Whipping Up A Good Report

There have been occasions when I have been critical of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) so let me begin by giving credit where credit is due.

The long awaited review into the use of the whip has been published and reading through the 78 pages it is clear the committee have carried out a thorough and balanced review and full credit to all those involved.

Before we go any further let me give my position on the whip. I am, instinctively, one of those who does not like seeing a horse being whipped.

Having said that, I have only sat on a horse once in my entire life and that concluded with me flying over the top of his head. I therefore accept the views of those who do ride horses that the whip is a necessary part of the sport, so I obviously have to accept the view of those who know better than me.

It is also clear, as the report pointed out, the current whip guidelines are ineffectual, ambiguous and frankly the punishments are no deterrent to errant jockeys.

What has been proposed are clear guidelines namely no more than seven hits with the whip in a flat race and no more than eight in a jump race, with no more than five strikes after the final fence / final furlong.

The caution for misuse has been withdrawn and an entry point of five days has been introduced. Also any rider picking up a ban of three or more days will have his riding fee / % payment taken away.

Penalties will be doubled for a second offence in a rolling twelve month period.

The rule changes certainly look to be less ambiguous and the penalties are certainly more effective but do they go far enough?

Take, for example, the upcoming Champions Day races. With such massive purses on offer most jockeys will make every effort to win the race including easily exceeding the new whip rules. If a jockey is a retained rider is he going to jeopardise a lucrative retainer by restricting his whip use and possibly losing the race?

The value of the retainer is worth a lot more than his riding fee and win percentage.

Anyway most owners would, in the circumstances, make sure the rider does not lose out as a result.

Now the BHA have thought of that one and introduced a rule banning owners from recompensing, either directly or indirectly, jockeys who are fined and lose their payments.

All very good but wholly unworkable and unenforceable – any owner or jockey with a half decent accountant will be able to find a way to get round that rule without being caught.

Indeed any owner who does fall foul of that new regulation deserves to be fined and banned, not for committing the offence but for being stupid enough to get caught.

The committee came out against withholding prize money for owners and trainer or for disqualifying the horse.

Part of the argument against this seemed to be that owners, trainers and punters were “innocent” parties and should not be adversely impacted.

I would fundamentally disagree with that stance.

The jockey is employed by the owner and trainer and it is, ultimately, their responsibility to ensure the jockey adheres by the rules. Most of the big owners are businessmen and they work within the realms of corporate governance where the employer is ultimately responsible for the actions of their employees, this is no different. I would want to see the owners and trainers percentages retained as well – that would certainly encourage them to ensure their jockey rides within the rules.

In terms of fairness to punters, let’s turn that one around. A horse wins a race by a nose with the jockey on the winner having exceeded the whip regulations.

  

Is it fair backers of the winner win because the jockey on their horse broke the rules?

Is it fair on backers of the runner-up, whose jockey abided by the rules, that they are denied a win?

There are already offences whereby a horse can be disqualified, should abuse of the whip be any different?

I do also wonder if the eight hit restriction will be workable in NH racing. Does this mean we will see more horses left at the start because a rider does not want to risk using his quota of hits to get the horse to run?

What about horses who require encouragement to jump or change a stride coming to a fence – does that mean after eight fences they will have to pull up?

Will the same five hit after the last restriction apply equally to Cartmel (over half a mile) and to Towcester (110 yards)?

Is it right to have just one more hit allowed for a three and a half mile chase than for a five furlong sprint?

The response from the BHA is jockeys agree with the eight strike limit. Have they really? Have they really though through what it means?

I have a feeling we are going to see quite a few NH jockeys before the Stewards in the coming months.

But back to the main thrust of the report.

Yes there are plenty of questions but the recommendations are a massive step in the right direction.

Time will tell as to just how successful the new changes are.

Let’s give them a go and see how they work.

Goodnight Ginger, Rest Well

As any regular readers will probably have noted, some weeks it is difficult to find something new or fresh to write about, whilst other weeks the topic hits you between the eyes and this is one such week.

The only topic worthy of any discussion is the passing of “Mr Aintree” Ginger McCain.

Of course in certain quarters there has been too much hyperbole. I have seen his death described by more than one person as tragic. Whilst his passing is certainly sad it is by no means tragic. He had, as they say, a good innings and he passed away in his sleep after a mercifully short illness, just three days short of his 81^st birthday.

It is strange but had it not been for Red Rum then, in all likelihood, McCain’s passing would probably have only warranted a paragraph or two in the Racing Post and it would not even have received a mention in the non-industry press.

But, of course, McCain was associated with the greatest horse in the history of the Grand National, indeed one of the best known horses in the history of the sport.

His record in the Grand National is unequalled, ran five, won three, second two. Think about it that is 22½ miles round Aintree jumping 150 of the Aintree fences and don’t forget the fences back in the 1970’s were even more daunting than they were now.

