Champagne Haze - Tantamount to Cheating!!

Perhaps I was fortunate that I had other plans for yesterday, an was only able to review the racing on the re-runs.
The horse that interested me the most was the return of Champagne Haze. Cjearly head and shoulders above this field.
The horse proceeded to run a dismal 5th, not trying a yard, and taking thewell meaning punters, who are taking things at face value, to the cleaners.
I have been in racing for over 48 years, been a colour holder for close to 30 of those, and have watched this game regress, with little or no accountability being imposed on parties that blatantly flaunt the rules.
Julie comes out into the round up, saying Champagne Haze was being prepared for other races in the future, and this is my point.

We have a horse that was topping the boards at 1/3 and should have been expected to put up a bold show. Instead he run nowhere, and afterwards the public are told "Prep Run"
Champions are supposed to come out ready.
In my day, trainers like Fred Rickaby, George Azzie, Henry Eatwell & Syd Laird, to name but a few, could keep horses in cotton wool for months on end, but when they returned to racing, they were fit and ready to win, which mostly they did.
Where now, is that ethic, and more importantly, supervision by the HRA? Surely there is provision in the rule book that prevents this type of conduct?

[hr]
[]"Bringing racing into disrepute"[/] :sick:
would be my first thought.
How are we going to keep new people interested when the connections of an odds on horse are simply cheating the public. This is a strong statement, but no the less true.
I can't imagine Syd Laird nominating Sea Cottage in a minor conditions race, just prior to the July, saying "He's just having a run" Bullshit!!
Conspiracy theory: I'd love to have had a Betfair account, wouldn't anyone, aing this kind of information at hand, that the 1/3 shot was "Having a Prep Run. Who needs to win races?
Why bother with a form book?
To complete my gripe, this kind of behavior would never be tolerated in the UK, where questions would certainly have been asked. If it transpired, as in this case, that the horse was sent to racing with any other agenda than winning, the trainer would be fined, or possibly worse.
Come on HRA, where are your balls?
I must reiterate, this race did not cost me any money, but I HATE seeing my fellow race goers and punters being taken for a ride, and felt a strong need to speak out.
I would be interested to hear if my sentiments are shared.

Best Regards.

Thank heavens I was also busy yesterday

I also had no punts yesterday but after reading site etc this one would have been in any ATC s placed so YES bad for the punters

Most of the trainers and jockeys are thieves.How come the Stipes did not look into the matter because as punters we need back up when there is crookery.I suppose they were also on this plot were they mess with the punters. they are all a bunch of Pricks.

Something like this should be shown all over social media every time these things happen

Maybe the Racing Gods will then wake up to the punters plight?

If the HRA is not man enough to police racing maybe we have to do the extreme?

Toy-toying on ABC won't help either

Social media will really bring racing into disrepute

I wanted to post something yesterday and decided not to as I was angry. The heading of this post describes the incident perfectly. This is a horse who disposed of Rabada with contempt in a 3 million rand race over the course and distance. To use a race as a prep is paramount to theft and it is time the Jockey Club starts enforcing their rules to protect punters. There is a rule that used to say something along the lines that every horse in a race must try to achieve the best result. A blind man could see that Fortune gave this a very sympathetic ride. He didnt try a yard and my 700 rand bi pot where I bankered him landed up in the dustbin. I am sure that I am not alone. What would be interesting would be the instructions he received from the trainer. I have no doubt he was instructed not to get into the horse and that this run was a prep to bigger things. The pity about all of this is the punter was in the dark and had no chance. Why can this be seen as anything other as a fraud. There should be action taken. I compare this as similar to Piere Strydom dropping his hands.

Sometime ago I took the issue of inconsistent or "not on merit" runs up with the NHA directly!
The response was beyond belief .........I was told how difficult it was to establish!(code for we don't know how)
I pointed out that they have an entire area recording the merit of every run of every horse .......the handicappers!!!!!
I was told they would refer my point to the handicappers for comment.
The response was that there were countless reasons why a horse might run below par :silly:
Of course that is true, but the fact is that our regulators believe it is their job to JUSTIFY inconsistency and poor runs,instead of quering it,showing how unqualified they are.

