Calling Don/Charles Faul

There is a post on the comments section on Sporting post (posted by Robyn Louw)which reflects the opinion of overseas administrators,as discussed with Charles Faul, with regard to our regulations regarding Barrier trials and/or public workouts.
Please can you post it here ................I think it needs to be discussed here too!
Many Thanks

Happy birthday today Charles Faull , may it be the best and many to come

Don't think Robyn or Charles will mind me pasting

Form Organisation’s Charles Faull (who celebrates his birthday today) has been a strong advocate of barrier trials for many years.

He asked to share the following correspondence addressed to Mr Paddy Wilson, the Chairman of WP Racing, after Charles had attended the Asian Racing Conference and canvassed a number of opinions regarding South Africa’s lack of barrier trials.

The letter was dated 14 October 1997.

Dear Mr Wilson

As promised I have compiled a record of some of the opinions expressed to me by delegates at the Asian Racing Conference (January 1997).

1. Major General Guy Watkins – CEO of Hong Kong Jockey Club 1986-96.
2. Hans J. Stahl – President of the American Jockey Club.
3. Bob Charley – CEO Australian Racing Conference.
4. Terry Lee – President of The Association of Racehorse Owners Malaysia.
5. Charles McRae Simpson – Immediate past-president of the NZ Racehorse Owners Federation.
6. John Schreck – Chief Stipendiary Steward Mauritius.

As you will see, their reactions to discovering that our Jockey Club’s Rules Of Racing condoned Insider Trading ranged from disbelief to abhorrence to disgust.

I have enclosed the contact details of all these respected gentlemen with the exception of Guy Watkins whose details you say you have in your possession, and have posted a copy of this letter to each one of them.

Enclosed also please find a letter regarding the sad closure of Arlington Park.

Your statement that you have no problem with the victory of the first time runner ‘Noble American’ on his debut in a pick-six race at Kenilworth on 24 September fills me with a sense of dismay.

Under the existing regime horseracing in this country has little chance of surviving the impending onslaught from major casinos and a state lottery.

In response to your misgivings on the value of the internet, I have enclosed two newspaper articles which underline the growing ubiquity and utility of this medium.

Could we possibly meet to discuss these important matters further at your earliest convenience?

Yours sincerely

Charles Faull

cc.
Guy Watkins
Hans Stahl
Bob Charley
Terry Lee
Charles McRae Simpson
John Schreck
Billy Steele
Ronnie Napier
Jack Ward

Interviews:

Major-General Guy Watkins

The following is a verbatim transcript of an interview with Major-General Guy Watkins (CEO Hong Kong Jockey Club 1986-87) done at a restaurant at Sun City between 5:10 and 5:55 pm on Monday, 20 January, 1997. Present and witness to this conversation was Mr Billy Steele, Chairman of WP Owners and Trainers Association.

Charles Faull (CF): General Watkins, please would you read the following excerpt from an interview with you, published in the September 1992 edition of Racing Record.

Quote:
‘Gen. Watkins and his team know that only the utmost professionalism will do in a region where betting is very serious business indeed.
“Turnover per race averages HK $111 million and with that volume of money being wagered, one needs to do everything one can to ensure that racing is properly controlled and that all possible information is made available to the punter.”
“That is why we introduced public gallops back in the 1960’s. Time trials are held every day and the results are widely published. Punters must have access to such information if they’re to bet serious money.”
Much has been said and written about the Chinese love of wagering but Gen. Watkins will not countenance the term “incurable gamblers” being applied to local turf patrons. “They may be incurable bettors, but not incurable gamblers – there’s a world of difference,” he insisted.
“An incurable gambler is a compulsive fellow who is reckless and undiscerning with respect to his wagering. Our punters are the most studious readers of form you will find anywhere. They are also the best-informed punters in the world.” – Racing Record, September 1992.

After Guy Watkins had carefully read the above:

CF: Do you still stand by these words?

Guy Watkins (GW): Unequivocably. In Hong Kong all possible information is made available to the punter. All workouts are closely monitored and time trials remain a crucial part of Hong Kong Racing’s great communion with its customers. Hong Kong punters are the best informed in the world.

CF: Would you describe the situation prevailing in South Africa which permits an unraced horse to compete without any publicity to its workouts as fraudulent?

GW: Not fraudulent. I wouldn’t describe that sort of legitimised punter abuse as ‘fraud’. I would describe your system as ‘theft’. It is criminal to allow the connections of an unraced horse to bet against an uninformed public with privileged information, and naturally, very bad business. South Africa must be the only country in the world that still allows this sort of abuse.

Billy Steele: Sadly, we don’t have any form of punter protection in South Africa.

CF: Trust me Gen. Watkins, you are not the only person who is abhorred at the condonation of illegal practices by the Jockey Club’s Rules Of Racing.

GW: I am surprised, and very disappointed to hear that South African racing is so backward.

