Comments on: Whinging Aussies

By: Sean Heffernan

Sean Heffernan — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:22:16 +0000

Guys,

Off the subject a bit, but why was So you think running with its tongue out. Wastes a lot of energy unnecessarily. I didn’t think it use to do this when it raced in Australia.

Regards,

Sean

By: Troika

Troika — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:15:15 +0000

SEX CHANGE

I’ve just watched to the Mick Halford interview again. His exact words were:
“I told Gary: ‘Drop her in. Ride her like a non-trier.” Incredible!

Now a proper interviewer would have asked: “What do you mean by a ‘non-trier’?” Poor Tracy …..

By: Anon the moose

Anon the moose — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:59:52 +0000

More rubbish troika, go join the PC brigade. there’s only space here for the listen hating brigade.

By: Troika

Troika — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:17:11 +0000

I wonder who uttered the following words on Saturday:

“Listen, Tracy … listen … obviously it’s a definite possibility.”

By: Troika

Troika — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:15:14 +0000

Typo: for ‘month’s’ read ‘months’

By: Troika

Troika — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:13:32 +0000

Re: Morgan’s comment above.

Yes, Mick Halford’s words to Tracy were: “I told Gary to ride him like a non-trier.”

The implications of these words and the inferences that can be drawn from them scream out as a startling indictment of Irish racing and the characters involved in it. Remember, they were the instructions of an established Irish trainer to a young claimer.

I urge you all to think long and hard about Halford’s words spoken so glibly and with apparent impunity on national television.

Is it any wonder that so many of us dismissed Irish racing long ago as a serious betting medium. It is a hole-in-the-wall soap opera.

What chance of any charge of “bringing Irish racing into disrepute”? No chance!

Watch out for Galway and the annual ‘coronation’ of horses that have been ‘readied’ for month’s by ‘master’ trainers who can no longer win proper races.

By: Ivan F. fRAWLEY

Ivan F. fRAWLEY — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 07:14:13 +0000

Comments from OZ,
In reading todays Posts it would appear
that the Irish Derby has lost a lot of its lustre as a
Blue Ribbon event —-thats not a good thing for
Irish Racing.
What has caused this state of affairs ?
Surely it can’t be just the dominance of Ballydoyle/
Coolmore.
The entrance fee of 40 Euro seemed
quite high by our standers AND remembering My
last visit to The Curragh the price and quality of
food and drink needed to improve !
What was the offical attendance ?
Melbourne has a $3 million plus Derby and the
attendance is around 100,ooo Patrons BUT We have
a profitable Tote operation and “High St Bookies ” don’t
influence our Racing.

By: declan burke

declan burke — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:57:09 +0000

delighted to see Colm o’donoghue win the irish derby after several places over the years, but my god what was once the highlight of the irish flat calendar has now ground to an almighty boring predictable halt, Paul points out it was his first absence in 20 years, i would imagine there were plenty like him, THE CURRAGH itself i reckon is suffering by the absolute total and utter dominance of ballydoyle/coolmore. The presentation of trophies was laughable, you’d see more excitement in my workplace at 8am on a monday morning! bring on the eclipse at sandown next saturday for a proper spectacle,

By: JPK

JPK — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:48:59 +0000

Derby was a poor, coverage was poor, match was great, easy choice for most

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:35:06 +0000

Note the stats at The Curragh today – Jackpot guaranteed for only 15k and alarmingly not reached.
Tote aggregate way down on last year ,infact nearly as much activity yesterday!
Voted with my feet today and stayed away for the first time in over 20 years and watched RTE’s same old same old outdated coverage and fell asleep.
Don’t take it personally RTE you weren’t alone with the same old same old as Lorraine Nolan is rolled out year after year for the Curragh of Kildare!!
Then Mr. Nice thanks everybody except Mr.Eastwood !!!!!!!!!

Beem me up……………

Come in Patrick wher are you ??????????????????

By: Parrott John

Parrott John — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:06:15 +0000

The Breeders Cup people had a representitive at the curragh this weekend. He mentioned that Churchill Downs had been hit by a tornado during the week, causing some damage. “Is that what happened the Stand House Hotel?” I think I heard him ask.

