Terror to Love pulled Ricky May cons stewards

[Fiery Falcon 90]

While David Walker got 7 years after watching Ricky Mays Drive on Terror to Love in the Ashburton Flying Stakes why was he not charged with not putting is horse in the race and had the rule book thrown at him.It was the classic case of not wanting to give is horse a hard run(at the punters expense)before the $700,000 NZ Cup.

The stewards questioned him why he did not try to improve between the 1200-800 mark is answer he was on Christain Me's back and did not want to be forced 4 wide(If in the same postion in the NZ Cup will he do this?no way) the same stewards who went after D Walker  like vultuers accepted this standard stock reply.the punters were burnt

 

The Facts

 

1 He did not break at the start but settled at the back of the field

 

2 He did not try an improve the horse at any stage down the back straight and i also question Dexter Dunns drive on Christain Me what if he had to go four wide he was the $2 favourite how much money was sitting on him a lot(But sitting watching the race you can think what Ricky May was thinking do not flatten the horse.

3 Michael Guerin in the NZ Herald today stated it was hard for Christain Me and Terror to Love to make ground in the last 400 meters because they covered this section in fast time BS a typical journalist thinking all punters are thick.

4 In the home straight Terror to Love follows Christain Me Ricky May sitting has quite has a Church Mouse(I saw more actions from drivers in $1500 races in Adelaide yesterday) i am waiting and waiting for him to pull of Christain Me's back to attack no way does he do this he finshes powerfully when give room the reins shaken at him for sixth while Adore Me is hit with the whip by Mark Purdon,Terror to love does not see the whip the horse will be ready for the record breaking win in the NZ Cup.

 

I can just see it now in the NZ Cup Adore Me in Front 2 laps to go Ricky May of with 2 laps to go five and six wide down the back straight to sit up outside her to put the pressure on and wins is fourth NZ Cup because the horse is full of energy after having a easy trip in the Ashburton Flying Stakes at the punters expense.

 

Please a request to the head of the NZ Integerity Unit please relook at this race and is drive the facts speak for themselves

[WhoKnows 791]

Totally agree, was obvious he was not here to try and win the race, just a trial for the cup, too bad for the mug punter who actually thinks drivers/trainers are trying to win.

The 2 big shot favourites for the cup just crusing around the back and a wee dash up the home straight was pathetic, no wonder they are called chest on wheels.

At least with the Aussie harness they seem to be out there trying every start, if R May or D Dunn had driven like this in Aussie they would be up on failing to give your horse every opportunity to win charges, because it was fairly obvious to whoever backed them your money was down the drain as far as 1000 m from home.

[Counter Punch 256]

But as a punter of Terror To Love in the New Zealand Trotting Cup, I was very happy with the drive. 

[Counter Punch 256]

It does bring to light the chicken and the egg argument doesn't it?

Is Ricky May out there driving for the punter - or the connections of the horse? 

[eljay 1,720]

No argument from me

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

Fiery Falcon....... you do have a point.

However, May drove the horse the same way the week before and won. The fact is they ran the last 800 mtrs so quick the two hot pots had no show from where they were and that is now hindsight.

Purdon/NR would have planned for this scenario although after last years standing start even the master would have had some doubts about Adore Me beginning like that.

The race was nothing more than a workout for the NZ Cup as we now know............ wait for more of the same at Kaikora , its the same most years.

[Fiery Falcon 90]

This is what is wrong with Harness Racing it has gone on for years and from most of your replies you accept it.

The smail and mug punter continues to be hurt and while there are rules in place and we have stewards and a intergity unit that turn a blind eye to this why.Anyhorse not running on is merits on raceday should not be on the racetrack and be at trials.I consider there is no difference to what D Walker did and what Ricky May did and in Ricky Mays case a lot more of the punters money went west

[Crow 229]

Run of the race looking towards NZ Cup as you couldn't seeing any of the other beating him but it certainly was a questionable drive regards to finish

[Thejanitor 1,226]

This is what is wrong with Harness Racing it has gone on for years and from most of your replies you accept it.