Summary of Guy Watkins’ views:

Ø One needs to ensure that all possible information is available to the punter.
Ø That is why Hong Kong introduced public gallops back in the 1960’s. Time trials are held every day and the results are widely published. Punters must have access to such information if they’re to bet serious money.
Ø Hong Kong’s punters are the most studious readers of form you will find anywhere. They are also the best-informed punters in the world.
Ø The South African system which permits Insider Trading can only be described as ‘THEFT’.

Hans J. Stahl
President of the American Jockey Club

‘In America a horse who has not raced for 12 weeks may not run in a race without two published official workouts. Your South African system would be totally unlawful in terms of the Constitution of America.
American racing would collapse if we return to your world of legalised insider trading. It is unlawful to allow that sort of abuse of your customers. At a time when America is looking at ways to improve our transparency, you in South Africa are still doing NOTHING.’

Bob Charley
CEO Australian Racing Conference

‘I find it almost unbelievable that those people entrusted with the leadership of your racing in South Africa could possibly permit a system which allows the connections of a horse to be privy to privileded information. This is an endorsement of customer abuse of the worst form and quite unacceptable to First World thinking. How can South African racing possibly market its product to the man in the street under these circumstances?

Terry Lee
President of the Association of Racehorse Owners in Malaysia

‘In Malaysia we make a great effort to ensure that our punters are fully informed about all relevant workout information. Even a Gp1 winner from Australia cannot race in our country without performing up to standard in an official workout. We monitor and inform our customers of ALL fast work, not only our statutory official workouts.’

Charles McRae Simpson
Past President NZ Racehorse Owners Federation
‘Without our official Barrier Trials system in New Zealand, horseracing would collapse. I am saddened to hear that your country lags so far behind the rest of the world. To allow privileged information is so obviously immoral and bad for business.’

John M. Schreck
Chief Stipendiary Steward Mauritius

‘In my home country Australia, Barrier Trials are an essential part of customer service. Likewise, in Mauritius, the Racing Authority goes to great lengths to ensure that punters are fully informed about workouts. South Africa’s immoral system should be unacceptable to honorable racing administrators.’

Dear Paddy,

As I sat and listened to Guy Watkins I was looking at this huge mask which adorned the wall outside the restaurant. Guy Watkins’ opinion of South Africa’s Rules of Racing fitted the image so well.
‘GROSS’
Those of us who try to make an honest living as servants of Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding in South Africa, are deeply offended by the legitimized theft enshrined in our Rules of Racing.

I have been accused of having a grudge against our regulator ,their rules and their failure to enforce!
When I read the words used by Administrators of other Racing centres,to describe our situation,I realise that I have been pathetically restrained!....lol
It is hard to argue with the people quoted....they seem qualified to offer their opinion!

No problem at all, RF - the more the merrier!

Never been Barrier trials in the UK and we all remember the 1940`s movies where the heroes or villians would sneak on to the gallops

Bob Brogan wrote: Never been Barrier trials in the UK and we all remember the 1940`s movies where the heroes or villians would sneak on to the gallops

Yes, but horses in the UK go straight into targeted (including group races) without using "prep"races as training gallops, so barrier trials are not needed to prove the well being or fitness of runners .....the patterns speak for themselves!

Not sure Rob they all start as maidens with the only form guide being

Trainer Reputation
Sale Price
Bookmaker support

Bob Brogan wrote: Not sure Rob they all start as maidens with the only form guide being

Trainer Reputation
Sale Price
Bookmaker support

I'm not sure what you suggesting .........we have administrators of many racing countries condemming (in the strongest terms) a system that allows the equine equivalent of insider trading ............if the UK is also guilty of some of them,does that make our situation OK ?

No Rob not at all

I'm trying to say that most of the " federations " above have not been 1st class racing federations for as long as the UK and South Africa

The problem being IMO is the traditional racing club rules are basically still in place in the UK and RSA

Hence it's hard to adapt?

Just my opinion

Bob Brogan wrote: No Rob not at all

I'm trying to say that most of the " federations " above have not been 1st class racing federations for as long as the UK and South Africa

The problem being IMO is the traditional racing club rules are basically still in place in the UK and RSA

Hence it's hard to adapt?

Just my opinion

I think you have identified a lot of the problem .............the old "sport of Kings" treated punters like commoners(or lowlifes),and still do because they cant break the habit.
The newer racing centres are smart enough to know that customer is king!
Is that not the attitude that,in fact, groups,like ABC,should be working to change?
It was very much the goals of this forum in its infancy,and the reason I joined!
I have never had any interest in trying to compete to be the most respected tipster,but rather to try and get the industry to respect our investments!
(I think calling SA and UK as "1st class" federations,is,depending on definition,a misnomer)

in 1986 we formed the South African Racegoers Association to try combat the administration inefficiency of the industry, punters (who risk cash) are more professional than the administrators (who get wages), now its 2016 and the punters are still stuck at the bottom of the chain and its where we will stay until the turnovers drop to a point of no recovery ,,,