By: daylami

daylami — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:52:21 +0000

and he may be presenting Glastonbury coverage later where it will be hats off to the performers who turn up year in year out and always give value for money

By: daylami

daylami — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:02:50 +0000

Mick Fitz is presenting songs of praise on BBC if anyone wants to watch

By: kv

kv — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:58:50 +0000

that’s exactly what he said, that’s how much contempt some trainers have for punters

By: Morgan

Morgan — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:38:57 +0000

Did my ears deceive me or did I hear Mick Halford tell Tracey in his post race interview that he told Gary Carroll to ride Invincible Ash like a non trier?

By: cc

cc — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:10:01 +0000

I never mentioned the English Derby , my comments were directed to the Irish “Derby” only. Engage brain before speaking gentlemen anonymous.

Great sense of deja vu at the presentation for Pretty Pollys awards yesterday (indeed for most of the other races also ) and I look forward to the same faces, same interviews, same palaver all over again after the Derby today and maybe even the entire race card bar he handicaps, Truely boring repetitive nonense. No wonder the English and French dont bother anymore – It is not true “derby” at all anymore like Epsom or Chantilly or indeed the Arc. It has become a pathetic predictable workout that any Coolmore horse can win on the day, Surely the stud fees for an Irish “Derby”winner are seriously devalued since it became a one owner work out

By the way where are all the left wing protestors ala Bono and his tax dodgers frineds at Glastonbury. There should be a big balloon over the Currag today as well telling Magnier, McManus and desmond to pay up – and pickets same as the music festival . Left Alliance come out please ??

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:58:46 +0000

by the way obrien had 4 out of 13 runners in the english derby. he didnt win it. he didnt put any other trainer off having a runner in the race.and he hasnt destroyed the race .cc the drugs dont work!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:52:44 +0000

this lot has destroyed this race! what drugs are you on. can a trainer not have as many entries as he likes. just because weld bolger oxx lyons halford ect ect ect cant muster up a few runners between them. if it wasnt for the coolmore entry we b down to two or three runners.was there a big field in the english darby?the reason for the lack of runners is because they are not good enough to run in the race. simple.

By: Reginald

Reginald — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:23:01 +0000

No surprise there Malachy, he is not as good a commentator as he thinks he is!

By: Malachy Quinn

Malachy Quinn — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:19:10 +0000

Did anyone notice James Griffin’s commentary of the first race at the Curragh today? From start to finish, he called Among Equals as a runner, whereas in fact this horse didn’t run and he was mixing him up with Learn, who did run and finished third.

By: mr.croft

mr.croft — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 19:07:52 +0000

Hands up ! My banker MIDDAY got stuffed by a better horse on the day. Rumours fly around the course today that HRH will attend tomorrow. Blarney for sure. However it would be good just to see the Coolmore mob looking on at someone with more cash than all of them put together. By the way great to see Jimmy Lambe in the winners at The Curragh today, makes a change from Hexham and Perth, nice one JJ. Willie Mullins spotted on the STOBART hospitality balcony – looking for help getting his string to Punchestown ?

By: joseph

joseph — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 17:34:15 +0000

The only restriction to running a 3 year old colt in the Derby is money. Anyone can take their chance so no point giving out about the line up

The same with the entrance price. Nobody has to pay the €40 if they don’t want to.

There is no conspiracy here, just plain market forces at work.

By: DT

DT — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:58:41 +0000

How many fewer runners would turn up for the derby if the prize fund was halved ???? 0 would be my guess!

By: kv

kv — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:39:26 +0000

it’s suprising more english/french horses don’t make the trip, the fact he hasnt won the english version since 2002 suggests that they’d be beatable on this side of the oirish sea too if given any decent opposition

By: cc

cc — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:05:00 +0000

The noose gets tighter and tighter each year in the strangualion of the irish derby as a real race , If it weren’t for Carlton House today , the Derby would have effectively been a workout between Coolmore horses. Eeny meeny miney mo , three card trick , pick the queen if you can ??

A nice bucket of prizemoney too for distibution between one owner – God be with the days of Santa Claus and the Irish Sweeps Derby. This lot have destroyed the Irish Derby as a real race.