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McCoy says he’s not above criticism, but RUK bust-up indicates he actually believes he is
Pat Keane: INSIDE RACING
Saturday, December 04, 2010
RIGHT now Tony McCoy will not talk to Racing UK. The boycott centres on comments made on the channel by Lydia Hislop and Steve Mellish.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
The duo, apparently, had a go at McCoy following his riding of Get Me Out Of Here at Ascot on October 30.
Now, McCoy is not one to throw the toys out of the pram without good reason and the fact he felt it necessary to pull the plug completely on RUK, clearly after much soul-searching, has to be respected.
This is what McCoy said: "They (RUK) know the reason I won’t be talking to them is because of accusations that were made about my ride on Get Me Out Of Here. If the same comments had been made about a less well-known jockey, they could have ruined him.
"My situation with Racing UK is not about being criticised. I do not, for one moment, feel I am above criticism.
"The issue I have is I feel I was accused of wrongdoing. It’s about the way I feel a couple of Racing UK presenters did everything they could to make insinuations about the Ascot ride.
"The presenters used words that suggested to the wider public that I had not made the efforts to win on Get Me Out Of Here that I should have done.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion and those Racing UK presenters are free to air that opinion. It’s better for me to keep myself to myself from now on and let them put across their opinion. If that is the route Racing UK wants to go down with their presenters, that’s fine.’
After all of that then you just had to go and watch the Ascot race in question. Get Me Out Of Here had top weight of 11-12 to carry in what was a competitive handicap.
Truth to tell, he never threatened to win, trailing in 16 lengths seventh of ten finishers behind Tocca Ferro.
Get Me Out Of Here was very free in the early stages, the last thing you want with a horse humping a big weight, and McCoy was at pains to get him settled.
Indeed course commentator, Richard Hoiles, is heard to remark soon after the start that "Get Me Out Of Here is quite keen.’
Horses who will not settle in the early stages nearly always struggle in the latter part of a contest and, to my eyes, McCoy really had no case to answer.
You could certainly maintain he should have been more vigorous in his efforts in the straight, but it would be utterly unrealistic to argue the horse might have won.
It is worth noting that Get Me Out Of Here was conceding Tocca Ferro 24lbs and that horse bolted in next time at Newbury.
I can’t say I know a whole lot about Mellish, but would regard Lydia Hislop as a tremendous broadcaster.
She seems to possess a wealth of knowledge and her interviews with people in racing can be seriously enlightening and very entertaining.
To my way of thinking McCoy’s reaction is wrong. He says he is not above criticism and yet, by refusing to go on RUK , indicates he actually believes he is.
He says that if the same comments had been made about a less well-known jockey they could have ruined him. Mild exaggeration, at least.
McCoy is one of the greatest ambassadors racing has ever had and is right up there with Dettori. His entire career has been based on honesty, integrity, enormous skill and, above all, awesome courage.
So, why is he running away from this, a fight he is certain to win? Obviously, his battle is with two presenters and RUK.
But even if we totally disagree with Hislop and Mellish, one has to defend their right to say what they feel.
McCoy, by his actions, isn’t just punishing RUK, he is punishing the very people who believe in him the most. He is, arguably, the biggest name in National Hunt racing and RUK viewers are entitled to hear his thoughts.
Remember, this is a subscription channel and you can be absolutely sure there are no floaters and those watching are true-blue racing followers.
What McCoy needs to do is take on Hislop and Mellish head-to-head. He’s tough and articulate and I’d back him to bat the other pair out of the ground in under five minutes.
Oh, by the way, Get Me Out Of Here has run once since Ascot, finishing 23 lengths sixth to Menorah at Cheltenham. And the fact he was 15 lengths adrift of fifth placed Olofi is surely worth a little mention!
Read more: http://examiner.ie/sport/racing/mccoy-says-hes-not-above-criticism-but-ruk-bust-up-indicates-he-actually-believes-he-is-138430.html#ixzz177hto6fX
Pat Keane: INSIDE RACING
Saturday, December 04, 2010
RIGHT now Tony McCoy will not talk to Racing UK. The boycott centres on comments made on the channel by Lydia Hislop and Steve Mellish.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
The duo, apparently, had a go at McCoy following his riding of Get Me Out Of Here at Ascot on October 30.
Now, McCoy is not one to throw the toys out of the pram without good reason and the fact he felt it necessary to pull the plug completely on RUK, clearly after much soul-searching, has to be respected.
This is what McCoy said: "They (RUK) know the reason I won’t be talking to them is because of accusations that were made about my ride on Get Me Out Of Here. If the same comments had been made about a less well-known jockey, they could have ruined him.
"My situation with Racing UK is not about being criticised. I do not, for one moment, feel I am above criticism.
"The issue I have is I feel I was accused of wrongdoing. It’s about the way I feel a couple of Racing UK presenters did everything they could to make insinuations about the Ascot ride.
"The presenters used words that suggested to the wider public that I had not made the efforts to win on Get Me Out Of Here that I should have done.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion and those Racing UK presenters are free to air that opinion. It’s better for me to keep myself to myself from now on and let them put across their opinion. If that is the route Racing UK wants to go down with their presenters, that’s fine.’
