Cheers Ginger had a few shillings on it.Really trappy looking card as ever at Dundalk but Im hoping the application of blinkers will do the trick for Thomas O'Malley in what looks a week race.Happy to take 2/1 on offer.
Just watched the replay....BeeJeesus that was exiting, thought he was beat ! Delighted for Henry Brooke, must be a ride of the month contender with Adam Beschizza on Squire? Happy Days
Perhaps the Don's racing changes may work. Did anybody hear Ross O'Sullivan speaking before his horse Bad Penny (backed from 33/1 into 10/1 at one point) ran. When interviewed he told Kevin Ryan even though the horse had stall stall 1 he would drop right out and try finish well that translates loosely as we have no interest in trying and I've no idea where the gamble came from. Bad Penny duly broke in front and was held back to go last, waiting for a horse who was being scrubbed for 2 furlongs to get bye. Will the stewards look into it? Definitely not. Should they? Yes. If you have a machine of a horse you may get away with this tactic but all the while you are waiting to drop out the front end are going further clear...and at this lowly level, no horse will make that ground up. The horse did run on to get midfield without threatening. Now, this is not new news but I'm merely stating that Don's logic may inform viewers what will happen but also it will let the trainers get away with it without sanctions.
Cor bally blinkin' blimey has anyone seen the follow up re this race?!? Button Up ran satisfactorily on debut finishing 6th of the 13 horses but after the heat jock Graham Gibbons (he only had one ride) was asked, how shall I put this politely, ummmmmm…to provide a sample. What he did though was to substitute his sample with that of fellow rider Callum Shepherd. In the words of the Stewards Report, ‘The stewards held an inquiry following a report from the clerk of the scales that Graham Gibbons, the rider of Button Up, had substituted the urine sample that he was required to produce with that of another rider, Callum Shepherd. Having heard evidence from the sampling officer, Graham Gibbons, Callum Shepherd, Paul Struthers, the chief executive of the PJA who accompanied Shepherd, and a valet, they forwarded a report to the head office of the British Horseracing Authority for further consideration.’ I think Mr Gibbons is set for a very, very, very lengthy ban, people.
If I was a betting man I’d wager him getting around a year’s ban for this. Plus because what Gibbons has done constitutes fraud you do have to wonder if criminal proceedings could follow as well. In all seriousness it don't look good for him at all.
You can bet Callum Shepherd is as popular as a pork pie at a barmitzvah in the weighing room right now!