It has to be remembered that Red Rum was considered by many to be the villain when he won his first National. Beating the long time leader Crisp in the closing stages. A race often replayed and even 38 years later most of those watching the race again are willing Crisp over the line in front.

But it wasn’t to be and the rest, as they say, is history.

Of course McCain’s affection in the hearts and minds of the public was helped by the fact he wasn’t a big trainer with huge stables and a massive fortune in his own right.

He trained in a stables behind his car showroom in Southport, indeed he also had to “moonlight” as a taxi driver to help make ends meet. He had no purpose built gallops but he did have the natural all-weather gallops of Southport beach and it was on this beach he famously trained the great Rummy.

When he purchased Red Rum for owner Noel Le Mare he was found to be lame, Red Rum that is not Le Mare. However after an hour paddling in the sea the horse was sound, McCain believes due the minerals found in the sea water.

McCain was a blunt speaking Northerner and he believes that is why owners were not queuing up to send runner to him. As he admitted himself, “I wasn’t any good at kissing bottoms or bullshit.”

He was a man who spoke his mind and he didn’t mind being controversial although as is often the case some of the more controversial comments were made to provoke a reaction.

As he often admitted he loved baiting journalists, especially those who had not done their homework.

One of his more controversial outbursts surrounded the participation of Carrie Ford in the 2005 Grand National where he made an outspoken outburst about her participation in the race and that he would bare his buttocks if Ford ran. 

Probably the most controversial comment he made at the time was “Carrie is a fine lass but she’s a broodmare now and having kids does not get you fit to ride Grand Nationals.”

The “spat” bought priceless publicity for the race and on the day, even though she did not win, Ford had the last laugh by finishing fifth on Forrest Gunner, beating McCain’s Amberleigh House who only finished tenth.

What most did not realise, however, is the Fords were, indeed are, great family friends of the McCain’s and the spat was actually set up to generate extra publicity and add extra spice to the 2005 contest.

Of course Amberleigh House was also the horse that demonstrated McCain was not a one trick trainer in terms of the Grand Nation as he provided him with his fourth win in the race in 2004.

Following his retirement in 2007 his son Donald Jnr took up the training licence and went on to prove that McCain could not only train Grand National winning horses he could also sire a Grand National winning trainer as well.

Although he would never admit such a thing publicly, I have little doubt that McCain senior had as much pride and sense of achievement when young Donald trained Ballabriggs to win the 2011 Grand National as he ever did with any of Red Rum’s victories.

The term “character” is bandied about all too frequently and is often used in a derogatory sense.

With McCain it is true to say he was a character in every positive sense of the word. He was the sort of man we British love, the underdog going on to achieve great achievements, seemingly against all the odds.

A man not afraid to speak his mind, not afraid to court controversy but at the same time a man not afraid to stick his tongue firmly in his cheek – indeed a wind-up merchant of the first order.

For him political correctness was an anathema, although he would undoubtedly have stated that point far more strongly.

Despite the bluntness McCain was also self-depreciating never taking himself too seriously – well most of the time not.

He did care very deeply about Aintree and especially his beloved Grand National. 

He was deeply scornful of the changes which he viewed as emasculating the race – he famously said “they don’t cut 10,000 feet of the top of Everest to make it easier.”  

He despised All Weather racing, calling it “an abomination” - so he cannot be all bad    

When he was once described as a legend he retorted, “I’m no legend – I trained a legend”

Racing has lost one of its enduring and, yes, endearing characters. Aintree and Grand National day will never quite be the same. However racings loss pales into insignificance when you consider the loss to the McCain family – who have lost a husband, father and grandfather. A man who will be sadly missed but who will live on in their memories.

It’s up to Aintree now to ensure McCain is honoured appropriately. Somehow the John Smith’s Ginger McCain Grand National Steeplechase does have a certain ring to it.

I will leave the  final words to McCain who said, “I wouldn’t want to become a doddery, slobbering,  incontinent old man” – luckily for us all he did not and we can remember him for the great, once in a lifetime, character he was.

 

Goodnight Ginger, rest well.

A Bittar Sweet Appointment

So the white smoke appears above High Holborn and a new British Horseracing Authority (BHA) Chief Executive is announced as the job goes to 41 year old Australian Paul Bittar.

Apparently Bittar was one of forty candidates to be considered for the role and looking at his pedigree he seems as suitable a candidate as many.

Being called Paul is obviously a big advantage, as a number of senior members of the BHA seem to share that illustrious forename. Indeed I am, in one way, surprised that being called Paul I have not been approached myself. On the other hand the reason for the lack of call is also obvious as towing a party line has never been a strong point of mine and frankly they would not be able to afford me anyway.

The press release from the BHA announcing Bittar’s appointment also included ringing endorsements from BHA Chairman Paul Roy and Horsemen’s Group chairman Paul Dixon (note the forenames again).

If I were Bittar I would find such endorsements a concern as neither Roy or Dixon have a good track record of sound decision making.

Indeed I would even question why anybody would want to take on the role of Chief Exec of the BHA as the role now stands. What exactly are they heading?

