The riding of Margaret Court

I have not been posting for long on this site .. but in one of my initial posts I mentioned the ill judged ride on Margaret Court ... Kenilworth a while back.
( ill judged being a euphemism for fucking disgraceful )

In catching James and Paul's show last night on TV I heard them say that there had been an enquiry into the ride .... assume it was this particular ride...which I thought was bloody amazing

At least it was amazing that the stipes actually got into gear to launch such an investigation ... It is a long time in coming ... and WAY overdue ...

So well done

The result of the enquiry .... horse was green .. no further action .........will have to be left to one and all to make what they will thereof

But hopefully the jockey concerned will be aware of more serious scrutiny

So this is good for racing ........ Does this mean that the punter will get a better deal ? This has to be good for racing ......

So what about a Durbanville race some weeks ago for fillies .... in which Madrisa was posted up as around 2/1 initial favourite ..... Emerald Cove ... 3/1 2nd favourite....just before the off the race Townsend .. stable mate to Emerald Cove is backed in from 10/1 bar to start at around 4/1 .. may be 9/2.

Madrisa hops out of the stalls as expected but is hotly pursued by Emerald Cove .... so hotly that the pace becomes murderous .... ever heard of tucking in ? By the time these two horses get to the 300m mark they are both dead .. Madrisa eventually tailed of last and Emerald Cove 3rd last .........In the meantime Townsend under Bernard storms home .. hands and heels ride .....

So if u are a stipe .. what do u make of this ? Well done Snaith stable for a good plan ?

What about the punter who is unware of the tactics to be used ? Out the PA first and second favourite gone

Why was there no enquiry into the riding of the two pace setters ? Are all horses supposed to be given a chance to win ?

Is this good for the game ?

If I was a stipe I would have had both jocks in the board room pronto with a specific ear for what the jock of Emerald Cove had to say

I say this boldly Badger that nothing will come of it . Too much money involved .

Madrisa and Emerald Cove are both natural frontrunners. I was away and didn't see the race, but the scenario that you paint of how it was run doesn't surprise me in the slightest. It seems that the race was run to suit a closer from behind, which Townsend is. If somebody did their homework and figured this out in advance it doesn't mean that anything untoward happened. Figuring out (or trying to) how a race will map out is often a large part of finding winners. The fact that Madrisa and Emerald Cove were the top two in the betting by itself means absolutely jacksh!t.

I think our regulations work on the principle that says "If we don't ever expose any skullduggery,most will naively believe there isn't any"

The same principle is used by banks.Their "dishonest" staff are seldom charged,to avoid the bad publicity!

I am not suggesting that any skullduggery should be swept under the rug. I have my doubts that there was any involved this time, based on how Madrisa and Emerald Cove run their races. One frontrunner chasing another until they both fall in a heap is common enough in racing. Inevitably, it's only when both are fancied that somehow or other the suggestion pops up that there might have been something underhand going on. A tearaway is a tearaway and won't stop being one when it starts favourite.

Magic I have the utmost respect for you but I believe your assessment in this case is wrong and I am not just talking from the pocket . It cannot be a coincidence that this scenario played out perfectly according to the betting . Trainers are doing this all the time with putting more then 1 runner in the race . Its not about the stakes anymore its about the punt . And they are entitled to it but always at the punters expense .

I speak as a punter, and trainers, owners , RA and Phumelela are nothing without us Punters . Forget that and you will kill this sport .
You see the R10 punters are exposed to nothing compared to what are exposed to . They sit in the tote reading their paper and loosing their money day in and day out because they take crap info from trainers and jockeys . They have no other resource and believe everything in racing is above board .

I never said it was a coincidence. It could have been worked out by those who did their homework, and Townsend was the 2nd best rated horse in the race anyway.

Magic,I was not referring to this particular issue.In fact I saw the race as you describe..My feelings relate to the regulations in general,and "inconsistent" running in particular.
(I was interrupted mid-post and was still responding to Punter...hadn't seen your post.)

rob faux Wrote:

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> Magic,I was not referring to this particular
> issue.In fact I saw the race as you describe..My
> feelings relate to the regulations in general,and
> "inconsistent" running in particular.
> (I was interrupted mid-post and was still
> responding to Punter...hadn't seen your post.)

I agree! BTW, if memory serves Madrisa and Emerald Cove were both having their 2nd run after a rest, and while as a rule I don't subscribe to this theory there are doubtless occassions when it does have an effect.

Over the years I have worked out which stable I punt with caution . You have the punting stable and then you have the stakes stable if you can really call it that . I have looked at inconsistency within stables and jockeys . Sometimes I just watch and not punt and my theories work out .

All this because I am exposed to the internet , sites like ABC and others which bring up Racing issues . Tools like Formgrids , tipsters like yourself Magic and believe that we are on a better wicket then the daily tote punters who throw their money away each day . Most of my friends have given up racing and rather go to the casino .

I wish their was a way to educate the tote punters so that they can see the inconsistencies in racing and then they can stop punting and cripple Phumelela and the RA to a point where they start respecting the punters and stop taking us for granted .

Maybe this instance the race played out to your assessment but gees I have seen many other races where you have to see it to believe it .

You could make a film with this thread,especially the title (

hibernia Wrote:

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> You could make a film with this thread,especially
> the title (

Subtitled "New Balls, Please", perhaps? I'll leave it to some other old-timer to explain that to the younger members of this board....