The Morning Line.

[Alec Swan]

Are we starting to like it a little more? I am, and am wondering if the team have settled down, or if I'm becoming more accepting, in my dotage! Though I miss the eloquence of Alistair Down, I wonder if he would fit in with the existing team. I'm also a little surprised to find that following the media hype surrounding the fact that Clair Balding was supposed to head the team, she's nowhere to be seen.

This morning there was a focus on Martin Dwyer's treatment from a foreign horse racing board, a two month ban appealed, and that was increased to an eight month ban! Having watched the vid on display, it was obvious that he was riding a difficult filly, and what else he was supposed to do, was beyond me. Those who've handed down this ban, are now asking the British Horse Racing Board to ratify their decision. How they'll manage that in the face of the evidence, will be interesting to see!

Alec.

 

[zaminda]

The problem with not accepting this ban, is that he BHA have already set a precedent of accepting ridiculous bans from India when they ratified Richard Hughes' ban last year (or maybe the year before) for an offence that doesn't even exist in the UK. I simply cannot understand why these British jockeys continue to go to India, although the Indian lads at work tell me they are very well paid whilst there and treated very well. As to the morning line, I'm still not entirely convinced, although I missed most of it today.