THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: IS THIS RACING'S ULTIMATE LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP?

By Graham Potter | Sunday, November 20, 2016

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Punters are a strange breed ... and I’m not telling them anything they don’t already know!

Week in, week out you can hear their views of some rides ... where they claim jockey’s ‘slaughtered’ horses that should have won ... or alternatively, of some races where they claim a boat race where the winner was handed victory.

For some, their bet has never lost because they made a poor selection. Once they have eliminated their own error of judgement as a reason, the best option to explain why their ticket can be shredded is to blame the jockey.

But, no matter how many times they take a beating, these punters come back for more ... betting on the same riders ... so just how much conviction they have in the truth of their own criticism is highly debatable.

That is not the only reason why they are a strange breed.

They are also a strange breed because of the way some of those very same irate punters come out and strongly support a jockey when stewards actually take action against a rider.

This crazy contradiction was exhibited this week when a gun jockey was issued with a charge by Racing NSW stewards who alleged that he had an interest in a bet on a race.

It must be stressed that the rider in question has not been found guilty of anything untoward at this stage but it should also be noted that any such breach by a rider which is proven is considered so serious an offence that it attracts a mandatory penalty of two years.

So what has been the response from that sometimes very vocal, often anti-jockey section of punters?

Well, surprise, surprise, it’s that contradiction again with many of them ... not all ... already coming out in support of the jockey, citing reasons why his alleged breach should not be held against him.

Of course there are others who disagree with some penalties handed down when they feel a jockey got off lightly and deserved more severe punishment.

It’s head spinning stuff trying to understand some punters’ position regarding jockeys.

Perhaps theirs is the ultimate love/hate relationship lurching from a relationship crisis one week to a love feast the next.

Perhaps that is part of the excitement and allure of the game for them.

Or, perhaps they are just punters being punters.