davy condon told to retire

Agree Tony57 and a great jockey too.

This news will be greeted with jubilation by Pre Fat and Paulie Wallnuts in their minds another filthy rodent suffering part and parcel of the game and sure weren't they well paid.

The Stewards were lucky too,they were able to dish out a savage fine and ban on his comeback.
It would have been a disaster if he slipped away without them delivering one final blow.

Dan ......its flat jockeys that i have a particular dislike for....the jumps boys tend to be cut from a different cloth.....
flat jockeys are very often low grade vermin.....there is almost a rural/urban divide in many cases.....
many jumps jockeys came through the showjumping and pointing scene .....whilst the flat yokes come from flaps and RACE.....
its the air of importance.....the big egos.....and in most cases the sawdust in their heads......
As for Davy Condon.....id be as sorry as the next man for him....but it could have been so so worse.....
I see you got Sheikh Johan on the team for the charity race in Limerick.....thats good work on your part Dan.....between him and JP....you are fairly well connected.....

I'm the original Uitlander.

Would say you are fairly well connected yourself.

Shocking news that re Davy Condon , tony57 . He was always lucky for me , and tended not to be riding hot pots . Wish him the best whatever direction his life goes from now on , cant be easy though giving up something you loved doing .

ah sure it won't be that hard for him, after all he is quitting the toughest job on planet earth


good luck to him whatever he pursues now

Typical of the Hotheaded Premier who always needs someone else to blame.

He is not quitting,he is forced to retire on medical grounds.

too easy that was

I'm amazed you didn't claim I didnt understand your post or it was nuanced.

I did understand it as its consistent with all your other posts,mean spirited and inaccurate.

I know you probably left school after senior infants but I thought even you would understand wishing somebody good luck is not mean spirited, my mistake.

As for inaccurate, well that's one of the funniest posts I have read on here especially coming from the biggest bluffing liar on the place, how is Jessie's appeal coming along??

Losing your temper again.

The inaccurate part of your post was saying he quit when he didnt.

Nothing wrong with leaving school early,it was of its time.

I get plenty wrong here but don't think that makes me a liar.

Am as calm as can be on this beautiful day, think you where the one to lose your temper earlier with you sarky reply but hey ho you'll just twist it to say I have

p_r_e_m_i_e_r__f_a_n_t_a_s_y  • April 23, 2015 1:36 PM BST 
ah sure it won't be that hard for him, after all "he is forced to retire on medical grounds" from the toughest job on planet earth

Sorted !

THINK IT WILL BE HARD ON HIM btw AND "good luck to him whatever he pursues now".

You are so red faced and angry that you don't realise that I never mentioned you until you said he was quitting when he wasn't.
It was said to imply he had choice,he hadn't.

no red face here, applied a generous amount of sunscreen this morning to ensure of that, better to be safe than sorry

Sad to see another thread about the affliction of a jockey descend into points scoring.

Whatever your views on jockeys (and I have set out my stance previously) it must be an awful personal reality for Davy to face up to. It's also a loss for racing in general as there are very few jockeys with his talent in either code. I always thought he was the natural successor to Ruby and Geraghty and he never got the rides he deserved.

Hopefully he can secure a role that will give him some sort of satisfaction and I suppose at least he is leaving the profession on two legs.

wildmanfromborneo  • April 23, 2015 12:31 PM BST 
Agree Tony57 and a great jockey too.
This news will be greeted with jubilation by Pre Fat

Sad to see another thread about the affliction of a jockey descend into points scoring.

Well said, TTK.

Robbie McNamara appears to be keeping remarkably upbeat, fair play to him.  It would be so brilliant to see him make a full recovery.

Sorry to hear it,2 bad falls at a similar time in successive years ,great pair of hands,a top rider and I wish him well in the future.

This news will be greeted with jubilation by Pre Fat and Paulie Wallnuts in their minds another filthy rodent suffering part and parcel of the game and sure weren't they well paid.

You'd want to be a special sort of c**k to use a guy losing his career to points score....

Nearly my favorite jockey, should have had a way better career than he has had through nothing only bad luck and lack of opportunity.

Gave Go Native a lovely ride to win a Fighting Fifth what seems like a long time ago now.

jump boys having a tough time of it lately, you'd want something waiting for ya to turn pro. The opportunities aren't there relative to the risk.

Don't forget pandorama over Xmas 1 year great  ride and great jockey  will be missed

My sympathy always lie with the jockeys,time and time again I have heard people cheering when they fall and wishing harm on them.

A recurring theme here is the calling of all jockeys rodents,of limited intelligence,the demanding of six month bans and longer,when I point out the dangers of their jobs they reply in unison,no one forced them ,part and parcel of the game,why should I worry generally followed by more abuse.

