What ATP's Trainer Thinks

Experienced horseman talking a lot of sense. Unlike yesterday's Daily Mail's comment from a TV personality vet Emma someody, can't remember her name and the paper has gone in woodburner.

I really wonder if the losses would have received such a lot of attention had the 2 horses lost been unheard of 250/1 shots.

The loss of the Gold Cup winner has raised the interest greatly, and the lovely piece done on ATP brought him to the publics attention.

It was a very sad day for the sport and the horses connections, but racing took place on Sunday and no one has asked the question if horses were lost at any of those meetings.

People need to realise anything to do with horses is a risk sport. There was no public outcry when a horse was lost at Weston Park.

I just wish everyone could have listened to Ted Walsh's comment. He said he wished the RSPCA would concentrate on helping the thousands of horses and ponies in Ireland and here that are starving and leave racing in the hands of the people who care about the sport and the horses within the industry.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Experienced horseman talking a lot of sense. Unlike yesterday's Daily Mail's comment from a TV personality vet Emma someody, can't remember her name and the paper has gone in woodburner.

I really wonder if the losses would have received such a lot of attention had the 2 horses lost been unheard of 250/1 shots.

The loss of the Gold Cup winner has raised the interest greatly, and the lovely piece done on ATP brought him to the publics attention.

It was a very sad day for the sport and the horses connections, but racing took place on Sunday and no one has asked the question if horses were lost at any of those meetings.

People need to realise anything to do with horses is a risk sport. There was no public outcry when a horse was lost at Weston Park.

I just wish everyone could have listened to Ted Walsh's comment. He said he wished the RSPCA would concentrate on helping the thousands of horses and ponies in Ireland and here that are starving and leave racing in the hands of the people who care about the sport and the horses within the industry.
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this exactly
 
I think a lot of the outcry is because a huge amount of public sympathy occurred as it was two horses they had heard about. Synchronised because of his win and his pre post capers and also ATP because of the tV footage before the race. Also last year due to camera angle changes you could actually see the tarps - I did notice changed angles this year. If the public didn't know these two horses "so well" and they hadn't seen the tarps last year I think the comments would be far more toned down. For a lot of people it would of been "out of sight out of mind".
 
It is sense isn't it and what knowledgeable trainers and others have been saying for years; it needs to get back to size at the very least.

BTW, there is a poll in the Daily Mail today about banning the National. Please go and vote if you can.

I didn't hear Ted Walsh's comment but again, someone speaking an awful lot of sense.
 
Very interesting read. He talks a lot of sense and I fully agree.

I agree with everything that has already been said before me. The features on individual horses allow you to think you know the horse, which makes it more devastating when it is PTS.

They can't please everyone..
 
Such a sad day for all involved with the horses that died, my heart went out to the lads and lasses that night, there is not a lot worse than expecting to see their heads poking over the stable door and it not happening:(

IMHO i would like to see the field number reduced to try to avoid the pile ups that are seen, and the fences made bigger. All the horses in the field are capable of galloping and jumping (it is, afterall, what they are made to do) but they seem to be going so much faster into the fences nowadays that incidents seem almost inevitable. Giving the jockeys a bit more room to manoeuvre may just help.

I thought the run in to the finish (i cant believe how exciting that was!!!) was spectacular. The riders gave a grand display of race riding and for me have justified the new changes to the whip rules.
 
Allover said:
I thought the run in to the finish (i cant believe how exciting that was!!!) was spectacular. The riders gave a grand display of race riding and for me have justified the new changes to the whip rules.
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It's a shame that the death of the horses made bigger news then the winner himself, it was an incredible finish which will not get the credit or attention it deserves.
 
3Beasties said:
It's a shame that the death of the horses made bigger news then the winner himself, it was an incredible finish which will not get the credit or attention it deserves.
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Even John Hale admitted that the decision to run NC had split his family. It was an incredible finish, but watching the re-run it was clear that NC could just as easily have been a casualty of the race himself. He was darned lucky to have got as far as the finish, given the number of horses who fell in front of him, and a few dodgy landings of his own.

I watch a lot of NH racing, but as I said on another thread, the GN is the only one where I look at the horses and wonder which ones will be dead at the end of it, and that's not right.
 
I've so far not commented on the national as i'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. I certainly don't want it banned but apart from general horse experience, which makes me think raising the fences would be a good start I have too little knowledge of racing to be making useful comments. But I think that article & adorable alices post have summed it up for me. The only thing I will add is that I do find the death of a race horse more distressing than an ethically raised & slaughtered meat animal. Not because its a horse, but because I know for each death there is a lad/lass, trainer & owner who are no doubt devastated. Which leads me to think they know more about how to make improvements than those of us not involved with the racing industry.
 
Bright_Spark said:
Interesting article, and he talks a lot of sense.

I also saw this article, and it was the first photo that struck me more than anything else- you can see just how bad ATP's fall was (even if they have said Syncronised underneath), poor lad didn't have a chance :(

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ra...ic-surgery-needed-save-nations-favourite.html
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having read the article, did anyone read the comments at the bottom?? some idiot called john ranting about how 'syndicated' shouldn't have run?? if he's going to plaster his opinion on the board at least get the horses name right!! :rolleyes:
 
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