Donald McCain

betfair ambassador along with gordon elliott

knuts

I agree with the OP.

Im an SS backer but think the way McCain has been telling porkies is a disgrace.

Been mugged all over he should refund everyones bet on the arkle ... Hope he flops in the jewson

Where has he 'misled' or told 'porkies' please?

3rd March: McCain said: "He's grand, he's worked this week and worked again today. I'm happy with him." Not grand enough clearly.

29th Feb: "The Arkle is Plan A" "That has always been the plan but if there are any question marks over him we can always think again."

"We seem to be where we want to be"

11th Feb: Donald McCain has revealed that Peddlers Cross will go straight for the Racing Post Arkle Chase, and will do so without the need of a prep run.

No date but post Kempton “The plan is the Arkle. He’s working away and we’ve decided we’re going straight to Cheltenham because the races that were available to us didn’t really fit in with what we wanted to do and we’ll get him A1 for the big day all systems go.”

I'll ask again.

Where has he 'misled' or told 'porkies' please?

Glossy- Kept repeatedly saying Arkle was plan A whilst at the same time money was piling on for the Jewson and he was drifting like a barge for arkle. Money talks so they say.

Plan A would suggest that there is also a Plan B, would it not?

Glossy - my previous post.

Cant you read Glossy ? There are any number of quotes and interviews from McCain catergorically saying the Arkle is his race.

He should not have been so bold in his assertions given he clearly had doubts in his mind. Lead people up the garden path im afraid. And lets be clear, this horse was fav for the first part of the season and second fav for the second part. Plenty of money has been staked on him.

22nd Feb Now Peddlers Cross is back in good shape and McCain describes recent home work as "terrific". It's all systems go for the Arkle, and the Cholmondeley handler is bullish about his charge's hopes.

"I know Sprinter Sacre is very smart, as he showed again last week at Newbury, but my fellow has a serious chance of turning things around."

Terrific really Donald?

Lost a lot of goodwill now. The horse is either fit enough to run next week or not. The bottom line is that he's bottled it and ain't got the guts to admit it after all the bullish statements post Kempton.

No need to be like that sint, just an opinion.

I've suffered with trainers/owners altering their plans at a late stage before. This year I have a sizeable amount on First Lieutenant for the RSA at a big price. It looks like he may go for the Jewson maybe too and that's the nature of the beast I'm afraid. Antepost betting upon horses with multiple entries is a risky business as a horse's work can dictate their work all the way up to the week before.

Glossy - I think we get about AP betting is risky but what nobody surely appreciates is being spun a web, of what has turned out to be, lies. Hammered him on twitter but he is yet to respond. You know, if he had come and said I appreciate AP backers will be disappointed and that my previous quotes have in the end be mis-leading, then i think i could handle it. Not now. This is a disgrace.

You are correct in what you say Glossy but when a horse holds more than 1 entry you try to pick up on what connections say and for weeks (up to last week) McCain actively talked up the clash with SS.  There appears to have been something happen to make them very abruptly change their mind.

MCCAIN TALKS UP PEDDLERS CROSS

Donald McCain believes Peddlers Cross has a big chance of flooring hot favourite Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival next month.

McCain's seven-year-old was beaten 16 lengths by Nicky Henderson's exciting talent at Kempton over Christmas.

And Sprinter Sacre cemented his position as favourite for the Prestbury Park showpiece with another stunning success on Newbury's big card last Friday.

McCain however says it would be foolish to rule his stable star out, and believes that Kempton race wasn't a true representation.

He told the Racing Post Weekender: "I couldn't believe what I was watching on that occasion as he looked laboured at his fence and couldn't go the pace, which is not him. Thankfully when we got him home we found he had some injuries, primarily concerning his back, which would explain exactly why he ran as he did."

Now Peddlers Cross is back in good shape and McCain describes recent home work as "terrific". It's all systems go for the Arkle, and the Cholmondeley handler is bullish about his charge's hopes.

"I know Sprinter Sacre is very smart, as he showed again last week at Newbury, but my fellow has a serious chance of turning things around."

I've not even backed the horse Glossy. But Donald has been pretty defiant about PC's defeat at the hooves of Sprinter Sacre all winter. He even said Sacre has only beaten handicappers.

what looked to be the race of the meeting has taken a massive knock....how many runners will there be, 5?

Fair enough. It's also a shame that one of the main players in what was set up to be an intriguing clash is not going to  take his place. The race is a lot worse off for it.

