Ray Winstone on adverts says he isnt a problem gambler but why would he be when he is likely to get his slate cleaned it is others who seem to have problems betting such vast amounts. This is just ONE BOOKIE.

I had a small bet on a Gosden horse yesterday who in my opinion wasnt trying. The race was worth just over 3 grand. It made me think how fking grossly incompetent are the BHA when prize money is so low that connections in this country have to cheat to play the game.

The profits made by just this one bookie are filthy when they arent going back into sport, mainly to Ray Winstone in hundreds, possibly thousands  of repeat adverts by the look of it. I repeat HOW INCOMPETENT ARE THE BHA WHEN SUCH VAST PROFITS ARE BEING TAKEN AND NOT BEING PUT TOWARDS PRIZE MONEY AND STABLE WAGES. About time Douglas Double-Barrell Fkwit was replaced by intelligent people who arent chosen for reasons of class but for reasons of their ability to get a fair slice of bookie profits for racing. It is even killing hournalism in the sport as Lydia said the people who can pay the money for participant output now are the bookies and not the media.

With the hundreds of billions bet across bookmakers it is only a matter of time before some of the real life versions of the criminals Winstone portrays in film are running bookies mercilessly ripping apart the nouse of John Bashford-Bog**** of the BHA.

I doubt if more than 10% of that profit or turnover comes from horse racing (and less than 1% from antepost horseracing).

Also as the current funding model is based on a percentage of bookmaker profits surely it is in racings interest for the bookies to make as much profit as possible from horse racing punters?

I beg to differ ... Vautour for one would have gained bookies fortunes. Connections only let you know late these days for Cheltenham.

£46.9 billion in bets and that is just Bet£3.65. Regardless of antepost the total amount for racing would be a good proportion of that. We are talking billions at stake there is no doubt there should be no ‘sponsorship’ of trainers by bookies.

Sorry mtm but there is an important issue at stake here.

Ericmorris, you are well aware that finian's oscar missed the festival through injury. Whinging about it is ridiculous.And Neon Wolf ran in the Sun Alliance.Again, whinging because he didn't run in the Supreme or because they didn't decide which race until the last minute is just juvenile.That is their absolute right. Why in gods name do you bother to bet ante-post with that attitude.

My money is on UDS running. At 7.8 here (Exchange) it could prove a gift come race day.

Regards Douvan, Mullis has taken on the baton with Ricci conspicuous by his silence. We could yet see Douvan running here this time after the false alarm of last season, but only seeing is believing. Until then, still a probability for his presence.

With the sideline of Altior Mullins looks like allowing Douvan (evens) to take his chance here rather than UDS, the defending champion. But the well-being and form of Douvan will have to be taken on trust after his poor showing in the Champion Chase this year.

Not a race for me unless UDS runs.

Agree, UDS is an unlikely runner now. A great shame the defending champion has not been allowed to defend his crown; a win for Ricci (again) over the other owners in the stable and robbing racegoers of a competitive race. No wonder Gigginstown took their horses away.

Maybe so...Gigginstown quibbling over a few squids at the expense of quality training and performances on the race tracks? Unless, of course, the same standard of training and achievement on the race tracks can be achieved elsewhere too for less. Anyway, it is evidently clear the Gigginstown horses have been doing more battles on the tracks against the Mullins' post their separation eg Apples Jade vs Nichols Canyon (today), and in the past.

A gain for racegoers and punters which can only be good for National Hunt Racing in general.

From an owner/trainer point of view I guess it makes perfect sense for UDS and Douvan to be kept separate.
Its a real shame for us and the sport not to see clashes that excite during the season, and not just in the Spring, but those days are long gone it seems.
Big shame imo.

Why would Mullins send both horses abroad to take each other on, having their first runs of the season, and leave the Hilly Way chase behind for someone else to pick up?
That wouldn't make him a clever trainer.

Even by your own standards, you are talking some serious nonsense on this thread impossible123.

Mullins would have to be plain thick to send them both over for this.

If I owned UDS I would rather win the Hilly Way at my local track than finish second or maybe third at best in a Tingle Creek, and I wouldn't want him facing a monster like Douvan on his first run back after a long break.
Why would I want to give him a hard race like that fto. He would be 5-1 or 6-1 to beat Douvan where he's a near cert for Cork which is only 2 hours down the road. This game is all about winning.

More than happy to take a punt at 11/1 e/w 1st 3 knowing I may well be on a non.

He got an injury last time..its not as though he ran his normal race but just wasn't good enough.

I believe he's a cert on Saturday but even if you are right and he has it all to prove, then why would WPM want to run him against UDS on his comeback run?

There were 3 Grade 1s in Ireland last Sunday yet there wasn't a solitary runner from the other side of the pond. Yet people are not happy with Mullins just bringing his best horse over to Sandown for a Grade 1-they criticise him for not running 2 of his stars against each other as its somehow not being fair to the public.

Backed Special Tiara e/w at 25's. Looks between Fox Norton and Mullins selected for the win but thats too big a price for a horse that almost won this 2 years back and is the reigning champ at 2 miles and has needed his comeback run for the past 3 seasons.

It is a big ask for a horse to win in his 1st run back after a pelvic injury especially in a Tingle Creek, but then would Mullins/Ricci be embarking on this route, if not? The Douvan prior to his Queen Mother defeat would be 2/7 for this, but he is 4/5 on saturday - bookies not convinced perhaps.

Douvan is evens now.

Wouldn't be the biggest shock. They were both due to gallop yesterday so there may have been something significant there.