Three Horse Racing items from this week for discussion

1 -

A - You can look at it in two ways, Honeysuckle is a wonderful Champion Hurdler and she is beating the usual quality of horses in the division, and doing so with ease which suggests that she is the wondermare that many are claiming. I like the fact she goes over different trips and wins with consumate ease, and the only real battle she had was with Benie Des Dieux in the mares hurdle at the festival. She also looked better than ever when winning the Hatton Grace. It doesn't matter what she comes up against and that is why others are all going chasing.

B - It is a weak division that is struggling due to Irish dominance of NH racing and the movement of last seasons novice hurdlers to chasing. You can argue that Epatante has had issues with her back and that has caused the competition to be much weaker since the 2020 festival. Sharjah is a mediocre horse and he finished second in the Champion Hurdle. It is scarce and she is picking up easy wins.

For me it is A - I think she is the cause of so many going chasing, but also there is a lack of spread of these good horses, so when they get beaten by her or yards have lines through Sharjah etc, they decide there is no point going down the hurdle route, and instead go novice chasing. Also hurdling is the poor relation to chasing.

2 - This story is plastered all over the RP, well worth having a read of that, but also a massive kudos has to go to The Times paper for all their expose work on the story. However, this might not even be the biggest racing story of this week, with Tylicki vs Gibbons bubbling up with stories of drink and dangerous riding. Two stories to follow this week for sure.

3 - Any news is positive marketing. Even if its the bookmakers losing a good few quid.

 

Undoubtedly the competition is scarce in the hurdling division as horses, in large numbers, are no longer emerging from the Flat. As instead they are being sent (by either original connections or after being purchased through the HIT sales) to compete for comparatively huge sums, on the level, in either the Far East, Middle East or Australia. The NH game can not compete with that sort of loot, I'm afraid. And even if the horses are more moderate than this bunch then more and more are being kept to the all-weather, in the UK or Ireland, in the winter (because of the better prizemoney). Yes, some nice horses will emerge from the Flat into the NH sphere but compare it to 5-10 years ago and it is lower - especially at the highest level.

I think Honeysuckle is top-class but a true superstar??? The Chuckles Jury is still out. It's that 7lbs allowance she gets that is of huge significance to me. I do wonder though if something left field may take her on in March. Jonbon??? Kilcruit??? Am saying this as could the Supreme, potentially, have more strength in depth than the Champion??? Meanwhile, what about Appreciate It??? Please send him for a proper race rather than the Arkle - him running it that reeks of Altior '17 to me. Quite possibly the best horse in training (certainly in the top 5) running in a comparative egg and spoon race rather than a Championship heat.

I'll tell you what though if Honeysuckle, for whatever reason, was to miss out come March then you are looking at the probobly the weakest Champion ever. Then I'd be amazed if Jonbon, Kilcruit and Appreciate It weren't all strongly, strongly considered for the hurdling championship event.

 

Best way of strengthening the Champion Hurdle? That would be to go back to 3 day festival, remove the mares hurdle, the middle distance novice chase and then remove the mares allowance. We simply have too many races and horses like Honeysuckle, Annie Power and Quevega before them were all able to win in the mares hurdle before going on to further festivals.

As Barney says, its also damning that flat horses are going overseas to race, rather than going into novice hurdling. Although even in the last couple of decades we have had very few horses that have come from the flat (Hurricane Fly and Katchit both spring to my mind) to run well in a Champion Hurdle.

Also its noticeable that the loss of Espoir D'Allen, Our Connor and Sir Eric who all were either top notch, or all who had potential to feature as Champion Hurdlers for many years.

 

With regard to the Frost/Dunne case I think Bryony has a problem regardless of the judgement at this hearing. From what I can see there are plenty within the industry who don’t see there is a problem and are happy to turn a blind eye. I suspect she has and will continue to pay a heavy price in the weighing room for having the bottle to confront the issue. I can’t think of another workplace where women and men would be expected to change side by side. I suspect that at least will change.

 

With regards to Honeysuckle dominating the Champion Hurdle, c’est la vie. We’ve been here before and will be again. Too many races which will not be reversed and if anything likely increased.
Apologies but on a bit of a tangent I was very impressed with Ronald Pump’s run in the Hatton Grace. The only horse in the race who tried to live with the winner and went down fighting. Just couldn’t quicken when the taps were turned on but galloped all the way to the line. 16/1 for the Stayers. May well be my first AP voucher for Chelts 2022.

