Sunday, April 17, 2011

In the news...

Following a week in which the fallout from last week's Grand National could be described as significant, racing again finds itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Reports in the press this weekend indicate that the British Horseracing Authority is at present refusing to comment on fresh race-fixing allegations that could involve up to five jockeys. Watch this space, as they say...

On the Grand National... Professor Tim Morris, Director of Equine Science and Welfare at the BHA, has had a busy week with media commitments and he appeared on Saturday's Morning Line. He acknowledged racing is a sport that comes with its risks and can never be made risk-free; nonetheless every avenue would be explored to reduce the risks involved in response to public reaction to last Saturday's events. Interestingly, he inferred that many of the comments the BHA had received related to the misuse of the whip; he appeared unequivocal on that point - the whip is not a welfare issue.

In amongst it all, I just wondered about SamWaley-Cohen's thoughts after the big race. Should he have kicked on when Ballabriggs blundered and lost the lead six from home? Another opinion I've heard in places - if the field had jumped 30 (rather than 28) fences, Oscar Time would probably have collected the spoils.

Former BBC political correspondent and racing man Robin Oakley has been busy of late. Following the hardback release of Frankincense and More: The Biography of Barry Hills last September, The Cheltenham Festival: A Centenary History has just been published. Incidentally, the paperback version of the former title is set to be released on 20th May. If  Robin Oakley isn't quite your cup of tea, perhaps Gary Wiltshire, 'The Belly from the Telly', is. Winning It Back: The Autobiography of Britain's Biggest Gambler is now on the bookshelves. Gary lost £1 million when Frankie Dettori famously went through the card at Ascot on 28th September 1996; that event made Gary Wiltshire famous - as he says in the preface, every cloud...   

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