MY CALL - WE NEED TO FACE UP TO THE BAD ELEMENT IN RACING AND DEAL WITH IT
By David Fowler | Tuesday, August 21, 2012
David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.
Racing Retro presenter Richard Freedman on the weekend largely laughed off Victoria's race-fixing inquiry as a "chest beating exercise" which would deliver little.
No surprises there.
But we can predict with some confidence today that the egg that Mr Freedman will have to wipe off his face will be considerable.
Names mentioned from reliable sources in the last 48 hours will certainly light up the board.
This will happen sooner than later but how much muscle authorities have got to go on with the job is the one thing that Freedman is on the money with.
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Why are so many racing administrators and media in denial to racing corruption?
I'm not being negative. It happens, simple as that.
Where there is money and shady characters, corruption will exist.
And I'm not suggesting it's widespread or flourishing, but there are pockets of it.
Not just racing. Any sport with a gambling link.
Those who live in denial are either naive or don't know the business well enough.
Unfortunately, trying to crack the corruption code is a task most are not up to who have been given the responsibility.
Too many with rose coloured glasses define racing as a world of its own.
It's not. It can be infiltrated by criminals who ultimately are hard to catch.
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Fixing of races is a scourge. It strikes at the expected element of fair play.
Drugs for competing animals is the other blight on the business.
And that's another tough task for racing's police.
When one substance is detected and dealt with, another one is being cooked up in a laboratory.
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Brisbane's riding ranks are overflowing with talent.
The apprentice talent factor has been well canvassed in recent weeks but Michael Cahill's return has been another boost for south-east Queensland racing.
"Mister Cool Calm and Collected" delivered a ripper on Transporter to win on the
weekend.
Did you think Transporter from barrier 10 would travel in the box-seat?
Enter the Cahill factor.
Despite winning I still think Transporter is a "gunner" and will be a good risk at short odds next time around.
No such risk with Cahill. I loved putting my cash on his mounts.
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I've started the spring with a "thud".
Talked up Said Com as the Epsom winner and then witnessed a feeble display at Rosehill on Saturday.
The old chestnut of "ridden too close" was the defence.
Leave me out.
There wasn't one horse I could latch on to from the weekend that I could confidently predict would be a real Spring Carnival contender. And that includes All Too Hard.
Until next week
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