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Topic: And we thought football was strange! (Read 3160 times) previous topic - next topic
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And we thought football was strange!

Old new, I know, but was anyone else bemused on Tuesday when two stables admitted that they had broken a strict rule of racing, ie treating a horse on race day, yet they were both allowed to run?  Ok 1 was the favourite, but the rule seemed to become very flexible at about 1 pm when the story broke.

A little inconsistent? Would the decision have been the same if it had been Mourayan at 100/1 (sound familiar 'would it have been the same if had been Knights instead of Hird?)

Re: And we thought football was strange!

Reply #1
Let me start by saying I wouldnt know the front from the back of a horse. However, I got told by those in the know that what the "expert" commentators failed to explain was:

1. that although its "no treatment on race day", it is "at the discretion of the stewards" to determine whats ok and whats not.
2. The rule was brought in to combat administering of "substances" which are PEDs. If a horse gets vaseline for example on a scratch or dry cracked spot, its hardly a PED hence would be deemed "low end of the scale" by the stewards.

I am ok with this assuming that the stewards are experts in whats a PED and whats not.
2017-16th
2018-Wooden Spoon
2019-16th
2020-dare to dream? 11th is better than last I suppose
2021-Pi$$ or get off the pot
2022- Real Deal or more of the same? 0.6%
2023- "Raise the Standard" - M. Voss Another year wasted Bar Set
2024-Back to the drawing boardNo excuses, its time

Re: And we thought football was strange!

Reply #2
Old new, I know, but was anyone else bemused on Tuesday when two stables admitted that they had broken a strict rule of racing, ie treating a horse on race day, yet they were both allowed to run?  Ok 1 was the favourite, but the rule seemed to become very flexible at about 1 pm when the story broke.

A little inconsistent? Would the decision have been the same if it had been Mourayan at 100/1 (sound familiar 'would it have been the same if had been Knights instead of Hird?)

It actually wasn't the favourite.
It was Tres Blue another of Gai's horses that was treated.....about a 25/1 pop.

Re: And we thought football was strange!

Reply #3
There is an article in The Age today on this issue... Tres Blue had an antiseptic cream applied, considered to be a simple treatment that could not impact race performance.

Compared to the trainer of Happy Trails, who did receive a ban... aevidence suggested that the horse had received an injection. The trainer denied treating the horse, so the stewards had no knowledge of what the horse might have received. Horse had to be scratched.