Am I being suspicious or does it look dodgy that McCain tells the news to Betfair, a business partner, after so many comments to the contrary about the running plans.

Perhaps a few more may now take their entry now that an extra place spot is available?

Racing Post Weekender 22.02.12-26.02.12- Donald McCain reviewing his Cheltenham team . 

Peddlers Cross ." His work at home is terrific and we are all counting down the days to the rematch in the Arkle on March 13th . I know SS is very smart , as he showed again last week at Newbury, but my fellow has a serious chance  of turning things around. Take it from me he had serious reasons for his recent defeat and his work of late has been top class".

Mr McCain , you make absolutely no mention of the Jewson option in this article when clearly you could have done as you have with other horses. If this fair to the punting community ?

....or is it simply that McCain has bottled it!.....he has now ruined that horses reputation and will be remembered for the time he duck a fair challenge.  He will be gutted when/if he sees SS struggle with the pace at the end of the race, up the hill.

someone had a couple quid at 100 as soon as the market re-opened

Makes it a no bet race now the arkle. I love Peddlers, great horse, hence my name but just dont feel like backing it in the Jewson now.

the mans a joke hemust of known ages ago what he was doing absolute joke if you ask me.

wonder what ginger would have made of this errmmm tactical retreat

Well he's either a clueless guesser or deliberately putting people away. Either way it shows him in a very poor light.

McCain knows he had fk all chance of beating Sprinter Sacre so it's a sensible move.

A bit of dignity is required here. Peddlers is going for the race that suits him best. Good luck to the horse, it has class.

The trainer may have shown more but we all have a 'plan A'. I never mention plan B to my missus on the way home.

I sincerely hopes SS stops up the hill and Peddlers jumps like a buck into 4th

I think a few things need to be said her in the name of perspective:

Firstly, I can totally appreciate why people are mad about the U-turn, especially if they backed PC for the Arkle, which appears to have been his target all along.

However, the horse has clearly had problems, was always entered in a few events (Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle suggests connections were genuinely keeping their options open), and over the last week or so it has been clear they were swaying one way.

The abuse on here seems way bigger than that aimed at a certain trainer of the legend that is Kauto Star, despite the fact that it was almost a week before it became known that he had lied and not righted the wrong. Personally, if I had backed Peddlers I would be very frustrated, but if I'd backed Kauto in the week before we knew about his fall I would be livid.

One other thing, which admittedly does little to offset the ethical annoyances of McCain's decision, is that more than a few things don't add up.

It is so patently obvious that McCain thinks the world of his horse, and that he really fancied lowering the colours of Sprinter in the Arkle (based on more than one strong quote as well as vibes). I have always thought the longer trip of the Jewson would suit more, but connections clearly didn't. I don't buy for one second that they have been scared away from the Arkle by Sprinter. This all suggests that they are not happy with something (maybe he's not 100% in himself, maybe the jumping is not great since he's been schooled etc...). Whatever the real reason, there has to be a big red flag surrounding this horse. I get the feeling he is not ready to run for his life, and in very good company (even in the Jewson) in novice chases at the Festival, that's not going to be good enough.

I will now get stuck into a couple in the Jewson because Peddler's has helped push a few out in the market. I just can't see him winning anything next week based on this fiasco.

joke and hope it gets stuffed - yes pocket talking and i dont care.

These things happen every year but this one seems particularly bad. It must be if, with one week to go, the fact that Mullins' five or six novice hurdlers have still not been pointed to their respective races and it is only a minor issue in the ante-post landscape

What a real shame. The Arkle was shaping up to be the race of the meeting. Further illustration that ante post has become a lottery following the move to 4 days and arguably that going to 4 days was bad for racing because it has grossly diluted the product. I haven't had a bet in the race and won't.

I haven't got any financial interest in the Arkle, but I was looking forward to the best running of it in living memory.

I hate to see people bummed like this and it's been McCain's perceived confidence that's strongly suggested all the way, that this was the first choice.
It does leave a bad taste, and reaffirms my belief in ignoring EVERYTHING trainers utter

The people who've backed him for the frame at around 8/15 ante-post really shouldn't be allowed to bet if that's their idea of a wager, as the Arkle is arguably the toughest race of the entire Festival.
Nevertheless, they don't deserve their fate, and it's the bookies who are in bulk at AP backers yet again!

Glossy 05 Mar 12 20:05

Plan A would suggest that there is also a Plan B, would it not?


^this.  End of argument, stop complaining.

