Gordon Elliott

[DabDab]

Eh? Source?

Judge made a vague reference to dark backstory to the release of the picture. And based on that the daily fail appears to be running with the theory of drug connections.

Seems unlikely to me, not exactly the usual revenge/retribution MO for drug gangsters.
Woman scorned sounds many many times more likely.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Judge made a vague reference to dark backstory to the release of the picture. And based on that the daily fail appears to be running with the theory of drug connections.

Seems unlikely to me, not exactly the usual revenge/retribution MO for drug gangsters.
Woman scorned sounds many many times more likely.

I've no idea about who the source was, but I had a friend who was a jockey in Miami and New York a good few years back, and the drug gangsters theory wouldn't have been far fetched at all.

 

[Clodagh]

Sounds like a Dick Francis book!

 

[DabDab]

I've no idea about who the source was, but I had a friend who was a jockey in Miami and New York a good few years back, and the drug gangsters theory wouldn't have been far fetched at all.

Drug gangsters not far fetched no, but a public smear campaign based on this kind of thing is not exactly the way drug gangsters usually do business.

 

[ycbm]

Sounds like a Dick Francis book!

Sounds like a Smokescreen (pub. 1972)
.

 

[Mule]

I heard it was because he cheated on his girlfriend. Both the girlfriend and the mistress are young and very pretty (there are photos in one of the papers). GE must either have a great personality or be worth millions because I dont know what else the attraction could be.

 

[Clodagh]

I heard it was because he cheated on his girlfriend. Both the girlfriend and the mistress are young and very pretty (there are photos in one of the papers). GE must either have a great personality or be worth millions because I dont know what else the attraction could be.

Hidden talents perhaps!? ?

 

[Mule]

Hidden talents perhaps!? ?

Perhaps ??

 

[Parrotperson]

has anyone else seen the damning article on the back page of the Sunday times sporting section?

Barely mentions Elliott but is damning of the industry as a whole (mentions 7 thoroughbred racehorses abandoned in Ireland in an appalling state, among other things)

It also mentions wind ops and doing them preemptively. They do seem to be fashionable nowadays whether the horses need them or not.

Anyway I think the sort needs to change. My first thing would be to ban using the whip to make a horse go faster. It should be carried only to correct a wayward horse. I know John Francome feels the same.

 

[AdorableAlice]

has anyone else seen the damning article on the back page of the Sunday times sporting section?

Barely mentions Elliott but is damning of the industry as a whole (mentions 7 thoroughbred racehorses abandoned in Ireland in an appalling state, among other things)

It also mentions wind ops and doing them preemptively. They do seem to be fashionable nowadays whether the horses need them or not.

Anyway I think the sort needs to change. My first thing would be to ban using the whip to make a horse go faster. It should be carried only to correct a wayward horse. I know John Francome feels the same.

This was always going to happen after the Elliott farce, it is just the beginning and if Cheltenham/Aintree is a blood bath the journalists are going to have a field day. Racing is exposed now and many anti racing organisations/investigative journalists will be looking for dirty washing to hang out. The ripples from last week are not going to stop anytime soon and the people who will suffer most are the good honest people in the industry.

 

[PurBee]

You make a fair point there, tristar. I haven't met a gombeen lately, but it will be very useful if I do!

useful term to use on horse selling ads instead of adding ‘No dealers’ ?

 

[tristar]

Thank you, Cortez, I'll add that one to my vocabulary too! I'm on quite a steep learning curve tonight . . . I quite liked the sound of 'cute hoor' although an Urban Dictionary definition startled me somewhat (second one down if you want to look it up!) but it did tell me how to pronounce it (hoor rhymes with sewer) !

you should post more often, you have quite cheered me up

 

[tristar]

has anyone else seen the damning article on the back page of the Sunday times sporting section?

Barely mentions Elliott but is damning of the industry as a whole (mentions 7 thoroughbred racehorses abandoned in Ireland in an appalling state, among other things)

It also mentions wind ops and doing them preemptively. They do seem to be fashionable nowadays whether the horses need them or not.

Anyway I think the sort needs to change. My first thing would be to ban using the whip to make a horse go faster. It should be carried only to correct a wayward horse. I know John Francome feels the same.

the better a horse can breath the better it can run

 

[tristar]

I've no idea about who the source was, but I had a friend who was a jockey in Miami and New York a good few years back, and the drug gangsters theory wouldn't have been far fetched at all.

sadly drugs are kinda in your face in ireland

 

[Clodagh]

the better a horse can breath the better it can run

I’m opposed to wind ops. They should be bred to be strong and healthy.

 

[Kipper's Dick]

you should post more often, you have quite cheered me up

Thank you, tristar, what a nice thing to say

 

[tristar]

I’m opposed to wind ops. They should be bred to be strong and healthy.

well obviously, not something i would ever do

 

[Parrotperson]

the better a horse can breath the better it can run

I realise that! But the thing these days is to just do it regardless 0f whether there's a wind issue or not. daft.

 

[ycbm]

I’m opposed to wind ops. They should be bred to be strong and healthy.

