Tanya Stevenson
A walkover is terrible for everyone in the sport
11 July 2012
Today's selections:
4.10 Yarmouth The Confessor
7.50 Kempton Park: Trovare
So a race at Worcester is to be boycotted tonight due to grumblings over prize money, while the potential walkover ensures that punters who would have put their funds on that very race will now invest it elsewhere, possibly virtual, possibly FOBTs or even on another sport. There is a big chance they may then consider any future investment on racing, which then indirectly effects the funding of prize money. In essence those in the betting shops will be oblivious to the objective or put it in the ‘not their problem’ category.
It’s not Worcester facing the embarrassment of having to stage a walkover but our racing industry as a whole! Because if this is not sorted out it will be a case of what course is next. And will it be a live televised race?
Will greyhound racing soon follow suit? For many years in my experience of owning greyhounds they use to run at a track for win prize money of £34. Something I accepted as a win was priceless.
The rain leaves any early betting ahead of the three-day Newmarket July Festival fraught with danger. The declarations for the Falmouth Stakes will be in today and fingers crossed for the strong French challenge of Golden Lilac and Giofra to stand their ground.
As for today I’m going in tentatively as much of my attention over recent days has been taken up researching upcoming Newmarket and Glorious Goodwood.
Only a month and counting to the NFL pre-season and the various bulletins coming in from all the teams give me plenty to look forward to: Tebow, Brady, Sanchez are many names to conjure up the magic of the sport with and I’ll be giving a heads up as the main season closes in.
Poor Mark Boucher has suffered a horrendous injury and the great South African wicket-keeper has to retire from the game. He was a committed, determined, record-breaking sportsman and is a loss to the competitive game. Surely if he wants to his knowledge and experience can be put to good use. A former and brilliant South African wicket-keeper, Dave Richardson, is now Chief Executive of the ICC.
Tanya's pointers:
Roger Charlton has had four winners from his last nine runners
Donald McCain has had five winners from his last twelve runners
Ralph Beckett has had five winners from his last 15 runners
Paul Mulrennan has won Catterick’s 3.40pm three times from just four rides in the race
Sir Mark Prescott has won with both his runners in Catterick’s 5.20pm
Five of the last nine favourites have won Worcester’s 7.10pm
Comments
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Where did your passion for NFL come from Tanya? I’m a Canadian living in the UK, but I still follow the Seahawks - Canadian football was rubbish!
Phil Hertel | 10 months ago