Bert’s Horseracing Blog

Posted in Berts Horses, Effingham | 8 Comments

8 Responses to “Effingham at Windsor”

1. on 08 Oct 2007 at 5:48 pm1HQO

   Andrew whats your view of a course that calls it good to firm in places pre racing and then with no rain call it good to soft places after first race. Surely that can’t be professional or right and despite it ’suiting’ you better for your horse today thats not the point imo.
   Its a joke for the owner to the punter and all those in between.

2. on 08 Oct 2007 at 8:05 pm2exSettler

   Well down the field, so what’s the verdict on Effingham now?

   I’m wondering what effect this alleged “laying to lose” affair will have on the exchanges? Far far easier for a jock to lose a race and make a packet than it is to fix the winner of a race, in my opinion. Any thoughts Bert?

3. on 11 Oct 2007 at 10:04 am3Mick

   Bert has been tied up at the sales and on Betfair business but I can comment on your query re Effingham as I was at Windsor on Monday. Basically, he’s a horse with ability which he isn’t using to best effect. After the race, Michael Hills recommended a gelding op ahead of his three year old career.

4. on 11 Oct 2007 at 6:26 pm4Harry

   Bert, you have achieved great things. Do you feel that betfair and other exchanges are responsible for the appaling low prize money in British horse racing. Which could be its downfall. Your an owner so how do you feel about this. You have created a company that in a way is ruining racing almost every jockey agrees. People like Cyzer have already taking action. would be great for your thoughts on the whole matter.

5. on 12 Oct 2007 at 9:52 am5HQO

   “You have created a company that in a way is ruining racing almost every jockey agrees”

   Harry, I have to credit you with the most stupid comment I have read on the net for a long while. Unbelievable.

6. on 12 Oct 2007 at 12:48 pm6harry

   good to firm in places pre racing and then with no rain call it good to soft places after first race. Surely that can€™t be professional or right and despite it €™suiting€™ you better for your horse today thats not the point imo.
   Geat comment HQo. You would not understand>

7. on 12 Oct 2007 at 11:48 pm7Bert

   Harry,

   I absolutely disagree with the sentiment of your post, but it’s a big subject and I don’t have time to do it justice. To say that “almost every jockey agrees” is IMO quite simply wrong - I’ve heard it said once (from Kevin Darley, a fundamentally upfront and honest guy but rides for Peter Savill who seems to hate Betfair with a passion), but I think people often believe what they want to believe. I know a lot of jockeys and it’s not an impression I get at all. Most anti Betfair sentiment I come across comes from people who don’t know or understand how the exchange works but have picked up snippets of information - I get very little from anyone who has genuinely got their head around it. I don’t know where you would come in.

   Betfair was launched in June 2000. The levy in 1999/2000 was £54m and in 2000/2001 it was £55m. In 2006/2007 it was £90m. It’s grown enormously since our inception - if it’s appalling now it was a hell of a lot more appalling before we came along. I’m not sure Charles Cyzer is a representative example of the training profession.

   I could go on but as I say this is a big topic. I wonder if you’re casting judgement without knowing enough about the subject.

8. on 12 Oct 2007 at 11:56 pm8Bert

   HQO,

   for Windsor to change the going without any rain was very strange. Our impression from walking the course was that it was probably G/F in places. I’d be interested in an explanation from the course.

   ExSettler,

   Effingham has been found to have a small fracture, which at least explains his bad running. He will be gelded now to take some weight off - the fracture should recover fairly quickly. He is a heavy topped sort - he should probably have never run on the firm ground at Ponty.

   I’m not sure if the “laying to lose” thing will make much difference to the business, although I’m watching the court case with interest.

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