After all of that then you just had to go and watch the Ascot race in question. Get Me Out Of Here had top weight of 11-12 to carry in what was a competitive handicap.
Truth to tell, he never threatened to win, trailing in 16 lengths seventh of ten finishers behind Tocca Ferro.
Get Me Out Of Here was very free in the early stages, the last thing you want with a horse humping a big weight, and McCoy was at pains to get him settled.
Indeed course commentator, Richard Hoiles, is heard to remark soon after the start that "Get Me Out Of Here is quite keen.’
Horses who will not settle in the early stages nearly always struggle in the latter part of a contest and, to my eyes, McCoy really had no case to answer.
You could certainly maintain he should have been more vigorous in his efforts in the straight, but it would be utterly unrealistic to argue the horse might have won.
It is worth noting that Get Me Out Of Here was conceding Tocca Ferro 24lbs and that horse bolted in next time at Newbury.
I can’t say I know a whole lot about Mellish, but would regard Lydia Hislop as a tremendous broadcaster.
She seems to possess a wealth of knowledge and her interviews with people in racing can be seriously enlightening and very entertaining.
To my way of thinking McCoy’s reaction is wrong. He says he is not above criticism and yet, by refusing to go on RUK , indicates he actually believes he is.
He says that if the same comments had been made about a less well-known jockey they could have ruined him. Mild exaggeration, at least.
McCoy is one of the greatest ambassadors racing has ever had and is right up there with Dettori. His entire career has been based on honesty, integrity, enormous skill and, above all, awesome courage.
So, why is he running away from this, a fight he is certain to win? Obviously, his battle is with two presenters and RUK.
But even if we totally disagree with Hislop and Mellish, one has to defend their right to say what they feel.
McCoy, by his actions, isn’t just punishing RUK, he is punishing the very people who believe in him the most. He is, arguably, the biggest name in National Hunt racing and RUK viewers are entitled to hear his thoughts.
Remember, this is a subscription channel and you can be absolutely sure there are no floaters and those watching are true-blue racing followers.
What McCoy needs to do is take on Hislop and Mellish head-to-head. He’s tough and articulate and I’d back him to bat the other pair out of the ground in under five minutes.
Oh, by the way, Get Me Out Of Here has run once since Ascot, finishing 23 lengths sixth to Menorah at Cheltenham. And the fact he was 15 lengths adrift of fifth placed Olofi is surely worth a little mention!
Read more: http://examiner.ie/sport/racing/mccoy-says-hes-not-above-criticism-but-ruk-bust-up-indicates-he-actually-believes-he-is-138430.html#ixzz177hto6fX
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Many of his loyal followers on this site were not to happy with the ride either,does that mean he take a stance and not ride in any betfair sponsored races.I would noy think so.
Lydia Hislop is not a tremendous broadcaster, she often makes dangerous off the cuff remarks and makes her opinion sound like fact. She can be excellent but her often unbalanced criticism just negates any good she does
Pretty sure Hislop and McCoy had previous, with McCoy lashing into her one morning during the Morning line. Jim McGrath and Alastair Down rode into to save her. They told McCoy she is entitled to her opinion McCoy did not look best pleased after she had written an article in the evening stadard. He seemed OTT that day as well and that is years and years ago.
A sickening sycophantic vomit enducing love fest from Keane, don't be fooled by the articles subject title it's very misleading, comes across as if he would have an intimate relationship with McCoy in an instant if the opportunity arised.
His like the rest of the racing journalists,wont print anything about all the the non triers he see,s day in day out,out of big and small stables, and the terrible stewards decisions, his afraid to ruffle their feathers of fear of getting his knuckles rapped,yet he slated the on course bookmakers over the dixie Listowel debacle,rightly so,but 1 incident in i dont know how many years.Everybody is fair game.
Dont know if you read The Examiner every week Steinbeck but he's constantly writing about the "big" stables and jockeys getting away with murder every week in Ireland. Dont think he's like the "rest" of the racing journos at all. He's not afraid to speak his mind, tells it how he sees it. Hasnt got his head up anyones arse like a lot of the British press
well playthegame what did u make of that vomit fest?
reckon he is slightly better than most of these journalists. Just slightly though.
McCoy was right and Lydia was wrong?, this is what Keane is trying to shove down my neck??.
I've been following racing since I was knee high to a grasshopper, and if Keane thinks McCoy has nothing to answer for?, sums up everything about racing journalism in this country.
Keane likes to think that a good old fashion gamble is part and parcel of racing, not a mention from this dinosaur!!! that this old fashioned gamble might have cost many thousands of naive and unwary punters dignity!!1
I've been following racing since I was knee high to a grasshopper, and if Keane thinks McCoy has nothing to answer for?, sums up everything about racing journalism in this country.
Keane likes to think that a good old fashion gamble is part and parcel of racing, not a mention from this dinosaur!!! that this old fashioned gamble might have cost many thousands of naive and unwary punters dignity!!1
Pat Keane is usually very informative and entertaining but to say that Lydia Hislop seems to posess a wealth of knowledge is laughable.She is a spoofer of the highest order.
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