Just another reason why the trots puts it in the why should I bet on these category.
In thoroughbreds you see horses miss the start for various reasons but if it deemed it hasn’t received a fair chance it’s later scratched and monies refunded. Rightly so, there’s an outcry if that didn’t happen and the optics are shocking.
In the dogs, well we’ve all seen some strange things but the days of cats or rabbits getting thrown on the track when the wrong dogs leading are mostly gone. Vegemite and peanut butter on their paws going in the boxes too are we’d like to hope are past.
But in the red hots how is it so that you can take no part in the start and still be deemed a runner. Surely the race hasn’t started until the green light goes on. It’s invariably the favourite too. I don’t get it. The fav gallops in the score up, everyone is still betting and it’s ok. Well it’s not. Look it’s not always the fav but if we looked at the actual stats I bet we would or at least should be saying this is effed.
I’ve been saying for 40 years as soon as the green light goes on the fav is the only horse, ok the most likely horse that breaks. Money done cold. Prove me wrong. It was and still is and easy way for how races are fixed. Gear failures etc, it’s just not good enough. There’s more ways in trots to fix a race. Run a horse cold or take on something to assist in the team
(family) drive and win. What do they actually win. Well the obvious answer is they get the bickies. Fair enough they put a plan in place and get to split the spoils at the family BBQ the following Sunday. That’s what they win but what they lose or the industry loses each time is the punting public. Not just that actually, they also lose potential owners who haven’t yet understood the pitfalls but always fantasised about owning the next Leap to Fame.
Why would punters continue to engage and why would potential owners get involved. You hear how the trots is built on families. Well it is but ever fewerfamilies for one reason or another. And if those families need feeding as they do what they have done or had to do to make a living is have some very dodgy moments. And that comes in the form of getting a horse juiced or choreographed races.
Look it’s not every race but it’s more than enough to turn the most oblivious punter or potential owner away. Ironically too is they are the two groups that weren’t represented at the HRV pow wow of stakeholders. But what it really should have been called is how to survive by screwing punters and mug owners over.
Anyway I’m sure you’ll love this example of doing your money cold and that’s ok.
Race 2 at Ashburton trots today.
Very short clip.