I've had one done and it was a big relief for him. Unfortunately horses are designed with a flaw, the nerve to the left hand side of the larynx is much longer than the right one. It's routed down the neck, round the aorta and all the way back up again and it's prone to failure in big horses.

But to do it preemptively is surely unethical? And it should be against the rules that vets practise under to operate on a healthy horse that has no certainty of becoming unhealthy in its wind, that's what confuses me.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I’m opposed to wind ops. They should be bred to be strong and healthy.

*cough*don't touch a Yeats then*cough*

Some bloodlines are more prone to throwing horses requiring wind ops than others. But as is with everything bloodstock related -so long as the horses are winners they will always be bred from regardless of conformation.

 

[Clodagh]

*cough*don't touch a Yeats then*cough*

Some bloodlines are more prone to throwing horses requiring wind ops than others. But as is with everything bloodstock related -so long as the horses are winners they will always be bred from regardless of conformation.

Its never gping to stop, I know, but soundness and breathing, surely you need those to be a racehorse? Abnd then to breed more of the same?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Its never gping to stop, I know, but soundness and breathing, surely you need those to be a racehorse? Abnd then to breed more of the same?

You would think! Flat horses only need to stay sound for 2-3 seasons before they are punted off to stud. Few flat horses need wind ops because their races are over before their wind comes into effect. Plus quicker summer ground/beach donkey derby surface helps. Obviously NH horses race for longer and on softer surfaces hence wind ops are more prevalent.

The pre-emptive wind ops are usually firing of little bits to tighten them up. The horse only requires a week of quiet work after so it is much less time consuming than a full op. The full ops take month's to come back from so aren't done as a pre-emptive thing, much more of a - horse makes a noise, can't breath, give a proper op. All come under the same Wind Op banner for the BHA.

 

[ycbm]

Thanks for that explanation ELF, precautionary laser is a completely different thing to a tie back under GA, of course. I see why they don't distinguish if it's just notification to punters that the horse may run better after it's done. The Times article was a bit inflammatory not making that clearer.
.

 

[McGrools]

I adore national hunt racing and always have, i love Cheltenham week more than any other week of the year, i love the emotions when a horse gives its all and is victorious, but i must say i have seen so many broken legs over the last few weeks, i am somewhat apprehensive about Cheltenham next week. Fatalities are going to be in the spotlight, i just hope and pray that they are at a minimum xx

 

[tristar]

I realise that! But the thing these days is to just do it regardless 0f whether there's a wind issue or not. daft.

yes i understand that it is enhancement of natural ability

 

[Cortez]

I adore national hunt racing and always have, i love Cheltenham week more than any other week of the year, i love the emotions when a horse gives its all and is victorious, but i must say i have seen so many broken legs over the last few weeks, i am somewhat apprehensive about Cheltenham next week. Fatalities are going to be in the spotlight, i just hope and pray that they are at a minimum xx

I like to think that we always hope and pray that no horse (or jockey) has to die to provide sport.

 

[stormox]

I don't actually believe the IHRB meant to 'punish' him in the true sense of the word do you? I think this is all just a huge PR exercise to try and retrieve some of the rather iffy reputation that racing already had long before this eejit plonked himself on a dead horse to rest himself while chatting with his pal.

The difficulty is it would be hard to punish Gordon Elliot with a longer ban, or totally removing him,without punishing a lot of totally blameless staff and owners. He employs many many true horselovers.

 

[Clodagh]

Well I see the poster boy of Irish racing (not) is now facing sanctions for a banned substance. He is a person who does absolutely nothing for the sport at all, he is a vile representation of racing.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Well I see the poster boy of Irish racing (not) is now facing sanctions for a banned substance. He is a person who does absolutely nothing for the sport at all, he is a vile representation of racing.

The problem with the drugs thing is it could be as innocent as the horse did not metabolise the drugs as quickly so they were still in the system after the expected withdrawal period - all drugs are recorded in a book with the date they were given and a signature. In which case he will get a minimal fine. Or it could have been done deliberately in which case a large fine and ban is in order. The pending case will decide which it is. Though given his track record recently they will make an example of him and Denise Foster will be ready to pick up the reins again

Then you get Ronan McNally who has been banned for 12 years for a multitude of offences - none of which involve drugs or dead horses - and having met the guy behind the cameras in the stable yard and staff accommodation 12 years isn't long enough.

 

[Clodagh]

The problem with the drugs thing is it could be as innocent as the horse did not metabolise the drugs as quickly so they were still in the system after the expected withdrawal period - all drugs are recorded in a book with the date they were given and a signature. In which case he will get a minimal fine. Or it could have been done deliberately in which case a large fine and ban is in order. The pending case will decide which it is. Though given his track record recently they will make an example of him and Denise Foster will be ready to pick up the reins again

Then you get Ronan McNally who has been banned for 12 years for a multitude of offences - none of which involve drugs or dead horses - and having met the guy behind the cameras in the stable yard and staff accommodation 12 years isn't long enough.

It is bizarre how long this case has taken. The BHA are not the most efficient!