(It's like been clocked above the speed limit and and the cops simply assuming the woman in the passenger seat is being rushed to maternity....lol )

It is easy to check the handicappers rating of yesterday's run and the merit of the run is immediately apparent .....simple!
This is not picking on the Alexander stable, but on a practice that has become common due to the failure to regulate!

gents, there is a special meeting of the NHA coming up 20 Jan - see another post on this forum...the NHA is toothless in certain matters that it seems they just don't attend or avoid, other matters they deal with half-heartedly and then general operation doing ok - they need help/restructure/shake-up/release from whatever it is that is holding them down.
If you are members, here's your chance to view your concerns - strongly view them, and also in the AGM that follows.
Remember you had that chance last year to vote on restructure or whether the NHA should be managed by Phumelela? think carefully about this...

Over the Air wrote: I wanted to post something yesterday and decided not to as I was angry. The heading of this post describes the incident perfectly. This is a horse who disposed of Rabada with contempt in a 3 million rand race over the course and distance. To use a race as a prep is paramount to theft and it is time the Jockey Club starts enforcing their rules to protect punters. There is a rule that used to say something along the lines that every horse in a race must try to achieve the best result. A blind man could see that Fortune gave this a very sympathetic ride. He didnt try a yard and my 700 rand bi pot where I bankered him landed up in the dustbin. I am sure that I am not alone. What would be interesting would be the instructions he received from the trainer. I have no doubt he was instructed not to get into the horse and that this run was a prep to bigger things. The pity about all of this is the punter was in the dark and had no chance. Why can this be seen as anything other as a fraud. There should be action taken. I compare this as similar to Piere Strydom dropping his hands.

I have to disagree...Pierre made a mistake and apologized to the whole racing world,a one-off mistake in 20/30 years of race riding

These f$@$$#rs steal from us EVERY day by turning a blind eye

NHA National Board Calls SGM

In terms of Clause 26 of the Constitution of the National Horseracing Authority (“NHA”) any amendment to the Constitution shall be by a special resolution at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.

The National Board agreed to call a Special General Meeting on 20 January 2016 following the Annual General Meeting to discuss and vote on inter alia, the following matters:

the restructuring of the National Board of the NHA;

the manner in which directors are appointed to the National Board;

to remove the position of alternate directors;

to provide for restricted remuneration of the directors;

the formation of a Nominations Committee;

to change the title of the Chief Executive to Managing Director;

numerous other clauses which the National Board is of the opinion need to be amended to streamline the Constitution and cater for various issues which should be addressed by way of amendment to the Constitution. The details of these amendments appear from the proposed changed Constitution referred to below.

To give effect to the proposed changes, the Constitution needs to be amended as set out in the proposed amended Constitution of the NHA attached hereto. Documents relating to the proposed amendments are as follows:

Explanatory memorandum relevant to proposed amendments to the Constitution of the NHA. To download the memorandum, click here.

Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of the NHA. To download the proposed amendments, click here.

Should you wish to cast your vote by proxy, please download the proxy form on www.nhra.co.za .

Signed by:

Colin B Hall Chief Executive 22 December 2015

Against this background, and following engagements with the Racing Operators, it has been agreed
to propose amendments to the Constitution which, in summary:
v Do away with the entitlement of the Racing Operators, Racing Association and the TBA to
nominate members to the Board;
v Establishes a nominations committee which will, henceforth, nominate members to the
Board.
It is hoped that the proposed amendments will result in the establishment of a new Board
appointment structure which will be more effective and efficient, and which will enable constructive
debate, uninhibited by the conflicts of interest which have bedevilled the effectiveness of the Board,
over the past few years.

taken from the background doc available on the NHA site
www.nhra.co.za/pubs/docs/other/EXPLANATO..._DECEMBER%202015.pdf

the NHA does not have a life of its own, PEOPLE run it. Make sure the right PEOPLE run get to run it with the right skills, tools and resources, and POWER to bring about the right changes and direction.