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Karis Teetan keen to take advantage after Blizzard’s Japanese Group One chances boosted by barrier
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‘Everyone wants a hero overnight’: Tony Millard asks for patience with new apprentice Victor Wong
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Not again: luckless Italian jockey Umberto Rispoli to spend time on sidelines after nasty Sha Tin spill
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Tony Cruz can get the best out of Brave Legend
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‘Like an old man driver’: uncertain Blizzard fails to impress in Japan ahead of Takamatsunomiya Kinen
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By Tragedy Beat · Posted
When it "changes direction/slips/moves" it has not touched the inside horse - in fact you can see daylight from the camera angle. I will wait for the stipes vids to see if it touched the outside horse. Quite likely the way the hind quarters flicked outwards. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The son of Air Force Blue has a comfort level with the turf at Santa Anita having run 16 of his career 22 starts there with a record of 5-2-1. Overall, Air Force Red is 6-3-1 from 22 starts with earnings of $639,074.View the full article -
They are not really any different though are they. Rinse and Repeat "These are the best yearlings I've ever seen this year!" "This lovely colt I could see running in the KM then running in the Guineas and off to our Aus Stable to target Aus riches." "This Lovely Filly is an Oaks filly that i could see at the KM , then off to the Oaks etc" "The last horse sold is usually the best." "This horse did something like one of our superstars did in the past etc etc" It obviously works! -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
It can come as quite a shock when we stumble across damaging untruths about ourselves. This is what happened to myself and numerous other trainers at the end of last week when an article appeared on the Racing Post website, based on comments from “Nigel Payne, who is acting for the Professional Racing Association”, the gist of which was that trainers believe that they should receive payment for live interviews on the television and that consequently trainers are taking action to try to obtain the payment to which they feel entitled, neither part of which is true. Payne's words, of course, have prompted widespread derision towards trainers, on social media and elsewhere, so it makes sense to set the record straight. To do this, one should explain the background. A year ago Peter Savill, formerly chairman of the BHB and a longstanding supporter of the game as racehorse owner, breeder, administrator and owner of Plumpton racecourse, set up the Professional Racing Association. Frustrated by the fact that any progress being made towards increasing prize-money achieved by The Thoroughbred Group could be better described as stately rather than dramatic, he felt he could do better. Many trainers share that view so, when invited, many of them (including myself) joined the group, for which no joining fee or subscription is charged. As a racecourse owner, he understands the business and has calculated that it is not unreasonable to expect each racecourse to put at least a third of its race-day income (from entrance fees, entry fees, sponsorship, Levy grant, picture-rights payments etc.) towards prize-money. His approach was and is simple: to identify which racecourses contribute what he sees as a fair share and to encourage owners and trainers to run their horses there; and to try to encourage the less generous tracks to raise their game. If successful in the latter objective, the PRA could trigger an eight-figure annual increase in British prize-money. This is a laudable aim and it is hard to see that anyone with the long-term interests of the sport at heart could object to this. The one problem is that the PRA obviously requires money to function, most notably to pay its staff and the rent for its office, and it has no income. Hitherto Savill has footed the bill himself in its entirety but from the outset he made it clear that, understandably, he did not intend to do so indefinitely. Happily (or so it seemed at the time) a solution appeared to have presented itself. Savill had been made aware that the two satellite television companies pay a six-figure sum each year to the Professional Jockeys' Association in recognition of the co-operation which the jockeys collectively give, via interviews, to the coverage of racing. The idea formed that they might be persuaded to give a similar sum in recognition of the co-operation of trainers, and the PRA would ask for this to enable it to continue to exist. Most of the leading National Hunt trainers agreed, when asked, to endorse the PRA's request; and, to show their support for it, agreed to say that they would decline interview requests if it were not granted. The crucial factors to bear in mind are that, while the PJA's money goes into an insurance scheme of which jockeys are the only beneficiaries, none of the money given in recognition of trainers' collective co-operation would be given to any trainers but instead would pay for the running costs of an enterprise which was aiming to raise significant sums to benefit primarily owners but everyone else who gets a cut of prize-money (ie jockeys, trainers, stable staff, racing charities etc.). Furthermore, in the wider sense, this money, if encouraging racehorse ownership, might benefit not only jockeys, trainers and stable staff but also everyone who would welcome racing becoming more competitive, such as bookmakers, punters, and racegoers. It's easy to be wise in hindsight. And perhaps this request was doomed to failure from the outset. That is unknowable. But what does appear certain is that a consequence of the original article