Then when one gets seriously injured they are on using sanctimonious words wishing them well.
When I said they were underpaid this was scoffed at with some claiming they are wealthy.

The fact is for leading sportsmen in a dangerous sport they are paid a pittance and generally are skint.

When I nominated the Injured Jockeys Fund as a charity a string of posters claimed it wasn't a charity.

Those who complain about the alleged point scoring or engaged in just that point scoring.

Wildman anyone who cheers when a jockey gets hurt is clearly an imbecile. However, you certainly overplay incidents of same from racing people (I don't include the morons who can't tie their shoes without velcro in this bracket).

The well established points raised are that, generally speaking, jockeys can achieve a higher living standard from racing than they would be capable of achieving in another career. I also don't agree with the attribution of God status you give to practically everyone in racing. There's plenty of vermin in the racing set.

Injuries are a part of the game and jockeys know the risks when they sign up. They all accept this so why can't you? People will get hurt. That's life. It's easy to piggyback on the latest high profile incidents but it doesn't change the basics of the argument.

I really don't understand this "underpaid" tag you constantly refer to. They are paid what the sport can sustain and comparisons with other sports are as pointless as they are redundant. Other sports (e.g. Motor sports) benefit from income sources not available in racing which allows the participants to attain high levels of wealth. Like any field, only the best reap the highest rewards in racing. That's just commonsense. I don't believe journeymen jockeys deserve to be compensated beyond fair levels just because there is a risk attached to their occupation. However, many of the same journeymen are deriving comfortables lives from the sport despite their limitations. Those that can't make it pay need to get out, same as any other career.

I would be interested in you offering your design for a realistic and sustainable mechanism to increase their remuneration. However, it is most unlikely that you actually have thought about this and are just happy to regurgitate the "underpaid" stance ad nauseam.

There is nothing  sanctimonious about wishing a top rider such as Davy well in his future endeavours. It doesn't conflict with my overall thoughts. I think smoking is a horrendously stupid habit. However, it wouldn't stop me empathising with someone who got cancer as a result of smoking.

The words become sanctimonious when the poster was previously berating jockeys,demanding outrageous bans and in extreme cases wishing harm on them.

I think jockeys are underpaid.
I'm not an economist so can't cost things fully but I can throw out ideas.
Horse racing has always been a rich mans sport yet recently people are talking about a return on their money for owners.
Do people who enjoy sailing get a return on their money,do people enjoy foreign holidays get a return on their money.
The owners should pay jockeys a proper rate.

SIS money
At the moment it goes straight to the racecourses yet the jockeys are all over their TV screens and deserve some of that large cake.

Jockeys payments to HRI.
I'm not sure how much this is but the HRI get a percentage of all jockeys earnings that should be scrapped.

Racing is awash with money just look at the sales,I don't see this as a source of income but it shows this pleading of poverty is nonsense.

This last idea is against myself but betting is now the only tax free activity that's not essential,betting is a luxury.
People paid tax on their bets for years ,this is another source.

The owners should pay jockeys a proper rate


They do and it is an incredibly higher rate than any of us make for working anywhere between 5-10 mins

Racing may well be dominated by the superpowers but the jockeys you should be concerned about don't ride for the wealthy owners. Owners are also sick of being taken to the cleaners and many adopt the sensible approach of trying to cover their training costs. Increasing the riding fees and / or % prizemoney which goes to jockeys would be counterproductive. Racing needs owners a lot more than it needs jockeys.

There is an argument that the SIS money allows racecourses to become stagnant (your own Thurles being a prime example). However, capital programmes should be driven by these revenues rather than passing it elsewhere.

As far as I am aware, the only deductions from a jockey's riding fee are 1) Contribution to Jockeys Accident Fund / Pension Scheme 2) Agents Fee and 3) Valets Fee.

Betting isn't a luxury, its a financial investment. Anyone that sees it as a leisure activity or hobby should be sectioned. It would be disastrous if betting tax was reintroduced on the punter. In any event it has nothing to do with paying jockeys. It's not like you could propose ring-fencing the revenues for the dispersal to jockeys.

I'm pretty sure the HRI get a percentage of a jockeys income,why I don't know maybe someone can confirm.

I agree with you about the SIS money.
Lots of racecourses now look on racegoers as a nuisance because they don't need their money some would be happy enough racing behind closed doors.
Schooling days are very lucrative for racecourses and they are hassle free,no bars or restaurants need open no extra staff.

" owners are sick of being taken to the cleaners "
Owning horses is like reading my posts,not compulsory
I would love to own a horse but accept that I can't afford it,it should be treated like any hobby something that'sgoing to cost you.

Betting is a luxury no matter what you say,we all paid tax for years but accept bringing it back would be a disaster.
It was late when I made that post,I was only throwing out ideas.

