If Ballyoisin ran his best race possible, he still shouldnt have been near 7/4 to beat Un de Sceaux
I felt some sympathy for Geraghty in that he clearly wanted to pull up because the horse was exhausted but punters would have been up in arms. At the same time he could be said to been endangering the horse's welfare by carrying on.
The older I get the better I was.
Horse welfare was endangered by letting the meeting go ahead.
Ah! but a man's reach should exceed his grasp......
Agreed, Colin. How Cork ever passed an inspection (did they even hold one?) is a complete mystery.
"Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".
SlimChance, March 2018
Didn't seem to worry UDS. It's down to the trainers about riding instructions but it was perfectly safe.
The older I get the better I was.
Rarely wise to measure a track's safety based on the performance of one horse, archie.
They were paddling through it, and I doubt it would have been allowed to go ahead in the UK.
"Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".
SlimChance, March 2018
You should only run horses that can handle it but heavy ground is far safer for NH horses than firm ground.
The older I get the better I was.
edgt (11th December 2017)
What indication did barry give he wanted to pull the horse up. He did what any pro would have done with 2 to jump.
I felt he should pull him up when he clobbered the 3rd but had a change of mind when I saw he was going for it.
Most that criticised him did so after he fell as after timers always do.
Formely Fist of Fury
Barry only had to negociate the last two fences to put a grand in his arse pocket, and only had to do it at the same pace he'd have trotted back to the unsaddling enclosure, no way was he going to pull it up.
remember Punchestown a few years ago running through a river ?
When advance sales and hospitality are on the line you do what you can ; people are free to withdraw horses or pull them up if they do not act on the ground.
How did Matt Chapman take to it all on ATR?
Missed it as I was there.
I called my friend in Ireland about whether racing would be on or not and his reply was "This is Ireland not poxy England where they cancel racing every time a cloud farts"
Formely Fist of Fury
Is that acceptable though?
Who beside the racecourse benefited by the meeting going ahead. Any prize-money gained is put in the shade by what it has done to the horses.
A time-buff on TRF reports a record (by some way) going correction - and suggests a going description as a “quagmire”.
Ah! but a man's reach should exceed his grasp......
I would say that it's not acceptable to elevate commercial considerations, ahead of the welfare of the horses.
However, the welfare of the horses is really the domain of the trainer rather than the racecourse, imo. If trainers are prepared to run their horses in what was effectively a swamp, then they probably have to be given the benefit of the doubt, that doing so is not overtly detrimental to their well-being.
It's a tough one, because it didn't look pretty.......but has it really damaged the welfare of any of the runners, more than those at any other racecourse hosting a meeting over the weekend?
"Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".
SlimChance, March 2018
I don't even trust some owners with their horses welfare, let alone trainers who'll consider the prize money easy pickings with lesser runners. Racecourses should be responsible for horses welfare as the event is held its on their turf.
That is cobblers, I'm afraid. Decision to run is entirely down to O&Ts.
"Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".
SlimChance, March 2018
I appreciate that I would definitely be described as a “tree-hugger” by many “racing people” but there is no way I would let my horse run in such attritional ground. And I certainly do not enjoy watching horses wobble their way to the winning-post on their last legs.
I’m also not convinced that horses are less likely to injure themselves on very soft/heavy ground.
Ah! but a man's reach should exceed his grasp......