 

Indeed, had a 2021 Stayers Ronald Pump AP voucher as well.

 

I think Robbie Dunne will be a lucky man if the police aren't involved at some point. If Bryony's allegations are true then I hope they permanently ban Dunne from the sport.

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Robbie Dunne "opened his towel and shook himself" in front of fellow jockey Bryony Frost in the men's changing room, she said.

Frost was giving evidence at a disciplinary panel hearing claims she has been bullied and harassed by Dunne.

Dunne has said being naked was not a sexual act and could only recall being undressed in front of her when walking from the sauna to the weighing scales.

Frost, 26, wiped away tears at various stages of her evidence.

She recalled how Dunne had once appeared in front of her naked after leaving the sauna in the men's changing room, where female jockeys would sometimes go to collect kit.

"I remember Robbie through my amateur career being inappropriate to many of us," she said under cross-examination from Roderick Moore.

"I remember him opening his towel up and shaking himself, thinking it was funny."

Plans are in place to upgrade changing rooms, and Frost said they needed modernising.

'I wouldn't wish it on anyone' - Frost
Frost has said she felt "isolated" after making bullying and harassment claims against Dunne.

The independent disciplinary panel, which follows charges from the British Horseracing Authority, heard several other female jockeys stated he had not been inappropriate to them.

"To me personally speaking the isolation I've found from speaking out, I wouldn't wish on anyone," she said.

"My opinion is they [other female jockeys] have a [riding] licence and I feel they are protecting themselves - and rightly so - to stay neutral," she said.

Witness statements were given to former BHA head of integrity Chris Watts by Bridget Andrews, Gina Andrews, Millie Wonnacott, Page Fuller, Lucy Pinchin and Lucy Barry.

Pinchin said Dunne "could be childish", while Fuller said Dunne had changed his behaviour from "persistent banter" towards her after she had confronted him and that now "they get on well".

Frost claimed to have seen fellow jockey Lucy Barry being "bent over a table" by Dunne - but Barry denied any such incident took place, Moore said.

The hearing was earlier told Dunne threatened to cause Frost serious physical harm and also used "foul, sexually abusive and misogynistic language" towards her.

Dunne has said he "would never use the language she suggests", although he has admitted one breach of the rules by behaving in a violent or improper manner towards Frost at Southwell on 3 September 2020.

He denies similar charges at Stratford on 8 July and Uttoxeter on 17 August 2020, and also denies bullying and harassing her between 12 February and 3 September.

Dunne, 36, is accused of conduct prejudicial to the good reputation of horse racing.

Outlining his general behaviour towards her, she said other jockeys might tease her but he was "more aggressive, more direct" and singled her out.

"It wasn't just the odd occasion that he would take the mickey, as well as his manner towards me. It affected you more."

He mocked her in a tweet before the Virtual Grand National in April 2020, which she found to be a "personal attack in a very open way".

"He was always extremely calculated in whatever he said to me," said Frost.

"It was over a long period of time. It was never getting any better."

Frost said she had been left "really upset" and confused when Dunne "aggressively" criticised her riding at Stratford last year and accused her of cutting across him.

"I couldn't see where I had caused any interference," she said.

The hearing continues.

 

Sporting Life Headline:-

Bryony Frost alleged that Robbie Dunne had “opened his towel and shook himself” in front of her as she provided her testimony during a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing.

You'd have thought Dunne would have got himself dressed for the hearing.

 

What I find really sad in this whole Frost/Dunne saga is the reaction, or rather lack of from all the other jockeys in the weighing room. It is fairly obvious that Dunne is a nasty bully but as in so many walks of life none of the witnesses to the bullying were strong enough characters to intervene and worse still are even now hiding behind this cloak of camaraderie. None want to be seen to break the code and break ranks . All it would ever have taken would have been one individual to stand up to Dunne and tell him to back off or else and then it might have been over. In this scenario of strong and physically fit men I am amazed that none were actually strong enough to be a MAN.

 

Not sure that is true mate, I think changing facilities have been provided at most if not all courses but to access valets they have to enter the male changing room at most racecourses. It’s still nowhere near good enough.

