October
MayClaim and counterclaim
Richard Callander (14/5) writes that he’s disappointed that people opposing jumps racing are making false claims, yet he doesn’t seem to mention what these objectionable claims are.
I suppose they’re not the president of the AJRA telling media outlets twice last year that there are 400-500 Victorian horses engaged in jumps racing. A count will show 191 Victorian horses competed in trials and races last year. That seems a long way short of 400-500.
Or maybe it’s RVL executive Rob Hines’s statement last year: "Make no mistake, if the KPIs are not met it will be the last season of jumps racing."
When they only met one of three they continued jumps racing anyway. No, wouldn’t be that one.
Would it be Oakbank executive John Glatz’s comment that they only lose one horse per season in South Australia?
Putting aside Java Star (freak accident), Hammerblow and Ledgers Dream this year, what about Marc of Thunder and Satu San (another freak accident) and Tradesman’s Choice last year, and then Wool Zone, Taken at the Flood (yet another freak accident) and Keepara Lass the year before? That seems like more than one per year.
Or could it be the Banna Strand incident (still another freak accident) at Warrnambool this year?
Toulouse Lautrec dumped his jockey in a Warrnambool trial last year, jumped the rails, then jumped a 1.8m fence and took off down the road. Steeplechaser Archway’s Joy did something similar at Warrnambool in 2005, when he was one of three to fall in a field of six. Riderless horses that have been trained to jump are a major problem.
All these freak accidents: Sirrocean Storm was yet another.
I somehow suspect these aren’t the things Mr Callander has in mind.
Black Rock (Vic)