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01 Oct 13
05:44
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Date Joined:
20 Jul 02
another good piece on the drugs scandal. You have to give Greg (Wood) a stack of credit for continuing to dig and expose and criticize where the silence from virtually all other racing journalists is deafening.
a potential good panorama programme here, methinks.
in the meantime, all strength to Greg Wood and the racing team at the Guardian.
a potential good panorama programme here, methinks.
in the meantime, all strength to Greg Wood and the racing team at the Guardian.
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tbh I thought it was disappointing after Woods's previous excellent work on this subject. There are no new facts in it, or even new angles on old facts -- just a rehash of what we already knew.
Yes,well done to Wood.No surprise that 1st class season ticket holder on the gravy train below holds a different viewpoint:
Alan Lee The Times Racing Correspondent
According to those who know him best, the manifestation of anger in Sheikh Mohammed is a prolonged period of silence. It is said he was quiet for a considerable time after the revelations of steroid use in his stables, back in the spring, but any silence around the Sheikh yesterday will have had less to do with self-recrimination than bewilderment.
Just when he might have thought the worst was past and that the reputation of his equine empire might yet be restored, one national newspaper devoted the first three pages of its sports section to “the latest blow in grim year for racing monarch”.
This focused on the seizure of a shipment of drugs from Dubai and a subsequent raid by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on a farm in Newmarket owned by the sheikh’s Darley company. Though these developments had been widely reported three weeks ago, such arresting presentation will have persuaded many casual readers that this was a new scandal.
The sheikh’s wife, Princess Haya, is reportedly leading an inquiry into the seizures in her role as president of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Conflict of interest springs to mind here.
The essential facts, though, remained unchanged. There were no steroids involved in the seizure. The drugs were all commonplace equine treatments rendered illegal only by their import. No racehorses are thought to be involved.
A statement from the British Horseracing Authority was dismissive. “We are surprised the article has been given such prominence as it contains no notable developments beyond those which have already been widely reported,” Robin Mounsey, the media manager, said.
The Sheikh may now be familiar with the saying about slinging enough mud and some will stick. If nothing else, however, repetition concentrates the mind. Beyond question, the sheikh’s equine businesses have been exposed as careless or arrogant, maybe both.
There is a perception that Sheikh Mohammed considers himself above the law and recent media coverage, however re-hashed, will have prolonged his sense of embarrassment. There may have been some long silences around him yesterday.
Alan Lee The Times Racing Correspondent
According to those who know him best, the manifestation of anger in Sheikh Mohammed is a prolonged period of silence. It is said he was quiet for a considerable time after the revelations of steroid use in his stables, back in the spring, but any silence around the Sheikh yesterday will have had less to do with self-recrimination than bewilderment.
Just when he might have thought the worst was past and that the reputation of his equine empire might yet be restored, one national newspaper devoted the first three pages of its sports section to “the latest blow in grim year for racing monarch”.
This focused on the seizure of a shipment of drugs from Dubai and a subsequent raid by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on a farm in Newmarket owned by the sheikh’s Darley company. Though these developments had been widely reported three weeks ago, such arresting presentation will have persuaded many casual readers that this was a new scandal.
The sheikh’s wife, Princess Haya, is reportedly leading an inquiry into the seizures in her role as president of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Conflict of interest springs to mind here.
The essential facts, though, remained unchanged. There were no steroids involved in the seizure. The drugs were all commonplace equine treatments rendered illegal only by their import. No racehorses are thought to be involved.
A statement from the British Horseracing Authority was dismissive. “We are surprised the article has been given such prominence as it contains no notable developments beyond those which have already been widely reported,” Robin Mounsey, the media manager, said.
The Sheikh may now be familiar with the saying about slinging enough mud and some will stick. If nothing else, however, repetition concentrates the mind. Beyond question, the sheikh’s equine businesses have been exposed as careless or arrogant, maybe both.
There is a perception that Sheikh Mohammed considers himself above the law and recent media coverage, however re-hashed, will have prolonged his sense of embarrassment. There may have been some long silences around him yesterday.
Lee is a joke. Can anyone remember the last time he wrote anything of any value whatsoever?
Ar*elicker extraordinaire.
Ar*elicker extraordinaire.
The Sheikh has been running Godolphin and his racing empire like a personal fiefdom for decades - he's making all the decisions, his dancing minions repeatedly tell us.
Even so, you can be sure that Princess Haya will find that he knows nothing at all about the fact that his horses were being injected with steroids, and banned substances were being imported from Dubai to his premises, imo...
Even so, you can be sure that Princess Haya will find that he knows nothing at all about the fact that his horses were being injected with steroids, and banned substances were being imported from Dubai to his premises, imo...
sheikh mo now known as the pharmacist among his inner circle
As a total aside,I'm surprised that The Guardian continues with a horse racing journalist.I cancelled my paper subscription when they stopped printing the day's race-cards.Nowadays,they only print the day's feature race and the televised races on Saturday.Richard Baerlein,who was instrumental in getting The Guardian to sponsor the Classic trial at Sandown(won by Shergar, and in those days a more influential race than the Dante) must be turning in his grave.
Anyway,I complained about this by email but never got a reply.Read it on-line for free nowadays.Also,spend a fiver in Waitrose and you get a free copy.
Anyway,I complained about this by email but never got a reply.Read it on-line for free nowadays.Also,spend a fiver in Waitrose and you get a free copy.
Sheikh Mohammed is likely too busy running Dubai to inject horses. More likely it is the gravy train problem in a different guise.
People who need to please the boss by winning races do what they believe they have to do to stay on the Godolphin gravy train. Why would they tell the boss? Aside from placing him in an awkward situation, they'd surely want him to think that success was due to their irreplaceable equine genius. Emphasis on irreplaceable.
People who need to please the boss by winning races do what they believe they have to do to stay on the Godolphin gravy train. Why would they tell the boss? Aside from placing him in an awkward situation, they'd surely want him to think that success was due to their irreplaceable equine genius. Emphasis on irreplaceable.
One of the few real journalists out there. He should be applauded for going where most of the others would not dream of commenting.
is he popular amongst racing people?? can't imagine he is writing for a fairly left wing paper and not afraid to rock the boat,good for him though
Agree. Good and new stuff from the Telegraph today too. See my post on the other "scandal" thread.
is he popular amongst racing people??
I can remember a couple of years back, Ldbrks literally ran a gravy train to France, for a press stable visit for a horse that was favourite for the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Their thoroughly unpleasant David Williams made a point of mentioning afterwards when interviewed by either RUK or ATR that while everyone else was 'enjoying themselves' gorging on the buffet and the free champagne on the train ride over, Wood just sat working at his computer...
I can remember a couple of years back, Ldbrks literally ran a gravy train to France, for a press stable visit for a horse that was favourite for the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Their thoroughly unpleasant David Williams made a point of mentioning afterwards when interviewed by either RUK or ATR that while everyone else was 'enjoying themselves' gorging on the buffet and the free champagne on the train ride over, Wood just sat working at his computer...
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