Linden i had some fantastic times at Wishaw a great track...a friend of mines father worked on the gate all his life so chances are he new....your old man... .i had a bitch in the St leger final there one year....she had terrific pace and at the outset was well fancied to win 18 dog competition....it was none other than Some Picture who trounced her in the heat and final thats what you could be up against at times.. i had a great relationship with the track...
We had one who came 2nd in the Pitmens Derby,was great fun.I remember saying to a trainer at Wimbledon if he fancied taking "a good un" to Wishaw,he said nobody ever comes away from Scotland with a Jocks money,so no thanks.
I really think this has been blown out of all proportion. Of course there are horses running which are having an easy race but that is normally reflected in their odds - and it is not unknown for them to win anyway. But the vast majority of horses which run are trying. I admit there is an issue with the exchanges and it is a great shame they exist but anyone who thinks racing is that crooked should bet on honest sports such as cricket!
Something I have been championing for quite some time. I think most of us miss the point. Schooling in public is rife and endemic in all maiden flat races.What grates me is the acceptance,and indeed the encouragement of such practices. How many times have we heard summerisers slurp and gush about two and three year old maidens having "kind introductions" and not being "knocked about". These are patently euphemisms for not trying and schooling in public...who is sanctioned?..nobody. Ridiculous.
Ardent a GP friend of mine from NI used to own a dog called "I'm Slippy"..have you heard of the beast?
Whoops, thanks Nassau, sorry about that, missed out one of our old friend Oldest's famous zeros...............
This is one of the reasons why I scarcely ever bet in maiden races. Generally speaking, I will avoid all low quality racing as the horses are inconsistent (cannot rely on the form) and there is a greater probability that the unscrupulous trainers will not be running them on their merits (they only want them to win when their money is down).
