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RUK Lambasts Trainers/Jockeys

Honestly, anyone would think it's brain surgery. I've been involved with horses throughout the saddling up procedure and sparing a few seconds to say a few polite words is hardly going to cause pandemonium.

Most high profile trainers have plenty of staff at top level meetings as well, and most staff know how to apply tack to a horse.
 
Not quite sure how saddling up a horse for 3 minutes is comparable in stress levels to the likes of Formula One where more often than not the leading figures still manage to offer a few words as the cars are on the grid. Or in Tennis, or football, or athletics, oh wait, just about every sport....
 
Just read Warbler's posts Shadz, he gives many examples of other sports where interviews are managed in busy and stressful moments leading up to, during and after key sporting events. I can't see how racing is any different.
 
That's precisely why your comment is so damned funny, Gamla Stan. It's not the saddling per se, it's the incredible stress involved in getting the animal to the track in the first place so at that stage of the proceedings you're still strung up and wanting to find yourself a decent spot to watch the race and watch your animal go down and see how he is acting rather than have some grinning idiot like Rishi Persad stick a microphone in your face. I truly think if this was happening on a regular basis plenty of them would get mouthfuls at best and a fist in the face at worst!

I refer you all to my comment three posts back.
 
Ok, tell me this. Would Fergie talk to Rishi Persad two minutes before kick off for the Champions League Final? Would he bollocks.
 
Well I've been struck by the number of trainers, who once the horse leaves the paddock routinely tell us that there's nothing more they can do now its up to the horse etc Although in fairness this would only fall into the banal 'quick word' - 'comment' type thing.

Football managers have to appear for after match press conferences regardless of their teams performance Shadz. In fact about 10% of them invariably end up in front of the FA for allegations they make about the referee, although one detects that a succession of fines and time consuming hearings has taken its toll as it's not as prevalent as it used to be. Rugby coaches also appear shortly post match. Cricket tends to interview players, but concetrates on the success stories. Snooker players walk straight off the table and straight into a television studio. So quick is this, that the host can often fill for no more than a minute between them leaving the auditorium and arriving in the studio chair. Deafted tennis pro's are contracted to give press conferences, and get fined for missing them (which they occsionally do). Mind you, they're more acutelt aware of sponsorship an dthe product endorsement industry than racing.

Toobe - provided the case you refer has been to court and been heard, and the judgement is in the public domain, you can name the parties involved. What you mustn't do, however tempted you might feel one way or the other, is to make a contrary allegation to its decision
 
Shadow Leader said:
Ok, tell me this. Would Fergie talk to Rishi Persad two minutes before kick off for the Champions League Final? Would he bollocks.
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Unfortuantely Shadz you've picked a very bad example.

Fergie does, and even he has to give a few words after he's delivered his half time talk in any Champions League match and is making his way back to the dug out
 
As I said Warbler, by all means hold press conferences after racing. Football managers appear in press conferences after the match, not at half time. Nor do they agree to give an interview 2 minutes before kick off. Snooker players have press conferences after their matches, not between frames. Cricket players have press conferences after the match, not between wickets. So what is the difference where racing is concerned?
 
There are greater stresses in sports than watching your horse go to post and to go and find Rupert in the O&T bit of the stand as he has your sherry and copy of Horse and Hound. The hard work has been done by that point anyway!

You wouldn't hear Fergie say "Sorry Rishi, can't chat now, got to go and get comfy on the bench, I have to sit there for 45 minutes you know."

What crap.
 
Also, I don't think this is about the 2 minutes before a race. As Lydia on RUK pointed out, they were miffed by the non attendance of trainers and jockeys at the Mark Your Card event which takes place at about midday?

Presume they were too busy tucking in at the O&T restaurant at that point. Pretty important pre-race routine.
 
Shadow Leader said:
Football managers appear in press conferences after the match, not at half time. Nor do they agree to give an interview 2 minutes before kick off.
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Errr...I have seen Fergie interview at half time....

Tennis players get interviewed moments before they go on the court.
 
Gamla Stan said:
There are greater stresses in sports than watching your horse go to post and to go and find Rupert in the O&T bit of the stand as he has your sherry and copy of Horse and Hound. The hard work has been done by that point anyway!

You wouldn't hear Fergie say "Sorry Rishi, can't chat now, got to go and get comfy on the bench, I have to sit there for 45 minutes you know."

What crap.
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GS, you are truly showing your ignorance now I'm afraid. The stress comes from wanting to watch how they are moving going to post, how they are behaving, if they are sweating. Training horses is a hell of a lot more different than you think it is I'm afraid. The stresses involved are incredibly high and during such a race the trainer will be highly strung until their horse has crossed the line. Your facetious comments about Rupert in the O&T with your sherry are ridiculous and you know it. I apologise; I mistook you for someone who went racing and knew a little bit about the game.
 
Shadow Leader said:
GS, you are truly showing your ignorance now I'm afraid. The stress comes from wanting to watch how they are moving going to post, how they are behaving, if they are sweating.
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What is the trainer supposed to do if the horse is sweating on the way to post, run after it with a mop and bucket?!
 
Ok, so I stand corrected over the half time thing. However the point still stands that in many sports participants do not have to give press conferences in the middle of the days play.

Now I'm bored of trying to explain things to a lot of people who clearly don't know what training horses involves and who don't want to know. So I'm giving up on this one, only so many times you can bang your head against a brick wall.
 
I think my involvement with racing is irrelevant here (go at least 3-4 times a month and have owned horses and ran syndicates), I can just see that it's critically important that connections of horses interact with the media, in order to appeal to the public and please sponsors. Else, prize money will dry up.

Not giving an interview because you want to watch your horse move to post is absolute bollocks. There's nothing the trainer can do by that point.
 
Shadow Leader said:
Ok, so I stand corrected over the half time thing. However the point still stands that in many sports participants do not have to give press conferences in the middle of the days play.

Now I'm bored of trying to explain things to a lot of people who clearly don't know what training horses involves and who don't want to know. So I'm giving up on this one, only so many times you can bang your head against a brick wall.
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All these stressed trainers should move to America...because due to what must be an act of God, a miracle or simple good manners they are more than capable of being interviewed not just once a day...but twice (yes twice!) in a day on the racecourse on their biggest of racedays.

Only in America....:adore:
 
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Shadow Leader said:
Ok, tell me this. Would Fergie talk to Rishi Persad two minutes before kick off for the Champions League Final? Would he bollocks.
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Well, he blathered on to me for two minutes before the Arsenal match so yes! :D

More seriously, I would like to hear much more about the characteristics/personality of the horse from trainers. After all, they are the one's that see the horse every day. I don't expect a trainer to be saying "x will win today" or whatever. As Davidjohnson said before, the horses are the stars of the show.

In fairness, this does run two ways; intelligent answers are usually preceded by intelligent questions.
 
Gamla Stan, many great posts there, tell us, how do they compare?

Gal, great post, when did you first think you were going to make that post?
 
uncle goober said:
Gamla Stan, many great posts there, tell us, how do they compare?

Gal, great post, when did you first think you were going to make that post?
Click to expand...


Thanks UG.

Will the BHA actually have any back bone on this matter? It was interesting that RUK were quick to point out on Saturday morning that the "right people in the BHA" were alarmed by the comments of their sponsors and that Hislop and co expected news on this soon (though they mentioned it to be in the conditions of their license as opposed to the race conditions).
 

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