The word Authority in the BHA’s title is a misnomer, they seem to have little real authority over a sport which is noted more for factionalism than any coherent authority.

You only have to look at the press release later in the same day as the Bittar appointment to see how much “authority” the BHA has. For the latest pronouncement says the 2012 fixture list announcement, originally scheduled for July before being delayed until the end of September, will not now be made until October.

Is this delay due to a much needed radical reduction to the fixture list, apparently not – all they are looking at is an insignificant reduction of around 80 fixtures.

Dai Walters, who owns Ffos Las has, unhelpfully, thrown his hat into the ring threatening to close the course if their fixture allocation is drastically reduced.

Let me say I like Ffos Las as a course but I have to say Walters intervention is akin to a truculent schoolchild threatening to pick up his ball and go home because things do not go his way.

Walters seems to forget that in terms of fixture allocations Ffos Las has been on the receiving end of some very positive discrimination in terms of fixtures allocated to his course. It strikes me as being somewhat disingenuous to now begin complaining when some of those special privileges, not available to other course, are taken away.   

I digress, so why is there another delay, because the BHA’s “stakeholders” (to use that terrible, meaningless, marketing phrase) i.e. The Racecourse Association and The Horsemen’s Group seem unable to organise the proverbial piss-up in a brewery when it comes down to sorting out a fixture list. They are allowing their own selfish self-interest to override the greater good of the sport.  

As in the case of the Levy “negotiations” and the recently published annual report of the Levy Board makes for interesting reading, “racing” is unable to come up with a united view of what is best for the sport.

If any other business was, and I use the term loosely, organised in the same way as British Horseracing then it would deservedly go bust.

Whilst I wish Bittar well in his new role, he is walking into an impossible job and he is taking on a poisoned chalice. No matter how good he is, until racing is united, until it moves away from its factional infighting, it is a sport on the slippery slope to oblivion and no amount of tinkering with current job holders is going to stop the decline.    

A Tarnished Legend

One of the “feature” races on the opening day of the Doncaster St Leger Festival is the Clipper Logistics Leger Legends Classified Stakes, which features a host of former jockeys and indeed some racing legends.

This years renewal sees the return to the saddle of Ray Cochrane, who stopped race riding after surviving the 2000 plane crash in which he saved the life of fellow jockey Frankie Dettori.

The race also features Julie Krone, arguably the greatest female jockey ever.

However there is one name in the list of riders which should send a shiver down the spine of any true supporter of the sport – Graham Bradley.

Granted Bradley could be called a legend in the sport but for all the wrong reasons. If you are not aware Bradley was banned from the sport for five years for passing “inside information” to a third party for reward. If that was not bad enough, the man to whom the information was passed was one Brian Brendan Wright, currently spending 30 years as a guest of Her Majesty, having been described in court as “Britain’s most successful cocaine dealer in the 1990’s”

Lest anybody think Bradley’s five year ban was the result of a single misguided act this was not the first time he had crossed the racing authorities.

In 1982, early in his riding career, Bradley was suspended for two months for betting – something jockeys are not supposed to do. It is an indication of his arrogance, stupidity or both that the bet was not struck quietly, using a discreet third party. No it was actually struck in the betting ring at a meeting where he was riding.

In 1987 he was banned for three months for not making sufficient effort on a ride at Market Rasen.

Of course in order for Bradley to be able to tide again he has shown contrition for his sins.

Has he hell . . . . . his autobiography The Wayward Lad is a pathetic attempt at self-justification from a man who appears to have no moral compass and seems to be suffering from a delusional paranoia that everyone is out to get him. It is a book in which he shows no contrition.

It is questionable that Bradley should ever be allowed anywhere near a racecourse again – that he is actually being allowed to compete in a race, in such esteemed company, is nothing short of a disgrace.

Whoever considered inviting him to ride in this race, whoever granted him a licence to compete in the race should be looking for new jobs.

I have to confess this is my least favourite time of the year in terms of racing. The jumping season proper is still a few weeks off and the flat season is beginning to wind down. It is the time of year when the “no hopers” make their racecourse appearances in attempt to win some money to pay for their winter corn.

It is the time of year where we have a glut of large field maidens, where the challenge for the punter is not to find the best horse in the field but to try and identify the least worse yak in the field.

In other words it is the time of year when the bookmakers are rubbing their hands with delight as they collect the money to pay for their winter holidays.

This week I received the latest Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) newsletter and there was a most heartening picture on the front cover – Peter O’Toole sitting at home with his parents. A photograph many feared would never be seen in the aftermath of his terrible fall at Aintree back in April. This year seems to have been particularly bad in terms of jockeys sustaining career threatening injuries.

The IJF does a fantastic job supporting not only jockeys but stable staff who are injured or need help following accidents which potentially threaten their livelihoods.

As Christmas approaches may I commend the range of cards, calendars and gifts available from the IJF and urge you to visit their website to help support their work.

www.injuredjockeys.co.uk