Tom, I think what sets this issue apart for people is two fold:
Firstly, although Willie Mullins has a deplorable attitude to PR, he always makes a point of keeping his options open when talking to the press. There have been various comments from McCain that indicate the Arkle is the target all things being equal.
Secondly, if the horse is not A1 and that is the reason he is dodging the Arkle then surely he should not be going to the festival at all. Either he is ready to run to his best or he isn't. For this reason it is hard to get away from thinking he is dodging Sprinter Sacre despite his previous bullish comments.

Hugh-Mongous
I don't think you could really describe the Arkle place market as one of the most competitive of the Festival by any means. Before today there were 5 horses along way clear essentially playing for 3 places. It is very possible on the day there will only be 2 places available in the place market.

Tom, I think what sets this issue apart for people is two fold:
Firstly, although Willie Mullins has a deplorable attitude to PR, he always makes a point of keeping his options open when talking to the press. There have been various comments from McCain that indicate the Arkle is the target all things being equal.
Secondly, if the horse is not A1 and that is the reason he is dodging the Arkle then surely he should not be going to the festival at all. Either he is ready to run to his best or he isn't. For this reason it is hard to get away from thinking he is dodging Sprinter Sacre despite his previous bullish comments.

Hugh-Mongous
I don't think you could really describe the Arkle place market as one of the most competitive of the Festival by any means. Before today there were 5 horses along way clear essentially playing for 3 places. It is very possible on the day there will only be 2 places available in the place market.

The point about plan B is that it seems to have been mentioned only very recently as if it is just a fall back if plan A doesn't work out. By that time they must have almost certainly have decided that plan B was their actual plan of attack and they have treated the racing public with the same kind of contempt which sees a horse (Kauto) being described as having jumped well and pleased his trainer when in actual fact he had fallen for the one and only time on the gallops.

RANCID.

He has never explained properly why there was a Plan A and Plan B.  Surely the time between the Arkle and Jewson is not enough to make a difference to the horses readiness.  For whatever reason he appears to have tried to mislead everyone as best he could get away with

Banker leaves a bit of a bitter taste, hope he gets stuffed in Jewson not horses fault but trainer has been a total -ock over all this,never be afraid of one horse -osser!

Nicholls has plenty of form, his comments also caused a major drift on here on Kauto Star for the King George after Haydock. He also did his best to put punters onto Master Minded that race saying he had backed him not once but twice for the race. As long as trainers arent creating drifts on here so stable staff can get on, that would be really cynical.

There was something weird about Minsk for me, ramped to the rafters definite for the Triumph from connections who arent the best at offering their jewels to the public imo, huge amounts of money from the public down then he runs an ok prep first time over hurdles and before you can say 'bookies satchels filled' he has a sore throat and is out. Did they have a real intention of going for the Triumph this season?

As I posted in the other similar forum....

I agree.....Betfair will be paying McCain for his column and Betfair makes it's money form us, the punters....so he has, in turn, profited from us and basically strung us along for a long time now...it's shameful.

He's every right to run his horse in whatever race he thinks is best but dont take money for a column which has basically misled a lot of honest enthusiastic punters.

Betfair must be a bit embarrassed to be honest. One of thier top columnists trying to promote the sport and interest in it and he's blown it and pi$$ed off a lot of customers.

Agree Eric re Minsk as flat campaign was already mapped out, but the sheep followed.

stevo1. ... I ALWAYS get suspicious when certain connections generously offer too much positive information ... this one stood out for me of all the movers and shakers this Festival.

Never got over Nicholls trying to steer everybody away from Denman in his first Hennessy when the horse was off 161 and he bolted up. None of em do you any favours but not all of em pretend they are square deal sorts.

Eric didnt fall for that, but backed Peddlers at 8s for Arkle back in October, luckily layed stake off when was well backed few weeks back down to 7/2. What a shambles this outfit are?

It is when Nicholls is quiet about one you take notice re its chances, ignore the ones he wants you to know about. He is getting a worrying amount of form for comments causing drifts which turn out to be going in reverse shortly afterwards on Kauto Star also.

He's probably going up the gallops doing handstands and farting his companions through the rails.

Behaved like a right t0ssser here McCain...constantly saying Arkle then all of a sudden the Jewson. Not had a penny on him for either. Just wouldn't be impressed if I was an Arkle backer.

I've got a nagging feeling that come Thursday Peddlers Cross will be left in the 5 day decs for the Arkle, with McCain saying that its best to keep the options open just in case something changes.