Casela Park pair found guilty by BHA panel

Nulty

Casela Park pair found guilty by BHA panel

By Lee Mottershead 11:36AM 27 SEP 2010

THE BHA's disciplinary panel has delivered a brutal verdict on the motive and actions of the trainer and jockey at the centre of the Casela Park non-trier case after finding both men guilty of "deliberately preventing a horse from winning".

County Kildare-based trained Eamon Tyrrell and his work-rider jockey Jason Behan face being warned off for up to five years apiece after the BHA panel launched a stinging attack on the duo, who sprang to prominence following the participation of five-year-old gelding Casela Park in a 7f handicap at Newcastle on August 4.

Sent off at 17-2 for the Newcastle race, Casela Park, a winner of two of his previous six outings, finished an eye-catching sixth, the Racing Post comment on the run noting that the horse had made "steady headway going well when switched repeatedly from over one furlong out". Thereafter, he was "nudged along and kept on strongly" in the last 100 yards, eventually passing the post two lengths adrift of the winner.

That effort prompted the Newcastle stewards to refer Casela Park's connections to the BHA, whose appointed QC Graeme McPherson claimed at last week's hearing that the horse had been "stopped" at Newcastle in order that connections could obtain a better price when contesting a Musselburgh handicap two days later.

Under intense media scrutiny and with Patrick Mathers taking over in the saddle, Casela Park, a 3-1 shot, finished third in Scotland.

Tyrrell, who was not legally represented at the hearing, denied the stopping claim as "utter nonsense" and claimed that Casela Park was a difficultanimal to ride.

However, in the disciplinary panel's statement, released on Monday morning, it is stated that "the gelding was subjected to strong and persistent episodes of restraint".

The panel adds: "It was running on well in the last 50 yards (despite an absence of any driving or encouragement) and lost by just two lengths. But for its treatment by Behan, it would have won. That may seem a strong conclusion about a race in which it finished sixth, but the more the panel viewed the recordings, the more it felt driven to this view."

The panel, which describes Behan's manoeuvres as "intentional", decided the breach amounted to "deliberately preventing a horse from winning".

Of Tyrrell, it says: "He did not identify any aspect of the ride which failed to meet his instructions. He is therefore to be treated as in breach.

"Tyrrell's denial of the obvious was so striking that the panel felt bound to conclude that he caused his work rider Behan to ride as he did.

"Generally, Tyrrell chose to paint a portrait of the gelding as very difficult to ride and as sometimes uncontrollable, which was plainly false. The important picture that emerged...was that the gelding was a genuine trier and could be relied upon to run straight, even under strong driving.

"This was not merely a case where a rusty jockey (Behan) over-interpreted the instruction ‘not to kill the horse or get milled to finish third'. This was a deliberate stopping ride on Tyrrell's instructions."

The panel admitted that no clear motive had been uncovered but suggested that a coup at Musselburgh was the most obvious explanation.

All parties involved in the case will now make representations to the panel before penalties are announced. Transgressions of the rulesbroken - B(58) and B(59) - carry the entry point of an 18-month disqualification.

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/eamon-tyrrell-j-j-behan-casela-park-pair-found-guilty-by-bha-panel/772282/top/


Totally blatant and the morer you watch it the more it looks wrong. Its difficult to see what their main intentions were but it was obvioly trying to set him up for a big gamble. Trouble is theres no evidence of that especially as he didn't win his next. I haven't seen that race yet so can't comment.

Opinions?

UrbanSea

Delighted I didn't back it that day,I remember I was going to and then saw the next day that the ride had been referred. Didn't see the race yet though,but must have been bad for it to be brought to the stewards. Now maybe we can look at all the non triers in Ireland?

hucklebuck

Sweet Anola Gay, that is the worst ever case of stopping I have ever seen. The horse easily lost 20 lengths just by the jockey constantly taking a pull, he must have lost another 20 switching the horse and even in the last 150 yards the way he was taking a pull and pretending to drive the horse.

Makes you wonder about the connections, he went off at 17/2 and could have won the race moonwalking.

I love the defence, he is a tricky animal, tricky as in he wants to gallop when you want him to lose?:D

brandon_flowers

Just watched the race there, blatant pulling and it is very obvious.

A lot of the time it is very difficult to spot the non-triers in Irish racing because the jockeys are a far higher calibre and "know" what they are doing when they are stopping a horse. Pittoni in Listowel in the last race of this years festival is an example. Young Derek Fox wasn't experienced enough to hide the obvious instructions from Byrnes to not win. I know Byrnes has appealed it but it was known before the race went off that Pittoni would not be trying.

