General Chat

[robith]

I could be tempting fate here, but it hasn't seemed to have gained a lot of mainstream traction. My wife had no idea what I was talking about. Friends who usually grief me about racing have said nothing. I use lists to make twitter more bearable but it's only been on my racing twitter. Zero cross over with my football or politics lists. You're almost in Letters before you find it on the Guardian and the BBC have had to repost it every hour to keep it near the sports front page. Maybe everyone thinks so little of the game they think this is just normal

[Eggs]

....it’s just tainted the whole Festival for me. We love the 12 month building up to the crescendo, but it’s gone flat.

I imagine interested parties like owners & BHA are in contact with Irish authorities and I can see a decision coming this week. I expect that decision to be a lengthy ban leaving it up to owners to decide what to do.

Only one to blame for the situation, Gordon Elliott.

[ryanh97]

....it’s just tainted the whole Festival for me. We love the 12 month building up to the crescendo, but it’s gone flat.

I imagine interested parties like owners & BHA are in contact with Irish authorities and I can see a decision coming this week. I expect that decision to be a lengthy ban leaving it up to owners to decide what to do.

Only one to blame for the situation, Gordon Elliott.

I can't remember who I saw talking about it, I think it was Kevin Blake. He suggested that some this likely from the IHRB on Wednesday or Thursday.

I agree with you on the festival though mate, it was already a bit deflated for me anyway with the lack of preview nights and the stuff with my Betfair account, but any excitement has completely gone now.

[ryanh97]

I could be tempting fate here, but it hasn't seemed to have gained a lot of mainstream traction. My wife had no idea what I was talking about. Friends who usually grief me about racing have said nothing. I use lists to make twitter more bearable but it's only been on my racing twitter. Zero cross over with my football or politics lists. You're almost in Letters before you find it on the Guardian and the BBC have had to repost it every hour to keep it near the sports front page. Maybe everyone thinks so little of the game they think this is just normal

I think I echo this robith. I've had nothing from my brother who I would expect to bring this up with me. Sky are giving it a bit of a run through now though.


Another thing that strikes me as extremely poor, is this tweet from the Elliott account tonight:

https://mobile.twitter.com/gelliott_racing/status/1366458962166620161

To post that after what has happened seems to be in extremely poor taste, and they must know that as they disabled the comments.

[DenmanSacre]

This isn't going to be the end of the shocking stuff by the sounds of it.

[Hurricane fly]

Was brought up a couple of times on Talksport and made one of my group chats that is possibly the first time horse racing ever has

[Pendil]

I am surprised that a number of times Charles Byrnes name has been brought up in this thread as if he was found guilty of doping his horse. He wasn't, only guilty that he or his representative were not always in attendance of his horse at all times on the racecourse. Not an apologist but WHF are racetrack security there for?

[Green Goddess]

On the Gigginstown piece, I think people are potentially arriving at a false conclusion, 'continue to support' does not mean keep existing horses with Elliot under any circumstances.

[FinalFurlong91]

I am surprised that a number of times Charles Byrnes name has been brought up in this thread as if he was found guilty of doping his horse. He wasn't, only guilty that he or his representative were not always in attendance of his horse at all times on the racecourse. Not an apologist but WHF are racetrack security there for?

The issue is more the lack of cctv at the tracks than racetrack security

They can't be everywhere

[ryanh97]

I could be tempting fate here, but it hasn't seemed to have gained a lot of mainstream traction. My wife had no idea what I was talking about. Friends who usually grief me about racing have said nothing. I use lists to make twitter more bearable but it's only been on my racing twitter. Zero cross over with my football or politics lists. You're almost in Letters before you find it on the Guardian and the BBC have had to repost it every hour to keep it near the sports front page. Maybe everyone thinks so little of the game they think this is just normal

Hopefully the Chancellor comes up with some dazzling ideas in the budget on Wednesday to keep the press distracted as well

[charlie]

It's an awful disgraceful picture, but I am surprised at how shocked / devastated people are in comparison to the Charles Byrnes story a few weeks before. In terms of context, someone drugging a live horse and jeopardising the lives of all horses and humans in a calculated attempt to make a few quid is way worse than what Gordon did. In terms of animal welfare and animal safety it comfortably eclipsed what Gordon did. I stand 100% behind horses being afforded the same dignity in life and in death, but I wonder if those commenting on Gordons treatment of animals today were condemning the incident in the same vein a few weeks ago? They weren't, not even close, which shows us how powerful a picture like that can be. Gordon's actions will have wide reaching implications for the sport we all love and he deserves to be punished and he will be, but you'd be forgiven for thinking Gordon pistol whipped the horse mid gallop, shot it, then posed for a photo as if celebrating a safari kill given some of the comments people are making. It was deplorable moment, but it was the actions of one reckless idiotic man. I'm not letting Covid ruin Cheltenham, nor will I let Gordon. He will be punished, my guess is severely, and then that will be the end of it.

[Pendil]

The issue is more the lack of cctv at the tracks than racetrack security

They can't be everywhere

Even 30+ years ago at Navan, as an owner, I couldn't get in to the stabling area before racing without being accompanied by the trainer. Before mass cctv but 1 security guard/1 gate it was working

[Pendil]

It's an awful disgraceful picture, but I am surprised at how shocked / devastated people are in comparison to the Charles Byrnes story a few weeks before. In terms of context, someone drugging a live horse and jeopardising the lives of all horses and humans in a calculated attempt to make a few quid is way worse than what Gordon did. In terms of animal welfare and animal safety it comfortably eclipsed what Gordon did. I stand 100% behind horses being afforded the same dignity in life and in death, but I wonder if those commenting on Gordons treatment of animals today were condemning the incident in the same vein a few weeks ago? They weren't, not even close, which shows us how powerful a picture like that can be. Gordon's actions will have wide reaching implications for the sport we all love and he deserves to be punished and he will be, but you'd be forgiven for thinking Gordon pistol whipped the horse mid gallop, shot it, then posed for a photo as if celebrating a safari kill given some of the comments people are making. It was deplorable moment, but it was the actions of one reckless idiotic man. I'm not letting Covid ruin Cheltenham, nor will I let Gordon. He will be punished, my guess is severely, and then that will be the end of it.

See above #2512

[HoldenTheReins]

I don't know or haven't seen the content but certain people have seen some sort of video of the Rob James/Bowes yard. This shit is going to rumble on.

[Joeski29]

From my point of view the photo is awfully callous, I have heard many times that when there is the usual animal cruelty comments from the once a year brigade at the grand national the rebuttal is that the horses are treated like Kings but this photo suggests they are merely objects.

But like others, have said, many worse things have happened in the sport which haven't attracted the same attention and I think the BHA actions are shocking when the recent revelations about the Princess locked in the tower have seemingly been overlooked so far.

Speaking through my pocket I really hope all of these horses run but I hope when they win the winning trainer is not Elliott.