which, prompted seemingly by the words of Nigel Payne, falsely portrayed this request as a request by trainers (which it wasn't) for trainers to be paid for giving interviews (which it wasn't) has meant that it now seems certain not to succeed. Further consequences are the opprobrium which has been undeservedly heaped on trainers in general for their supposed greed; and a hammer-blow to the credibility of the PRA (which now has no source of funds and, unless this situation can be remedied by some other means, will have to close anyway). All of which is rather sad. An effort by a great supporter of British racing aimed at trying to boost prize-money deserved better than this and certainly didn't deserve the ridicule to which it has now been exposed. And trainers certainly didn't deserve to have their support for it so badly misrepresented. As a post-script to this sorry tale, it is probably worth mentioning that the tracks which, according to the PRA's research, already direct a healthy percentage of their race-day income towards prize-money include the 17 listed (alphabetically) below. PRA policy revolves around encouraging people to support such racecourses and we would like to do our bit by giving credit where it is due. Bangor-on-Dee Chelmsford City Fakenham Goodwood Hamilton Park Hexham Kelso Ludlow Musselburgh Newbury Newton Abbot Plumpton Pontefract Ripon Salisbury Taunton York. The post Op-Ed: Beleaguered PRA Laudable but Misunderstood appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Edited Press Release The Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory (PETRL), a Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program laboratory, has been directed to modify its instrumentation and methodology for TCO2 testing to mass spectrometry so that it is consistent with the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit's three other Program laboratories, HIWU announced Wednesday. PETRL has already transitioned to this methodology, which is also independently endorsed by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. HIWU began its review of PETRL's procedures in response to a disproportionately high number of reports of elevated TCO2 levels from the laboratory and worked with horsemen's representatives throughout this process. HIWU first undertook a comprehensive assessment of testing documentation and laboratory processes at PETRL before asking the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Laboratory at the University of California Davis to conduct an administration study to compare the findings reported by the Program laboratories. PETRL's instrument (a clinical blood gas analyzer) and related methodology had been used and accepted as valid by the horse racing industry to regulate TCO2 for years prior to the implementation of the ADMC Program, and HIWU found no evidence of laboratory error or instrument failure by PETRL. However, the data from the administration study indicated that PETRL's results did not correlate with those of the three other laboratories, which all used an instrument and methodology (mass spectrometry) different from PETRL's. In response, HIWU has issued a new mandate for mass spectrometry to be adopted as the industry standard for TCO2 analysis confirmation. This method is used to analyze virtually all other substances regulated under the ADMC Program. In the interest of fairness to horsemen, all pending TCO2 cases originating in Pennsylvania have been withdrawn; due to the accelerated degradation of TCO2 samples compared to other analytes, HIWU could not send previously analyzed samples to other Program laboratories to compare the results. For cases that have already been resolved, HISA offered to return purse money, refund fines, notify Equibase to remove the disqualifications, and remove penalty points from the affected trainers' records. Purse money that has already been distributed by racetracks in relation to these cases will not be affected. In total, five trainers–Jorge Diaz, Bernard Dunham, David Jacobson, William Martin and Silvino Ramirez–served 30-day suspensions for TCO2 positives that had been processed by the Pennsylvania Lab. “The discovery of inconsistencies in TCO2 testing across Program laboratories and HIWU's subsequent responsibility to establish harmonization among them represent the benefits of a national ADMC program,” said Ben Mosier, executive director of HIWU. “Unlike under state-based regulatory structures, our Program laboratories are in ongoing communication to discuss and compare methods. This collaboration is what enabled us to identify and resolve discrepancies in TCO2 testing despite the longstanding validity of the methods and instruments being used.” “I commend HIWU for taking action in response to the high rate of TCO2 findings at PETRL and ultimately facilitating the harmonization of TCO2 testing among Pennsylvania and other states,” said Jeffrey A. Matty, Jr., executive director of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. “Ben and his team listened to our horsemen's concerns and were in ongoing communication with us while the laboratory was reviewed. We're also appreciative of HISA for their decision to offer to withdraw sanctions imposed for cases that have already been resolved. “This process represents an example of how a national, uniform system helps horsemen and how we, HIWU, and HISA can work together for the benefit of the entire industry.” Evaluation of testing at Program laboratories is ongoing to ensure consistency and fairness in results reporting. HIWU has implemented HISA Equine Analytical Laboratory (HEAL) accreditation as of January 1, 2025. HEAL accreditation includes a robust Equine Quality Assurance Scheme sample program. The post HIWU Mandates Uniform Testing Methodology for TCO2 Analysis Across Program Laboratories appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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