I have to admit that I followed the money and had a bit on, in fact I traded the race and won a few quid, but Am I Blue at Hereford leaves a bit of a shadow over the sport.
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So I am not talking out of my pocket here. As a punter, then we have to ask a few questions. First here is what happened….
1. Am I Blue was declared with Dean Coleman (claiming five) to ride.
2. Money cam for the horse quoted at 33/1 and was a heavy gamble.
3. Then it was announced just before the race that Dean Coleman wouldn’t ride and Richard Johnson would.
4. The horse made all and won by a distance. An amazing improvement on the form of Am I Blue who bolted up. The official findings of the enquiry is that the filly benefited from Spinal Therapy.
So a few questions here; firstly are we to believe that this was not planned? I find it inconceivable that in a fifteen runner race, Richard Johnson, the second best jockey of all time couldn’t get a ride. However, it is entirely possible that this was the case!
But the thing that I find entirely amazing is that the trainer stated publicly that she knew nothing of the gamble, was totally surprised. At least don’t take punters for fools! They said that they realised the horse had a shoulder injury for her previous runs for the stable. The stewards accepted the information given, no action will be taken.
The issues here run deep. Firstly, the layers laid 33/1 and all prices based on the form of the horse and the fact that a claimer was aboard. Clearly the form was suspect and it is truly fortunate that on the day so much money came for the horse Richard Johnson just happened to be on hand.
How is racing going to sort itself out when that can happen so easily and some blithering explanation so readily accepted. Punters once again taken for fools! How on earth can punters take the form book at face value. If this trainer was running this horse with such a bad injury, then she should have her license taken away.
The trainer told ATR that it was a shoulder problem, she told the stewards it was spinal therapy.
