Best told jockey to stop horses, BHA hearing told By Bruce Jackson 3:00PM 3 MAR 2016 TRAINER Jim Best allegedly told his conditional jockey Paul John to stop two horses in four days, a hearing at the BHA's headquarters heard on Thursday morning. John told the hearing he had been instructed to get Echo Brava beaten 33 lengths in a novice hurdle at Plumpton on December 14 last year. Taking the panel through the video of his ride, John said he had deliberately gone wide to "lose as much ground as possible" and both he and the horse "finished full of running and energy" in fifth, beaten 24 lengths. John was banned 14 days for the ride but Best was not punished as he reported at the inquiry he was not happy with the ride. The jockey told the inquiry Best was angry with him as he had "made it too obvious I was stopping the horse". Four days later at Towcester John rode Missile Man for Best having been told the horse was "just out for a run" which he took to mean was not to win. John said that, while he was changing, Best had put his head through the window into the jockeys' changing room to say "great stuff . . . see you in the car". Then the stewards announced their inquiry that resulted in John and Best being referred to London. Jonathan Laidlaw, for Best, suggested John had done a deal with the BHA to save his skin, walking out on Best at midnight on December 21 last year, knowing he had spoken to Devon trainer Richard Woollacott about riding out and some time in the future applying for his conditional licence again. The hearing was told John had been on a final warning for his licence, having left three employers inside a year, having been with Henry Daly, Victor Dartnall and Mark Gillard. The hearing continues.
Absolute no tolerance policy should be adhered and that's the only way to clean up racing. I wonder just how badly corrupt it really is. Think about the number of punters who never get fair runs for their money- it is not right.
Remember that very naive German conditional a few years back who was asked by the stewards what her instructions had been? She apparently replied that the trainer had told her to "drop him out the at the back and under no circumstances are you to pass another horse".
Poor positioning is the easiest way to get a horse beat, when you think how much ground you lose on an all weather track by going wide over 6f the extra distance travelled in a 2 mile hurdle is much greater, on the flat you can use traffic to stop your horse which isn't so easy over jumps so you need take a wide route and give him too much ground to make up as well. What I will say however is that it's nothing nowadays compared to 30 years ago before TV cameras at every meeting. You could do whatever you like at smaller meetings then as all you had were the crowd present on the day and the stewards with a pair of bins. At least now even the smallest meeting has each raced filmed throughout and shown nationwide on either RUK or Atttheraces. Part of the game is working out how to tell a certain yard is trying today and some are easy to call and others are not. I must say I have come to a conclusion that the Pipe yard are just incredibly smart as I find them impossible to call or they actually have no idea themselves how the horses are going to run.
Stuart Williams yard is really hard to call as well. Nice 25/1 winner for Best tonight with his only runner though
As I regularly say to my regular readers on a regular basis - not all trainers are like Mr Henderson.
First race at Doncaster today. Horse beaten 73 lengths last time out, dropped 6lbs, bolts in! Do we seriously think it ran on its merits the last day. BHA have it in for Best even to the point where they will cut a deal with the prick conditional to nail the bloke they are after!
Cyc, I thought it was this one, Tommy Best who played for QPR in the '50s. Still going strong at 95-years-old!
I have a different take. Conditional working to orders and is getting thrown under the bus by his old boss. Best is coming across as a vile man during testimony.