The smail and mug punter continues to be hurt and while there are rules in place and we have stewards and a intergity unit that turn a blind eye to this why.Anyhorse not running on is merits on raceday should not be on the racetrack and be at trials.I consider there is no difference to what D Walker did and what Ricky May did and in Ricky Mays case a lot more of the punters money went west

 

I think you make some fair points but to compare May to Walker is harsh. Walker bet on another horse in a race he had a mount in and pulled his ride so it could not win while the horse he backed paid a dividend from which he got a healthy collect. Ricky May is a conservative driver at the best of times but I agree he, and D. Dunn, should have moved sooner with Terror To Love and Christen Me respectively. 

 

Incidents like these are one of the reasons I admire the All Stars team because their runners are always put into the race. On Monday, Adore Me made a flyer and got to front early but Hands Christian settled not far in front of May and Dunn and yet Natalie Rasmussen set him alight early. I thought Adore Me was impressive but so was Hands Christian who was having only his second start after a lengthy spell. If he continues to improve and stays injury free he will have a chance in the cup. 

[racingsouthdude 38]

I think ricky was thinking why fetch when i got a dog i think ricky will go back at the start of the cup and go up for the lead a lap or so out and that will be the end of it terror to love will kill them i no a few people lost out big time on him but we got to remember ricky is driving for the owners first of all then the punters after all they are the ones putting him on week in week out. 

[Johnevans 71]

The Janator Natalie set her horse alight because she knew that Mark would hand up to her. And no way was she going to hand up to Christen Me or Terror after this.

 

I think that had Christen Me and Terror been at the back in a13 horse field that they would definitely have moved around to be handy but why should they have to move in a 9 horse race? Once Adore Me began and led the whole race changed to an unexpected race tactically. This put the All Stars stable in the box seat from there on.

 

Also had Terror and or Christen Me drawn better and gone away even the way they did on monday it would have been different as well. The self professed experts on this forum have no idea about race driving tactics and it's plain to see.

 

John

[lestom 25]

 

 

 

 

Funniest statement ever.

 

[MisterEd 332]

As a punter I had a good go on Adore Me thinking she needed form and hoping the two favorites wanted a quiet run..... the $17 I got in Aussie was insane! 

[lestom 25]

Never rated a mention on the Box Seat haha.

 

I suppose it was 100 to 1 and drifting that it would get a mention

[Johnevans 71]

Maybe didn't get a mention because it wasn't the big thing that it's been made of on here? Maybe most people understand horse racing and that circumstances can dictate a race.

[Fiery Falcon 90]

Lets get things straight Mr Evans i have follwed harness racing for some 46 years  and for 5 years travelled  all over the country  punting my point is this Ricky May did not move a inch especially in the home straight.The same happened to Changeover some 5 years ago at Alexander Park when he was a $1.40 favourite.If Ricky May was following the owners wishes and not driving to win do the rules of harness racing state he can do this i would say not but i intend to read the rules indepth.What did you expect them to say on the box seat they would probaly be out of a job if they spoke the truth.The common reply when someone goes on about this type of issue is we are not drivers and do not know what we are talking about BS what i saw was fact he was given a run at the punters expense and what i cannot  understand is the stewards and intergity unit are also meant to protect the punter also but they donot.Life goes on and nothing is ever done and i should have a bet with the TAB that Ricky May will sit at the back of the field in the NZ Cup and not move to the last 100 metres that would be a loser

[Prodigious 111]

No comparison with Walker. Period. Walker pulled a horse to collect a bet which is fraudulent. IF, and it is a big IF, Ricky May did not try as hard as he might have, it was for the preservation of the horse for his owners. If he had got a drag closer into the race he might have pulled out a few more stops, but the way the race was run, he was never going to win it from that far back in a sprint race.

[EsquireNZ 38]

The lil man has nothing to fear from the stipes.