Edit: Just googled it and see that Byrnes has decided against an appeal.

admiralofthefleet

i watched that race live, afterwards i couldnt stop thinking about it. i never saw anything so blatant

Colonel Sanders

Replay is on the ATR site here

Colonel Sanders

God that looked really bad

The horse looked far from straight forward but in the last 100-200 yards the jockey is visibly easy on him

What I don't understand is that he was actually backed from 10/1 into 17/2

Nulty

I've seen the Newcastle one but still haven't got round to seeing the next one...what happened there?

sting60

wow how stupit to be caught.All horses according to the rules have to run on their merits.Aiden O Birein should be locked away for good if that rule is totally correct[pace makers].At Dundalk last friday and a top jockey was not happy with the instructions he was given from trainer.He wanted the horse to run up the middle but was told to run up the rails,finished 4th beaten 2lgts with no room to run.Very ,very unhappy jockey afterwards as he is trying to win jockeys title.he is riding a good thing tonight if weight doesnt beat him,remember the wind in Dundalk can be severe if blowing and top weights can suffer accordingly.

UrbanSea

Good lord I just watched the race. The horse's head is half way back to its body it's being pulled so much.

Nulty

sting60 wrote: »

wow how stupit to be caught.All horses according to the rules have to run on their merits.Aiden O Birein should be locked away for good if that rule is totally correct[pace makers].At Dundalk last friday and a top jockey was not happy with the instructions he was given from trainer.He wanted the horse to run up the middle but was told to run up the rails,finished 4th beaten 2lgts with no room to run.Very ,very unhappy jockey afterwards as he is trying to win jockeys title.he is riding a good thing tonight if weight doesnt beat him,remember the wind in Dundalk can be severe if blowing and top weights can suffer accordingly.

Well thats a bit hazy...Mostly its obvious when a particular horse is going to be given pacemaking duties and as always that is factored into the price. Its the deceiving that is illegal. In the Grand National (and probably other races too) years ago if an owner/trainer had more than one horse in a race he would have to chose one that he "declared to win". Thats more or less obvious these days.

UrbanSea

Jockey and trainer banned for three years. http://www.irishracing.com/v5newsitem?prid=48177

hucklebuck

greetings wrote: »

Jockey and trainer banned for three years. http://www.irishracing.com/v5newsitem?prid=48177

Thats a poor decision, they should have imposed the maximum ban. It is obvious even to the non-racing public that the horse was stopped so they should have really thrown the book at them.

I might have a flutter on the horse after it's ban under it's new trainer

Nulty

Yep should have been more.

Can anyone ever remember a worse case of stopping a horse?

hucklebuck

Nulty wrote: »

Yep should have been more.

Can anyone ever remember a worse case of stopping a horse?

I have seen unfortunate horses having heart attacks during a race travelling smoother than this horse. I just hope they havent broken the poor horse as result of this.

I like the BHAs idea of giving stewards the power to ban horses they think were stopped.

brandon_flowers

Nulty wrote: »

Yep should have been more.

Can anyone ever remember a worse case of stopping a horse?

Yes, there is definitely a worse one can't think of the horse. The "loser" came on the bridle and the winner was all out and nearly going up and down in the one spot. Must find it because I saw a video of it as well.

UrbanSea

Was that race a national hunt flat one brandon? I remember seeing it on this before.

convert

Just a reminder to anyone who was thinking of naming horses which had been stopped by trainers/jockeys or posting up videos of the races: Unless the horse has been found to have been stopped by the Racing Authorities please do not post about it. Saying 'it's clear from the video that X horse was stopped' is not good enough.

Any such posts will be deleted and the user banned.

However,as with the case above, please feel free to discuss cases in which the trainer/jockey have been found guilty of stopping a horse by the relevant authorities.

brandon_flowers

greetings wrote: »

Was that race a national hunt flat one brandon? I remember seeing it on this before.

May have been a bumper alright or else a 2m maiden. It was mentioned on here before as well.

I suggest everyone watch the last race from Listowel on 18th Sept and see how Pittoni finishes.

EDIT: Only saw mod post after I had this posted. Chalres Byrnes was charged with not running the horse on his merits.

smartaform

convert wrote: »

Just a reminder to anyone who was thinking of naming horses which had been stopped by trainers/jockeys or posting up videos of the races: Unless the horse has been found to have been stopped by the Racing Authorities please do not post about it. Saying 'it's clear from the video that X horse was stopped' is not good enough.

