Race 1 at Ellerslie

[Palliser]

Little Red Rocket was challenging hard on the inside, and unfortunately broke down badly.

How did George Simon not see that ?? .. and wasn't even mentioned in the after race review??

So sorry for connections.

[CVance]

Yeah the green tent went up.....the way George is commentating he would have missed it ......but they wouldn't want to talk about it anyway

[sunlineboy]

Probably best they don't talk about it. Looked awful.

A terrible race all around. The talked-up runner looked to have a problem when Sam tried to hold her up, so punters were toast from the outset, and I just can't see it being a good form race.

[CVance]

Great ammunition for Animal welfare activists if they had ..........

[racesraces]

54 minutes ago, Palliser said:

Little Red Rocket was challenging hard on the inside, and unfortunately broke down badly.

How did George Simon not see that ?? .. and wasn't even mentioned in the after race review??

So sorry for connections.

It was a bit messy round the bend and she copped a bit of a check. That wouldn't have helped her at all. 

Feel for the connections. At the end of the day we all want to see them cross the line and pull up safe and sound. 

[Palliser]

34 minutes ago, CVance said:

Great ammunition for Animal welfare activists if they had ..........

Yep probably right, but it doesn't help absolutely ignoring it. 

[Winner69]

Must have been bad …no replay up on love racing.co.nz 

been a few fatalities lately …suppose that’s racing

[racesraces]

7 minutes ago, Winner69 said:

Must have been bad …no replay up on love racing.co.nz 

been a few fatalities lately …suppose that’s racing

I doubt they'll put the replay up. It wasn't very nice. 

[Stellar]

5 hours ago, Palliser said:

Little Red Rocket was challenging hard on the inside, and unfortunately broke down badly.

How did George Simon not see that ?? .. and wasn't even mentioned in the after race review??

So sorry for the connections.

In my opinion it is better to downplay a horse breaking down, rather than sensationalise it - as some of the commentators usually do (like Justin Evans last week). Transparency is important but also respecting the sensitivity of the situation. A few years ago, TAB commentators were given a script saying something like, "a vet will be with the horse straight away and the injury will be treated, etc." Haven't heard it being used, though. Thoughts with connections.

[CVance]

40 minutes ago, Stellar said:

In my opinion it is better to downplay a horse breaking down, rather than sensationalise it - as some of the commentators usually do (like Justin Evans last week). Transparency is important but also respecting the sensitivity of the situation. A few years ago, TAB commentators were given a script saying something like, "a vet will be with the horse straight away and the injury will be treated, etc." Haven't heard it being used, though. Thoughts with connections.

What did Evans say exactly ?.......he is such a twat

[Palliser]

50 minutes ago, Stellar said:

In my opinion it is better to downplay a horse breaking down, rather than sensationalise it - as some of the commentators usually do (like Justin Evans last week). Transparency is important but also respecting the sensitivity of the situation. A few years ago, TAB commentators were given a script saying something like, "a vet will be with the horse straight away and the injury will be treated, etc." Haven't heard it being used, though. Thoughts with connections.

Evans is a complete twit, and agree with you there.

But I still think you shouldn't ignore it pretending nothing happened, no call to sensationalise either.

[PKR]

1 hour ago, Stellar said:

In my opinion it is better to downplay a horse breaking down, rather than sensationalise it - as some of the commentators usually do (like Justin Evans last week). Transparency is important but also respecting the sensitivity of the situation. A few years ago, TAB commentators were given a script saying something like, "a vet will be with the horse straight away and the injury will be treated, etc." Haven't heard it being used, though. Thoughts with connections.

Protocols are better than what they were back in the day. As a kid I can remember two incidences that would horrify most folk now - etched in my memory really. One at the old Kensington Park track where the Whangarei RC used to race, the other at Parawai where the Thames JC raced until relatively recently. Both involved tractors - and horses that had been euthanized after sustaining serious factures near the home turn. Both the same. The horses dragged on a trailer down the home straight in front of the race-goers. Crickey, how out of touch were we back then?  Even going the long way would have been a better option.        

[stodge]

Yes, it's very similar up here.

Given there's a delay in the pictures going to the betting shops and the specialist racing channels, the worst incidents can be masked. For those on course, it's more difficult but when it's away from the stands, less so.

The veterinary care and attention at UK courses is very good - at Cheltenham I believe the team had over 350 years combined experience of equine care so you can't do much more.

The worst part is watching the poor groom run down the track to where their stricken charge is lying behind the screens. 

You'd also better believe there's often a bigger cheer when a winded horse gets up and walks back than there is for the winner of the race. 

I'm less convinced about pulling replays which show fatalities - there's arguments both ways....