david payne interview

Great to see the interview but 1 very disturbing admission made by david payne

Paul Laff asked David if he still punts , David said no he is mellow now,Paul then asked if you have a good one lined up will you have a go,David then said yes,so Paul asks David how do you avoid exposing the horse @ the barrier trials

The next comment from David Payne shocked me

He admitted that if he has a horse lined up for a bet he "gives the horse a easy in the barrier trials to avoid ppl getting on before the stable,he then went on to say that @barrier trials you can do as you please and put any weight on a horse and nobody checks (implying its easy to beat the system)

That tells me he is not a honest man,infact he is being a cheat and misleading the public as barrier trials are there for the purpose of giving the betting public more info on the races

Can anybody deny that corruption is rife in racing?

Tellycrap could edit the interview to avoid that being made public again,but if you watched it you heard it and its bloody disturbing when a man who was a leading trainer in sa admit to being a cheat

Shame on you David Payne

The other issue was the grroms pay,David says that the grooms clear around. $800(oz) per week plus incentives!!

If a SA groom gets that money he ll live like a king

So the question is are SA grooms grossly underpaid?

What always baffles me is that you ll see a groom in sa who s lookin after a horse worth millions but dressed in tattered clothing ,surely as a owner and even the trainer you would look after the man who cares for your pride and joy

The inequalities in racing continues unabated,maybe goverment intervention will right the injustices

Grooms dress code was one of the first things I noticed when I started punting. In fact I have won a few bets by looking at what the grooms are dressed like. The well dressed guys with ties think they are going to be on TV and dress well and those have been the ones I have won bets on.

The dress code issue is not for anyone but the stable to sort out. These guys are in the employ of the stable and the stable should do more to dress their staff well. Think of Charles Lairds guys in their chino's and maroon collared shirts. It says a lot for his stable and the professionalism of it.

At R30 to R40 a T shirt it would not be that difficult or costly to at least dress these guys. They do a lot for these horses and have better relationships with the animals than most. The sponsors have the perfect opportunity to brand these guys. Hollywood already knows that though!

Even the horses get a clean coat, so why should the grooms not?

A lot of trainers try and improve their grooms attire for races but a lot dont try at all. I think it makes a good impression on your owners and the public and trainers should be spoken too if they send grooms to the races dressed badly. As you say it does not cost much to have the grooms looking decent.

South African racing as a product, is broadcast to the world. You only have to look at racing in the UK to measure against ourselves. We don't normally see the parade ring in the UK other than at night but do yourselves a favour and look at the grooms attire, then compare against what we display to the world.

Umlilo's views often get dismissed by most as being radical on this site due to the way his activism shines through but he makes valid points and does not skirt lightly around issues. A simple issue such as dress code highlights his points.

Now I know dress will not address inequality but it will go some way towards saying to the world that we respect the rights and dignity of all South Africans. At the moment we are saying to the world through this lack of caring; "Nothing has changed!" The cost to stables R30 to R40; the bigger cost????

@ craig eudey

How much does a groom earn in South Africa ?

@others

What's your thoughts on David Paynes admission to cheating @ the barrier trials?

@alcaponee:

'Umlilo's views often get dismissed by most as being radical on this site due to the way his activism shines through but he makes valid points and does not skirt lightly around issues'

Tnx Al! Appreciated!

Yes, it's the radicals that bring about the change and eventually, what they preached becomes gospel and they are forgotten!

Our country needs people like you for inputs to guide us collectively to a country where there's dignity and respect for all fellow beings...regardless of race or status.

The recent John Freeman outburst against a former groom only contributes to polaring us even more where BEE, enrichment, personal agendas, bribery, corruption, etc are interlaced excuses with racism overtones for self-interests.

FYI:

I just declined involvement / benefit / offer in a 'major' BEE initiative involving the gambling industry; I will not sell my principles to anyone.... black or white!

I think Goosen and Woodruff do well and possibly others? I gave golf shirts to my stable but have never seen the grooms wearing them?
I am sure it was Goosen with the White gloves?

It depends on the experience of the groom, whether he rides work, and how long he has been with that trainer. A groom who we start teaching earns around R1600 per month up to a Head groom who say rides work say R3200+. On top of this the groom who does the horse that wins or runs a place gets extra money as does the work riders, Head grooms and the spare race groom. They also do not pay any rent or electricity or water here. All grooms that go to the races get paid cash at the races.

It surprises me that racing men have not responded to this thread

Are we all comfortable that cheating takes place in racing ,has it become the norm?

Is it fine that David Payne cheats the public to protect his owners chance of a coup?

Is the owners 1st prize not the cheque rather than the punt ?

How good a advert for racing is a trainer admitting to cheating to beat the system?

Louis and Craig your input will be appreciated,as trainers you can put to bed any mistruths that the public have that racing is rotten to the core

I also watched that interview..personally I am not a fan of that stable

@soodum
Is the owners 1st prize not the cheque rather than the punt ?

What is wrong if the owner has a punt?.
It is only fair that the owner has the first bite of the cherry, after all, he pays the keep. Owning a horse is a huge financial investment.

That's my opinion anyway. Sorry if it is not the answer you were looking for.