Any such posts will be deleted and the user banned.

However,as with the case above, please feel free to discuss cases in which the trainer/jockey have been found guilty of stopping a horse by the relevant authorities.

How so Moderator Convert?
That is a bit harsh.... How can that rule be enforced, when the BHA and Turf Club don't even know how to enforce the non-trier rule.... They dont even know what a non-trier is..
There is cases of this DAILY yet nothing is done....

convert

smartaform wrote: »

How so Moderator Convert?
That is a bit harsh.... How can that rule be enforced, when the BHA and Turf Club don't even know how to enforce the non-trier rule.... They dont even know what a non-trier is..
There is cases of this DAILY yet nothing is done....

I don't disagree that it may appear that cases occur where the relevant authorities seem not to see it. However, whatever about mentioning cases privately, doing it on a public forum is a no-no, and an action which could potentially get boards.ie in trouble. So no naming of individuals unless mentioning a specific case in which a horse has been banned or a jockey and/or trainer penalised.

If anyone has any further queries about this that you'd like to discuss, please feel free to PM me. Let's not drag the thread any more off topic!

UrbanSea

That one I was referring to was penalised,just can't remember it. It was definately a bumper and a link was posted here before,anyone remember?

convert

greetings wrote: »

That one I was referring to was penalised,just can't remember it. It was definately a bumper and a link was posted here before,anyone remember?

I wasn't posting with any particular poster in mind, greetings, I just wanted to avoid any potential trouble that could arise!

It wasn't the one that brandon_flowers mentioned? That horse was banned for 42 days, although I don't know if the trainer was successful in appealing the ban. If you google the horse's name you'll find the article on it on the racing post website.

UrbanSea

I'm not sure,could be the same one. I remember the trainer had the first and second in the race,and the second horse was absolutely cruising but still lost after a very strange ride,where the rider admitted he missed the horse when he went to hit it. I have a funny feeling I know who the trainer was,but don't want to say in case.

UrbanSea

Found it,I knew it was Charles Byrnes.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/laetitia-ban-upheld-258860.html

Juwwi

greetings wrote: »

That one I was referring to was penalised,just can't remember it. It was definately a bumper and a link was posted here before,anyone remember?

It was a C Byrnes bumper horse a few years ago.
I cant remember the name.

UrbanSea

Found it thanks robbie.http://www.attheraces.com/VideoConsole/
Don't think that's the right link for the race,but you can see it there anyway if you put the date in. It's the 24th of april 05,second last at Cork.

Huntthe

It would be nice to see an equal hand in these matters.
These two obviously aren't well connected so they use a rule that hasn't been used in 20 years to ban them. Horses are stopped on a daily basis just not so clumsily.

Nicky Henderson is caught doping horses and gets a slap on the wrist.

UrbanSea

I don't think stopping horses is AS common in England as it is in Ireland,I'm not saying that it doesn't happen though.

Huntthe

I don't think there's any basis for thinking that ?

Not so long ago the Bha had a raft of jocks in court.

UrbanSea

That just shows the BHA do a better job at getting them,Ireland is infamously bad for stewards not pulling jockeys who have stopped horses.

brandon_flowers

greetings wrote: »

Found it,I knew it was Charles Byrnes.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/laetitia-ban-upheld-258860.html

That's actually not the one I was thinking of but that is gangsterism at its highest.

The race I was thinking of was on a left handed track and the jockey struggled to keep the "loser" from passing the winner. I don't think it was Byrnes either.

UrbanSea

Hmmm can't recall it,although I'm sure there are plenty of examples.

Huntthe

greetings wrote: »

That just shows the BHA do a better job at getting them,Ireland is infamously bad for stewards not pulling jockeys who have stopped horses.

They made a complete Horlix of it remember Fallon and Co ?

Agree Irish stewards and Turf Club could do more.

UrbanSea

I know they have some more high profile bad decisions,but nearly every race day in Ireland there are races full of non triers,especially maiden hurdles and handicap hurdles.

smartaform

Greetings, i'm so glad someone else has noticed and thinks that way about the irish stewards...

It is really a sham at times and this non-trier issue has to be ironed out or enforced soon.
Perhaps bringing in OFFICIAL TRIALS would be a start - no horse can race without having at least ONE official trial??

convert

smartaform wrote: »

Perhaps bringing in OFFICIAL TRIALS would be a start - no horse can race without having at least ONE official trial??

