Graeme Hawkins

I think we should wait and see Graham Hawkins response......

Ben-Hur Wrote:

---

> I thought so too Mr H.The Durban Turf Club which
> in turn GC.Hawkins works for Phumelela amongst
> others.Maybe GC appointed the panel?Or has
> someother party hijacked that aspect or have we
> got it all wrong.I am sure I for one will like to
> know these answers before commenting.

Ancient history....... .GH used to work for Phumelela many moons ago......his current detractors who are in the big P camp certainly have an axe to grind......Gothic really ......who stands to benefit here......:S

Graeme Hawkins is a major mistake in horseracing ,how many things he has messed up is unforgiveable fat cat salary and contributes NOTHING I stand by what I say .List of things he has been responsible for
1 OWNERS AND TRAINERS ASS
2TBA
3 SELLING OF NEWMARKET
4 PHUMELLELA MANAGEMENT POSITION
5 GOLD CIRCLE MANAGEMENT
never ending list of mistakes WHAT HAS THIS MAN CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INDUSTRY

He did breed my favourite horse

.... Sort of....

Saksy Wrote:

---

> Flash, it seems you are missing the point here.
> There are many people besides the owners and
> connections who feel the July has been done a
> disservice.
>
> Even though the panel makes the decision there
> still needs to accountability. The panel has a
> duty to select the best field because it is in the
> interests of the sport. That is the overiding
> principle here and it should supersede whatever
> stupid rule is in place about the panel having the
> final say.
>
> I would have thought that as a racing fan you
> would have the best interest of the sport at heart
> but it seems you have the same attitude as whoever
> decided the final field.
>
> To say it is simply sour grapes is an insult to
> the game and Hibs I don't know Larry from a bar of
> soap but before you pass judgement of what he
> would do if he wasn't the owner ask your yourself
> how you would feel if you were in his shoes.
> Furthermore, do you even know the man? If not I
> would say its best to not make any assumptions
> regarding his opinions.
>
> The panel or whoever had the final say have effed
> up big time and if Graeme has been quoted
> correctly in the press he should come out with a
> statement apologising or he should resign, because
> the way it has been handled has been a disgrace.

Now, is this a sport or a game?

GH on the big fat gravy train

JD, Showgunnar is not the only one time winner in the field and i stick by my statement, having one time winners in the JULY does the race no justice....

To argue about the merits of one time winners is just a reflection of the quality of the field in this years race.....

how many races a horse has won is irrelevant..this is not the racefigure system..this is the merit rating system..your merit rating is not based on how many wins u have had bout how the horse has exposed his ability..if the connections want to take their horse straight after it wins a maiden into gr1 races where it does well then so be it..the horse will then earn its deserved rating..a horse shouldnt have to win a maiden then a novice,grad,progress,allowance mr 94 mr 102 etc etc to prove its worth..this whole one time winner story is very 90s people should move with the times..shogunnar was a one time winner when he ran 2nd in the summer cup and 3rd in the champions challenge! people here worship the word of matthew lips so listen to what he says about the whole 1 time winner scenario on the gallops panel discussion..it is on youtube

Dear Mr. Hawkins,


Following our recent telephone discussion and the reading of much comment on the selection of the Durban July Handicap runners, I feel that I have to take the matter further and write to you on an open letter basis.

My horse “Jet Belle” is a filly with a very good racing record and passes all the criteria suggested by Gold Circle to enter the Durban July. Her claims are Group 1 places, course and distance suited and much improving as evidenced by her recent very close defeat in the Group 1 Woolavington running very close to the selected horse “Do you remember”. She is in good form and could be part of a July finish that the racing crowds enjoy, since her style is a late burst with tremendous progress in the last couple of hundred metres.

I am being careful not to turn disappointment into a personal “moan” but I do feel that I have a genuine grievance. When I supplemented “Jet Belle” I had reasonable expectations of a run and good performance. I do not think the panel seriously considered my claim and the criteria for real expectations as ignored despite my supplement fee.

I understand that the international protocol for selecting fields for graded handicap races precludes the involvement of anyone but the handicappers. Your continuing point to me was that the handicappers don’t know what they are doing anyway and this years’ rating of 3 year olds, particularly fillies, was abysmal. You stated that the ratings for horses like “Jet Belle” and “Do you remember” were skewed by “Cherry on the Top’s” unjustified high rating. This poses the question. How on earth are owners and trainers expected to assess which races to enter their horses if the professional handicappers have got no clue as to what they are doing?

I don’t understand why a weight is not set for the top rated horse and the field is then selected from descending order against merit rating. This removes all favouritism and ad hoc selection behind closed doors and allowing owners and trainers to be part of a transparent easily understood process.

This leaves me as owner of “Jet Belle” in a dilemma. She can’t race at the top because the administrators regard her as not good enough. In assessing her weight to be carried for future races the handicappers will consider her to be MR 105 and therefore she will carry more weight in Group 3 and listed which you suggest is probably her limit anyway. This puts me into the position that I have to approach the handicappers to have her MR lowered to the mid 90’s which will work wonders for her ongoing breeding value. It makes no sense but either you have got it wrong or the handicappers have. Such divergence of assessment is very worrying for me as an owner since I am relying on the handicapping system to make racing decisions.

The ZAR 25,000 supplementary fee was unfair when one considers that supplementing “Jet Belle” was not a serious proposition to the “behind doors” selection panel. The suggestion that I might be returned the ZAR 25,000 cheapened my approach and quite frankly added another dimension to the unreasonable discretion that certain officials consider they might have.

I never failed to attend the Durban July but this field is not representative of the improving quality of South African racing. I had the pleasure of seeing “Shea Shea” winning in Dubai and very nearly at Ascot. This filled me with hope and wellbeing for South Africa’s comparative racing performance against the rest of the world. The way I have been treated by Gold Circle suggest something quite different. The message is that this is a closed club. Circle there is but certainly not a gold one.

I would like you to formally reply to my letter and post it publically for the sake of transparency.



Regards,

Colin Bird

Colin Bird

A scholar and a gentleman and a nett contributor to sa racing


Hawkins time is up!!!!

JustinV Wrote:

---

> how many races a horse has won is irrelevant..this
> is not the racefigure system..this is the merit
> rating system..your merit rating is not based on
> how many wins u have had bout how the horse has
> exposed his ability..if the connections want to
> take their horse straight after it wins a maiden
> into gr1 races where it does well then so be
> it..the horse will then earn its deserved
> rating..a horse shouldnt have to win a maiden then
> a novice,grad,progress,allowance mr 94 mr 102 etc
> etc to prove its worth..this whole one time winner
> story is very 90s people should move with the
> times..shogunnar was a one time winner when he ran
> 2nd in the summer cup and 3rd in the champions
> challenge! people here worship the word of matthew
> lips so listen to what he says about the whole 1
> time winner scenario on the gallops panel
> discussion..it is on youtube


Justin ,what you say is all true,however I have always believed (and MdK made reference recently) to an element called winning mentality.I think that it is the horse equivalent of BMT.
Also,using Shogunnar as a an example,I believe that he is overrated on his form to date..............but that is because the 2 group races he placed in, I believe to be unreliable.............but that is the interesting aspect of racing I guess.

I have maintained (from directly after the final field was announced) that imo Jet Belle should have been included because of Do You Remember. however I do also have a slight worry about the MR's of the 3 yr old fillies - but then neither DYR or JB should have made the final field; once DYR 'made the cut' there is no valid reason why JB did not - just my opinion