddle, but he's an odd fish at times. Riding Kauto back just seems to be wrong, given what happened Hughes a few days later (albeit Hughes' horse was injured), and throwing his weight against the media attention for The Decider is not helpful to racing. It was the right media decision for build it up as The Decider, and if he got sucked in that's his problem....he's a pofessional after all.
 
Think Cantoris has it about right - of course RW's a serious talent, no dispute over that but I suppose it was a fairly serious shock to see (and then read) a supposedly top professional riding back on the best chaser in the UK after it had fallen (although it really is immaterial what the horse's ability is) and to read him whining on about the media hype.

I don't think he's a legend by any stretch - a very good jockey, yes - legend, no.

Made me reassess the man and I was disappointed to find him wanting!!
 
No, it isn't for some of us, and owners have been displeased in the past - but nobody dare say a word to certain jockeys, it seems. Others get a good bawling-out for minor transgressions, but Ruby Can Do No Wrong.
 
I think the majority would agree that he is an exceptional talent in the saddle, but he's an odd fish at times.
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I think that sums it up well. Almost has a slightly perverse streak maybe? He can certainly be a bit cranky (remeber him a while back on morning line when he seemed to have the right hump)

Perhaps with this he was making some sort of obscure point?
 
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