I accept your point and can see the benfit of having trials, but, apart from just adding more expense to trainers and owners at a time when there's less money floating about, how can one guarantee that a horse will actually be allowed run to its merit in the trials? Who'll regulate it?

smartaform

Sadly the turf club would have to regulate it.

The point about having official trials would be to get horses to a certain level of fitness before a race - on too many occasions trainers are just 'giving a horse the run'... A trial would be well under the cost of that to go racing AND owners would see clearly what needs to be done in regards to getting their horse to the races...

Sadly, the only track this could go ahead at is Dundalk - at the moment. One could enforce a QUALIFYING TIME, however we don't even give out sectional times so i will have to save that arguement for another discussion.

Huntthe

Interesting idea.

Time trials could be run at designated gallops.

There are a million and one issues with it though.

smartaform

Thanks Huntthe..

The non-trier rule could be enforced a hell of a lot easier if every horse had to have an official trial OR pass a qualifying time. There are some negative issues i accept that, however trainers, owners and riders would FINALLY have clarity on the issue.

Why take a horse to the races if it is not fit?? Why waste an owners money when they KNOW a horse is unfit or is just going for a run. The trial can be it's run. Trials are trials, a good hitout in a field of 6-8 horses over something like 900m - 1100m... They are great pieces of education for horses. It would also eliminate the stupid barrier antics...

Nulty

Couple of weeks ago but only saw it now...

Irish racing needs to look deep into its cheating heart

By John O'Brien

Sunday October 10 2010

THE small kid smiled as he chalked his cue and spent the next few minutes dashing around the pool table, making the balls disappear like a young Alex Higgins on speed. In between shots he talked about his own hard upbringing on the streets of Belfast city and of his utter determination that, whatever the future held, he wasn't going back to hang around street corners for the rest of his life.

It was the autumn of 1998. Among that year's intake of ambitious inductees at the apprentice school in RACE, Co Kildare, something about Brian Reilly stood out. Although Higgins himself had once tried, Sandy Row hadn't produced many jockeys. Reilly didn't mind the odds. He had grown up through the Troubles, seen bad things, met bad people. He would make it as a jockey, he insisted, because he had no choice.

And, to his credit, he did. Like many before him he served his time in Ireland before moving across the water. He rode his first winner in 2001 and each year brought solid progress: 18 winners in 2002, then 21, then 27 and, in his best year in 2005, 31. Then it came crashing down. In December 2006, Reilly was found guilty of not trying in a race at Wolverhampton a year earlier and banned for 18 months.

Sadly, the kid who had escaped the rough streets of Belfast had fallen in with another set of unwholesome characters. Along with a colleague, Dean Williams, he was found to have passed information to a bookmaker, Owen Churchill, who was laying horses ridden by both jockeys to lose in such unusually large amounts that alarm bells rang out in Betfair's offices and the racing authorities were alerted.

It wasn't difficult to feel sympathy for Reilly's plight. During the hearing his legal team painted a picture of a young, innocent jockey targeted and corrupted by an older man and the disciplinary panel accepted the portrayal. So instead of the minimum two-year suspension stipulated for his offence, they suspended him for 18 months and, for his greed and stupidity, Reilly was fortunate to escape so lightly.

Yet the damage to his career was severe. Since he completed his suspension the records show that Reilly has had just three rides in England, all for the Newmarket trainer Phil McEntee. In 2007, McEntee had his training licence removed for 12 months after being found guilty of passing information for reward. When you are seeking to restore your reputation, you might argue, that isn't the type of company you want to keep.

In racing's deep pond, of course, Reilly was a small fish. And when it comes to corruption, as in all sports, that fact invariably clouds the moral context. People see the names of those who have fallen foul of the disciplinary authorities and conclude that only those at the bottom of the pile get done: the likes of Reilly, Robbie Fitzpatrick, Luke Fletcher, Fran Ferris. Names that trip off the tongue of only the most fervent racing devotees.

And to that list have been added the previously obscure names of Eamon Tyrell and Jason Behan who both received three-year bans from the British Horseracing Authority last Tuesday for deliberately stopping a horse, Casela Park, in a race at Newcastle two months ago. Tyrell, Casela Park's trainer, is vigorously protesting the severity of the punishment and plans to seek a judicial review in the British courts.

In the two weeks since the BHA determined their guilt, sympathy for Tyrell and Behan hasn't been in short supply. While the case against them was clear-cut and damning, the notion of two more small fish being fried rested uneasily with many. Tyrell spoke emotionally of the dire consequences for his livelihood while the fact that neither trainer nor jockey had been able to afford legal representation at their hearing embellished their perceived status as victims.

