johnathan mullin...r.p...

WR, he still said if I'm not mistaken that it wasn't good for racing. I read the article in the bookies earlier today.

he did , but then he went on to give that a as reason for to quote him again .. "i have  some sympathy for connections of tra " ....i dont ....

I always get the impression with a lot of these scribes that they are not just afraid of the likes of Mr O'Grady, but they are also in awe of them. For this reason some of them stroll around the racetracks of Ireland with the regal countenance and general arrogance of the old landed gentry, and in turn are reluctant to give interviews, and when they do give them, we are dubjected to the interviewer acting like a sycophant and the trainer saying nothing much of consequence really.

I'm all for having a healthy respect for trainers, but there is too much of it, the racing media is full of luvvies and these jornalists need to be more adversarial. For confirmation (to an extent), see Matt Chapman's interview with Dermot Weld last week.

Matt he trains animals ffs, calm down.

FWIW, There are only two 'big' trainers who I ever found to be any way charming or helpful to the public. Henry Cecil passes on just generally being Henry. Can't help it, just like the guy like everyone else.

I also think John Oxx is usually pretty candid about the quality of his string and conducted himself immaculately with the public during 09' and STS's run. I feel the rest would just let us all burn tbh.

Hopefully the O'Grady affair might see a turning of the tide, if the Turf Club are any way independent, how did connections expect to get away with that last Sunday. It was basically sticking two fingers up to the Irish racing authorities.

Oh yeah, last thing, once again, Dermot Weld reckons his string for Galway isn't as strong as in other years.

some year soon d weld will actually have a bad galway..lay all his this year for riches!?!

maybe, he says it most years though, but someone should ask hi how he gets them so well handicapped

the ans to that question is obvious id have thought?!?

I know it is, so someone should ask him the obvious question and stop skirting it.

at least j ward had the balls to come out and say it like it was..no matter how unpalatable it was.....new kids on the block ...no tipping f caps to them....trainers also have a responsibility to the betting public as well as their owners...

trainers also have a responsibility to the betting public as well as their owners...

Technically if you go by the rulebook workrider the above is true but only in the printed word, not one trainer gives a rats backside about the public, its understandable to a certain degree because the people who are employed to protect the betting public "the Turf Club" are almost all joined at the hip with the training profession through various vested interests, turning a blind eye is the norm and if the odd storm brews they usually just send out a token gesture, a few days later the storm has all but died down and its as you where all over again.
The odd journalist will try to stick up for the public, but they too are fighting a losing battle because the vast majority of others from within their profession will just retreat back into their shell at the slighest hint of skullduggery leaving the odd lone voice in the wilderness.
For the Irish punter its the equaivalent of trying to scale mount Everest with a step ladder!.

very good points silvergreaser...the fact remains they have a duty albeit a small one ....i noticed a shift or should i say a closing of ranks when i spoke to a few trainers recently at naas ....ah bisto...