Must be crackers taking on Oddy every day of the week, it seems, and getting bruised in the process too! Anyway, I'll go for the bottom one in the "big" race at Fakenham, as this horse seems to go well at this very funny little track (been there once, like a grand meeting of farmers, market gardeners, and suppliers of fertilizers?). So: 14:00 Fakenham - Investment Affair (Flea weight for NH racing, and Conor O'Farrell should even be able to claim the 3lb allowance too).
Swanny - 'Been there once, like a grand meeting of farmers, market gardeners, and suppliers of fertilizers?'
Hello lads. Very poor offerings so definately a no bet day for me. Got sucked into watching that thrilling test match until 3.30am this morning...compelling stuff. Wish I had of went to bed though,shattered today. GL all having a punt.
Swanny - One of my mates sells fertilizer and he is always telling me, how shall we say this, seems like they put some of the fertilzer in their coffee...!!! Not the sharpest of people... Tickled me when you put that... hehehehe...
Dexter - Just looked at the scorecard and youve got to say how did the Aussies lose that... Plus Warner hit nearly half the runs on his own... First win for NZ on Aussie soil since 1985...!!! Good cricket or dodgy track...??
Sam Twisting-Davies beats me again! Second or third time last few days. Still, Investment Affair ran a fine race............
I know Red....a complete collapse and then they nearly pulled it out of the fire! Wonder if SWC gonna miss Boxing day after that monumental cock up.He should do. He is now trying to say he pulled him up...
Afternoon chaps, anyone know where my Kauto Star letter thread went? I don't mind if it's been pulled, but no one has told me why!
The stewards should play him video of every horse pulled up in the last fortnight and ask him if he thinks any other pulling up looked like that or if any other jockey displayed body language like he did. It's a really difficult one for the stewards as they have to actually say he lied which they may be reluctant to do but he comes out of this badly anyway.
12 days off, granted they are "Amateur days" only so he keeps the ride in the King George. Doesn't bode well for his reputation though: the Stewards have essentially called him a liar.
Don, the Racing post write up here: SAM WALEY-COHEN picked up a 12-day ban for taking the wrong course at Fakenham on Monday but will be able to ride Long Run in the William Hill King George VI Chase on December 26 as he is an amateur jockey. Had he been a professional jockey, Waley-Cohen would have missed the prized ride on the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner. As an amateur, under the rules of racing, he serves his ban only on days when there are races for amateur riders. Long Run's rider was clear in the lead on the 8-1 chance racing passed the stands,with the jockey looking over his shoulder before jumping the last. He took another look and then took Otage De Brion to the left. Waley-Cohen claimed after the race in an interview with At The Races that he believed that the nine-year-old had swallowed his tongue and so decided to pull him up. He said: "To be honest what happened there was I thought he swallowed his tongue. When he landed he made a hell of a noise. He's had problems before and he normally wears a tongue tie but he didn't have it on. "I knew where I was going and it was just he's one of those horses that has been very in and out and one of the problems we've had with him is his breathing. That's exactly right [I looked around to make sure I wasn't taking anyone out] but I appreciate how it looks." The BHA confirmed that the first day of Waley-Cohen's ban be January 1 with other dates to be confirmed later. After learning his punishment, Waley-Cohen said: "I have spoken to the stewards and given them my excuse and I have also seen the way it looks and I accept it doesn't look good. And I accept their view on it which is that I need to take a ban so obviously I will take that on the chin and accept it. "I have looked at the way it looks and I accept what the stewards have taken. Obviously it is disappointing.You are in the race and you have to make a decision on these things." Twitter was abuzz with the story and, unprecedentedly for racing, within 45 minutes of the incident five of the social network's top ten trending topics were related to Waley-Cohen's ride. http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/s-waley-cohen-waley-cohen-free-to-ride-long-run-despite-ban/961363/
Aside from kicking myself for not backing him, that's absolutely brilliant. It's fuinny how such a wonderfully positive story happens only an hour after the SWC debacle!