More than anything, the case offers us a window into the conflicting attitudes towards corruption on both sides of the Irish Sea. The feeling that Casela Park's connections were merely guilty of getting caught at something every racing stable tries at one stage or another is clearly more prevalent this side of the pond. As they made their journey from Ireland, it's very likely that neither Tyrell nor Behan seriously considered the likely repercussions if their plot went astray.

Not everybody in Britain is a fan of how the racing authorities conduct their business of exposing corruption, but it is undeniable that the will to tackle it exists. Nor is it true that they only target the weak and stupid. Graham Bradley was a former Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle winner when he was warned off for eight years in 2002. The Dublin-born Robert Winston was spoken of as a future champion jockey when he was banned for a year after being found guilty of passing information for reward in 2007.

For Casela Park's jockey and trainer, the timing couldn't have been worse. When Fergal Lynch was granted a plea bargain last year, accepting a £50,000 fine and an agreement not to renew his licence for 12 months, after admitting stopping a horse at Ripon in 2004, the leniency of the sentence was widely condemned. Subsequently, the BHA acknowledged that penalties for corruption needed to be more severe. Tyrell and Behan are among the first victims of that resolve.

Was it the case that, steeped in the much more tolerant culture of Irish racing, they simply didn't see the risks involved? Ask the average British racegoer about Irish racing and it is fair bet that he will have a dim view of its integrity. Rightly or wrongly, Irish racing is seen as a by-word for corruption and, at a time when government money is receding and the sport desperately needs to attract a new audience, its negative image is a severe handicap.

It is impossible, of course, to quantify the level of corruption that exists in Irish racing, but if you accept the proposition that it is at least equal, if not greater, than its British counterpart, then it is reasonable to ask why there have been comparably so few corruption cases and such light penalties dished out. Are the cheats that much more subtle and harder to catch here? Are the tools to expose them that much less sophisticated? Does the stomach exist to fight them? Punters are entitled to ask these questions.

When John O'Gorman was found guilty of laying horses trained by his employer, Charles Byrnes, last January, it was seen as a landmark case in Ireland and an opportunity for a significant punishment to be applied as a deterrent to others. In the Turf Club's own words, O'Gorman's actions had "seriously damaged the integrity of racing." Yet they only saw fit to serve him with a four-month suspension, a decision that was met with incredulity in the racing press.

In the ongoing banking crisis it has often been argued that a soft regulatory system made it so much easier for cheats to prosper. So it is in racing. It is a common feature at Irish race meetings for trainers to be charged with "using the racecourse as a training ground." In most cases a small fine is administered and a short ban arises for both horse and jockey. Compared to the fate met by Tyrell and Behan, it amounts to little more than wrist-slapping.

In the end, the ordinary punter -- whose cash is so vital to the sport -- is left in a quandary. He is entitled to ask what difference in principle there is between O'Gorman laying his own stable horses to lose on Betfair and what Reilly and others did when passing information to third parties. Or the difference between a trainer "using the racecourse as a training ground" and what Tyrell and Behan did when Casela Park was stopped at Newcastle.

And until Irish racing starts asking itself hard questions like these the feeling will persist that the only crime Tyrell and Behan committed was in trying to execute their corrupt scheme in the wrong jurisdiction.

- John O'Brien

Sunday Independent

http://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/irish-racing-needs-to-look-deep-into-its-cheating-heart-2372872.html

UrbanSea

Sure half of handicap hurdles and maiden hurdles have non triers it couldn't be clearer.

PeterKelly!

had a decent bet on pittoni a few weeks back, thought his price too good to be true....began prominently but was then pulled to the back of the field, knew i was getting screwed at that stage, and for this charlie and co. get a slap on the wrist and a few weeks ban....this is everything that's wrong with irish racing in a nutshell.

UrbanSea

PeterKelly! wrote: »

had a decent bet on pittoni a few weeks back, thought his price too good to be true....began prominently but was then pulled to the back of the field, knew i was getting screwed at that stage, and for this charlie and co. get a slap on the wrist and a few weeks ban....this is everything that's wrong with irish racing in a nutshell.

That price was too good to be true. Evens to 7/2 with him as a trainer I wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

Nulty

That was the Irish November Handicap wasn't it? Don't you remember his maiden hurdle where it was clear he wasn't supposed to win? He came from a mile off the pace and won easily but it clearly wasn't the plan for such a "shrewd" yard.