 

Last year, a week out from the NZ Cup, R May was charged and found guilty of failing to give a horse every chance to finish in a place bearing position.  It was a Brendan Hill horse. Bruce high lighted it on this forum at the time. 

 

From memory, the Penalty for one of the more serious breaches of the Rule Book, was a fine around $300-360 and still allowed to drive TTL in the Cup.

[globederby12 1,495]

Good golly people, this has been part and parcel of Harness since its inception. To say that the poor old "mug " punter got done is true.

He was a mug first up for not realising the risk factors involved in that race for the hotpots if they couldn't get an economical trip. Balance that againsted the wish not to beat your horse up before a major race and protect the backers,and alarm bells might have rung.

You know the odds now "work them out" and beat them. Do you really think they are going to crucify a horse just because your $2 bet is on it. If I had punted on either horse I might have been disappointed, but then I have seen enough to know that If I was an owner of either of them I would have been very happy. Nothing will change in respect to this type of carry on,it cant as there is a conflict of interests involved. All you mug punters have to do,is learn to discern the difference. Good luck.

[Rambling_Kidd 160]

_{So the difference in a quiet one at the trots and a quiet one at the gallops ?}  

[globederby12 1,495]

This is a Harness site Rambler, but having said that, with connections within the Gallops scene ,the same scenario applies.

[Fartoomuch 1,376]

Local Press report got a comment from the trainer, he said he was happy with the horse. Does that mean he was also happy with the drive. Joe public will never know as the question was not asked??

A few have mentioned here about driving for the connections , be interesting to know if owner had backed the horse, he apparently is not averse to having a bet.

Its that time of the year when Harness punters really need to be careful. Racing for 7K one week and a lot more in Cup week.

[beerwithduncan 724]

I watched the Ashburton Flying Stakes with no bias or vested interest. I've watched Terror To Love go round from day one. If I was the owner I would have been very happy with the run in the Flying Stakes in terms of a final lead up to the horses main aim for the season,the NZ Cup. I believe the cup is not only Terror To Love's main aim for the season it's the race of his career The cup has been going round for about 110 years and no horse has ever won it four times despite so many great champions competing in it. Like T.T.L Indianapolis won the cup three times. 1934,35 and 36. False Step also won it three times in 1958,59 and 60. To pull off what has never been achieved previously will take a lot of things including very careful planning.

 

If I was a punter with a fixed odds bet on Terror To Love in the cup I would have been very happy with the Flying Stakes run. T.T.L will be going into the cup ready for the race of it's life.

 

If on the other hand I had wagered on TTL in the Flying Stakes believing my punting dollar has the same value regardless of race I would have been extremely disappointed with the Flying Stakes result. Based on every other race I've witnessed TTL participate in I feel it's not unreasonable to feel the connections were thinking more about the finishing line in the NZ cup rather than the finishing line in the Flying Stakes. Is that mindset understandable? Absolutely yes. Is it reasonable for punters who wagered the horse into fav for the Flying Stakes to feel short changed? I believe yes is the answer. Would TTL have been driven differently if the Flying Stakes was in fact the NZ cup? Once again I believe yes is the answer in fact I have no doubt. Having said that I firmly believe T.T.L would have happily taken the race if he could have done so without busting a gut. He was there to win.

 

What should punters learn from this race? "Motivation". Before wagering work out the motivation to win the race in question and if possible where the race fits in with the connections season or even career plan. In this case the connections were very happy with the run. Can you imagine them feeling that way if they got a similar result in the cup?

 

I feel adamant the upcoming NZ cup is Terror To Love's to lose. Only bad luck will beat him. In decades to come those on course will be saying I was there when Terror To Love won his fourth cup. An achievement milestone other great champions will be measured up against in 100 years time and beyond.

[Ashoka 1,179]

beerwithduncan...

 

I would like to commend you on your very well-written post.

It is a pleasure to read.

Thank you.

 

All the best.

Ashoka

[globederby12 1,495]

Ditto that. Basically my point in a far more eloquent and informative way.

Well said beerwithduncan