Premiers comment is hard to credit.
I was always paid for the work I did not the length of time it took me.
Those sprint jockeys would earn a hell of a lot less than those three mile hurdle jockeys.

You keep saying they're badly paid, they are not badly paid, comparing them to motor racing drivers who are paid excessive amounts is taking it to the extreme, just like comparing them to somebody on €8.65 an hour is the other extreme, to them they're raking it in

Premiers comment is hard to credit.
I was always paid for the work I did not the length of time it took me.
Those sprint jockeys would earn a hell of a lot less than those three mile hurdle jockeys.

Most people are paid by the hour

There is always a premium on danger,I worked in a job that was considered dangerous and got paid extra for it yet in thirty years doing it I never saw a fatality or injury.
Jockeys see injury every day and have seen fatalities.

I would cut a deal for jockeys,accept the low pay just stop the persecution.
Allow them have a drink at night.
We accept the stewards love banning jockeys so let them all have a card,the bans are put on these cards and the jockeys should be allowed take the bans when they like so when the inevitable injury comes they can serve the ban while in hospital.

They can have a drink at night, so long as they're not over the limit the next day when working (as that could endanger their work colleagues). Same as I can have a drink at night but if I am still over the limit getting in my car in the morning and stopped by police I will be done.

Take bans when they like ?? it's hardly a ban then, jump boys just take them in the summer when they're off on holidays and there is nothing worthwhile on, flat boys do the opposite

The limit is not the drink driving limit its way lower.
Davy Russell failed a breath test in Naas despite being teetotal,he had used a mouthwash.

Davy Condon returned from serious injury,hadnt earned for months,rode Bayan to victory in a big race but the Stewards were waiting,result a huge fine and a ban,beyond cruel even more so now.

The limit is not the drink driving limit its way lower.


I never said it was, I just used it as an example. The limit is obviously the limit for a reason, to do as much as they can to ensure their safety

Russell failed the test in Listowel. He was also allowed take it again and passed. No harm no foul.

If a jockey is riding the next day it's not asking too much for them to abstain the night before. This is no different for anyone who is working the next day.

Davy Condon transgressed the whip rules on Bayan and deserved to get banned. Retrospective events do not change that. There is not greater advocate for jockeys riding within the confines of the rules than your hero Ruby Walsh. For too long jockeys were taking liberties in order to win races. It may be gone too far the other way at this stage but the jockeys agree to abide the rules of the day.

It's amazing how emotive you get on the subject of jockeys yet think nothing of leaving an captainless ship full of people sink.

This Formula 1 comparison is ludicrous.

Formula 1 is not dangerous these days even if you need to be in terrific shape for it. The drivers are paid such vast money because the sponsors are all over it and the very highest end sponsors at that and it attracts the upper echelons of society.

Jump racing is niche and it is hard to attract any sponsor to it other than bookmakers these days. The reliable drink firms cannot engage in this sponsorship now and nearly every high end brand does not go near it (even at Cheltenham) as it simply is not attractive enough from an advertising point of view.

The sport seems to primarily rely on handouts from the taxpayer or seeks to claim revenue from betting taxes on other sports that it is not entitled to. It is very hard to justify any increase in wages based on any of the above.

Formula 1 is not dangerous these days

Are you kidding me?  Jules Bianchi has spent the last 7 months in induced coma since last years Japanese grand prix.

Perhaps you were trying to make the point that it is not as dangerous as it once was.  That is true.  But it remains highly dangerous.

Not kidding you at all and will say it again Formula 1 is not dangerous these days.

Hurling far more dangerous,even skiing more dangerous.

I like Formula 1 and am delighted the danger element has been removed,the last fatality was the great Ayrton Senna 21 years ago.

Calling it " highly dangerous " reflects your cosseted  background whose idea of danger is stealing someone's hat in rag week.

Are you sure you are not related to the notoriously nervous Rocketfingers.

Jules Bianchi probably wishes he was a fatality.  Alonso was seriousy injured in practice pre-season.

Its not as bad as it was it the 70's when you needed a death wish to get in a car but it it is still highly dangerous.

When was the last fatality in racing, aside form the poor horses?

In Ireland Kieran Kelly and Sean Cleary died this century.

Last year three jockeys died on the one weekend.

Still it doesn't matter,they knew the risks,part and parcel of the game no need to pay the urchins any danger premium sure arent they of low intelligence.
Whatever you do don't factor it in when dishing out outrageous bans.

TellTheKing my comments on those ships is proving remarkably prescient,if it was nipped in the bud the traffickers would have lost money now there are over a million waiting to cross the Mediterranean knowing they will not alone be rescued but they will be able to skip the queue.
For Africans with money this is great news,they know they can buy their way into Europe.

Not as dangerous it should have read.

There will always be some incidents but for the most part, grave accidents are few and far between.