Pittoni + connections = no bet

mountai

Are You Guys For Real.????

Pittoni ---- "the price was too good to be true". It sure was my friend. The dogs in the street know not to back a Byrnes horse unless money comes for it.What about the November Handicap?? Was it trying then?? Its as simple as this. No owner (unless he"s an eejit) is in it for the money. Just ask JP or MO"L how much they make from the game.
Everyone knows that horses will "have their day", and are not out to try in EVERY race. It is a necessity that there is some sort of payback to owners, wheither they are millionair owners or syndicate members (like Moi).Without these guys, there would be no racing industry.There is no feeling like pulling off a TOUCH. But for every ten that is set up, six fail (in my experience) These Lads are in it for the CRAIC.You dont hear them moaning when things go astray, so grow up, stop whinging and dont gamble if you cant afford to leave it with the bookies.!!! I wonder how many of the whingers go racing every week, where (on the track) the WHISPERS are usually worth listening to!!!!!!

Nulty

mountai wrote: »

Are You Guys For Real.????

Pittoni ---- "the price was too good to be true". It sure was my friend. The dogs in the street know not to back a Byrnes horse unless money comes for it.What about the November Handicap?? Was it trying then?? Its as simple as this. No owner (unless he"s an eejit) is in it for the money. Just ask JP or MO"L how much they make from the game.
Everyone knows that horses will "have their day", and are not out to try in EVERY race. It is a necessity that there is some sort of payback to owners, wheither they are millionair owners or syndicate members (like Moi).Without these guys, there would be no racing industry.There is no feeling like pulling off a TOUCH. But for every ten that is set up, six fail (in my experience) These Lads are in it for the CRAIC.You dont hear them moaning when things go astray, so grow up, stop whinging and dont gamble if you cant afford to leave it with the bookies.!!! I wonder how many of the whingers go racing every week, where (on the track) the WHISPERS are usually worth listening to!!!!!!

Sort your paragraphs out there mate and why all the aggression? I can barely make out what your saying half way through your rant. What I can make out is true. The rest can you make it clearer?

mountai

Firstly, Nulty, I"m not your mate.

New paragraph

You would"nt want to see, or read me when I am being agressive.

New paragraph.

This is"nt a rant, but an observation pointing out to the Innocent among us, the reality of the industry they moan about.

Last paragraph

I left school when I was 28, and am a product of the modern education system, so apolagies if I offended you with my post set out!!!!

Nulty

mountai wrote: »

Firstly, Nulty, I"m not your mate.

New paragraph

You would"nt want to see, or read me when I am being agressive.

New paragraph.

This is"nt a rant, but an observation pointing out to the Innocent among us, the reality of the industry they moan about.

Last paragraph

I left school when I was 28, and am a product of the modern education system, so apolagies if I offended you with my post set out!!!!

You sound like a very personable guy altogether. Pleasure exchanging words with you...

UrbanSea

Nulty wrote: »

That was the Irish November Handicap wasn't it? Don't you remember his maiden hurdle where it was clear he wasn't supposed to win? He came from a mile off the pace and won easily but it clearly wasn't the plan for such a "shrewd" yard.

Pittoni + connections = no bet

No that was only on Sunday. That was the same day the horse was returning from the 42 day ban it recieved for the race in which it ran,jockey got a seven day ban and I think Byrnes was fined for using the race track as a gallop. The November Handicap was where Byrnes or whoever backed the horse must have lost a ton,it was 6/1 into 7/4.

UrbanSea

mountai wrote: »

Are You Guys For Real.????

Pittoni ---- "the price was too good to be true". It sure was my friend. The dogs in the street know not to back a Byrnes horse unless money comes for it.What about the November Handicap?? Was it trying then?? Its as simple as this. No owner (unless he"s an eejit) is in it for the money. Just ask JP or MO"L how much they make from the game.
Everyone knows that horses will "have their day", and are not out to try in EVERY race. It is a necessity that there is some sort of payback to owners, wheither they are millionair owners or syndicate members (like Moi).Without these guys, there would be no racing industry.There is no feeling like pulling off a TOUCH. But for every ten that is set up, six fail (in my experience) These Lads are in it for the CRAIC.You dont hear them moaning when things go astray, so grow up, stop whinging and dont gamble if you cant afford to leave it with the bookies.!!! I wonder how many of the whingers go racing every week, where (on the track) the WHISPERS are usually worth listening to!!!!!!

Who were 'the guys' you were referring to?