Kelly to the stewards room please..

GRASS

BILL

I can't find it on Google. Can anybody remember what happened to Eddie Ahern please.

Eddie is doing very well for himself back in Ireland, in the sports horse and Equestrian world. Very talented horseman.

Eddie had his Demons but he is a lovely guy, and a lot of the lads in the weighing room, myself included felt very sorry for him. There were many worse than Eddie and he had a multitude of problems which were out of control. They were far too harsh on him, and made a scapegoat out of him, whilst letting far worse through the net.

He didn't deserve 10 years, when others who were doing far worse got 2/3 years. They made an example of him, and wrongly so. He offered to give the BHA everything they wanted on a number of corrupt people in racing, in return for a lighter sentence and they rejected his offer and made a huge example of him. They were idiots.

Eddie was never in the game for self gain. That's where the punters have no idea about him.

He knew many corrupt owners / trainer and jockeys and was happy to lift the lid on them, if the BHA done the right thing but they never, because they are run by fools, and some of those who would have been shut down had they any sense are still very much doing as they please still.

Eddie never made a bean out of getting beat on any horse he may have stopped, he had no choice. Eddie made bad choices but was a very decent bloke.

Like I said, he had his demons, but he was in a position of no choice. Even Sir Henry who idolised Eddie tried to help him out, but the problems were already too set in place.

So he was willing to sell out to the BHA for personal gain but unwilling to sell out to a publisher for personal gain ?

There are few people on this forum who would have any idea how testing and horrible it can be at times to be a jockey. You are very vulnerable, and if you get in with the wrong owners and trainers they can ruin your career without care. Sadly there are a number of jockeys who bet, and obviously they can't bet with bookmakers so bet with punters and these wouldn't be your nice type of people, very soon through poor judgement certain jockeys owe vasts amounts of money they simply can't afford to repay, and this is when the colours of these said punters show their true colours. I know some jockeys who have been told what to do on a horse and if it doesn't happen their family and friends are threatened.

Others have drug problems and drink problems and those who try to get close to them have manipulating reasons to do so.

I've seen in my years jocks in pubs openly chatting to people who they have absolutely no clue who they are.

Very soon these riders are threatened and put in a situation impossible and they get no help from those who run the sport.

It was so much worse before Paul took over at the PJA, but there are still several riders in the weighing room who can't retire as they are not allowed to and being told exactly what to do each time they are on certain horses and what will happen if they don't.

There are a couple who went for help and advice and instead of getting it, got pushed out the sport to protect the sports image.

It's why it's an industry you simply wouldn't want to bet blind, people think the industry is bent but in truth they have absolutely no idea how bad it actually is, and there are at least a dozen riders I would never bet on, for things I actually know.

Let me see if i've got this right then.

He had a drink / sniff / gambling problem and was in the pocket of wrong uns ? Probably quite scared of said wrong uns ?

Was willing to sell said wrong uns out to the BHA?


Cant have been that fkin scared of em

A lot of what you say makes sense.....my problem is trying to see the bright side / best of , some cnt that cost punters up and down the land serious amounts of money.

In answer to your question Scaredmoney, yes Eddie was a mate, and yes I had a lot of time for him and yes I felt very sorry for him, but he was stupid and it was fundamentally his own doing and he deserved to be banned, but what he didn't didn't deserve was to be made out to be what he wasn't and be ignored when he tried to help those who governed racing act appropriately, for that I am personally very disappointed at the way the sport I love to bits is run.

I tried to get in as a steward but it was made clear I wasn't welcome as I would be too harsh and my approach wouldn't be good for racing.

I'm sorry but this what wouldn't be good for racing approach is what has made it so bent to start with.

I was propositioned over 20 times in my career to do things I declined, by people who are very much still in the sport and some very big names in the sport, and it disgusted me. It wasn't why I entered racing and wasn't what I wanted to be.

I raised my concerns to the BHA once about a major owner in British Racing, I raised these concerns ANON as I didn't want to get targeted, I was told via the person who approached them that it wasn't in the best interests of racing to look into the matter.

If you want someone to blame for how bent this sport is, then I urge not to look at riders, trainers, owners but firstly at those who are meant to run and police the sport, because they simply aren't fit to function.

Really?

It should be your place as a self acclaimed jock and authority on the subject, but of course it's obvious why you wouldn't do it.

Given what you have said Dom it's obvious you can't comment on Kelly? Without going into detail I find he treats some of the beasts he rides very 'tenderly'..

Shane Kelly wouldn't even make either starting 11 or the subs bench of a bent jockeys and trainers football match, there are loads who would be 100 times worse.

I actually for the record don't think Shane is bent, just rides mainly for yards who exploit the handicap system so therefore he is more often than not going to be riding horses which aren't really in the race to do anything. Shane is very strong in a finish, I'll grant him that though. If someone said name 5 jockeys who you wouldn't wanna be upsides in a driving finish, Shane will 100% be one of them.

Shane's a good rider, he rides a lot of moderate horses for moderate trainers though. Shane definitely wouldn't be on my avoid list.

@Stu

Again you mix my words.

The fact are exploiting marks are not breaking the rules, you can ride a horse to obtain it's best possible finishing position, but if its over the wrong trip, wrong ground or not fit, it is nothing to do with the jockey.

That's not to say he hasn't ridden the horse to do the best it can in that race, it just means the horse in the race for whatever reason has no chance.

Who says he wants one Stewarty and I wouldn't call stable jockey for Richard Hughes a small job. Hughesy has around 90 in training.