 

1. Honeysuckle and the lack of worthy opponents

The NH game is not my usual sphere but surely the best argument I can put up here is by drawing a comparison with a well known flat superstar: Frankel. We were all quite happy to watch a superstar performer brush aside inferior horses as well as beat a couple of good horses (repeatedly). Obviously we only had the pleasure of seeing Frankel run for three years but the pursuit of excellence is surely what all sport is about. Will Honeysuckle still be around in a couple of seasons or will some young pretender to her crown come along as her abilities wane with age?

2. The Bryony Frost - Robbie Dunne Case

If the allegations of this jockey exposing himself are indeed proven, then surely appropriate action will be taken. As to the accusations of Bryony Frost riding ‘dangerously’, I wonder whether this accusation would be made against a male jockey as under both codes of racing jockeys will jockey for position, positioning their mount in such a way as to gain an advantage over their rivals. That has always been the case but, of course, twenty/thirty years ago there were virtually no female jockeys and certainly none that regularly rode competitive mounts in big races.

3. "Big win" story from William Hill

We are all familiar with the bookmakers’ motivations in publicising when some small punter wins big. Curiously you never seem to see bookmakers advertising when some ordinary Joe won a quarter of a million for a pound on their online casino apps. Perhaps that just does not happen because of the nature of the games – the only way to win big is to stake big when you are effectively taking on a computer program that is randomised to prevent long winning streaks.

 

Jockey Robbie Dunne says he used 'figure of speech' and did not threaten Bryony Frost

Taken from the BBC Web pages:

Robbie Dunne said he was using a "figure of speech" and not a "threat" when he told fellow jockey Bryony Frost he would put her through the side of a fence.

Dunne, 36, is facing an inquiry after Frost, 26, claimed he bullied her.

He admitted he told her "I'll put you through a wing" at Southwell racecourse last year.

But he added this phrase was frequently used in the weighing room and no-one had ever gone through with it.

"I have never threatened another jockey with violence," Dunne told an independent disciplinary panel on Tuesday.

During evidence he said Frost is "renowned" for cutting across other jockeys dangerously during races, and his view that she rides "irresponsibly" is shared by other "senior jockeys".

He added he has been "living a nightmare" following allegations he bullied and harassed Frost and used "foul, sexually abusive and misogynistic language" towards her.

Dunne has admitted one breach of the rules by behaving in a violent or improper manner towards Frost at Southwell on 3 September 2020.

But he denies similar charges at Stratford on 8 July and Uttoxeter on 17 August 2020, and also denies bullying and harassing her between 12 February and 3 September.

He also accused former amateur jockey Hannah Welch of "making up" some of her evidence to the panel about being verbally abused by him.

Roderick Moore opened the defence case on Tuesday.

Regarding the race at Southwell in September 2020, in which Dunne's mount Cillian's Well suffered a fatal fall, Moore said: "It is Mr Dunne's case that the words spoken to Miss Frost in the weighing room were not a threat, but a rebuke.

"It is Mr Dunne's case that the words were the words of a jockey who had taken a heavy fall and he was upset at the death of his horse."

A replay of the race was shown, during which Dunne said that at a jump Frost came "straight across my horse there, [which] causes my horse to fall".

He added: "Her horse comes straight across, takes the daylight out of my horse, causing my horse to fall, fatally injured."

The panel was then shown a replay of the race on 8 July 2020 at Stratford, after which Frost alleged that Dunne told her: "If you ever murder [cut across] me like that again, I will murder you".

Dunne denies saying this.

Watching the race, Dunne said: "Miss Frost comes from the middle of the track, makes a beeline for the rail, I had to cut back. She has no awareness for others around her, no awareness for the safety of others around her. She's renowned for doing it."

Last week, a fence attendant alleged he'd heard Dunne abusing Frost that day in a "very personal, very aggressive" manner.

The panel was shown footage of the area where the horses pull up after the race, and Dunne said the unnamed fence attendant was "nowhere to be seen".

Dunne said he apologised to Frost at Bangor-on-Dee a few days after Stratford, for what he said was "a bit of road rage".

But he disputed her recollection of what had happened, and said: "If it was this bad an incident why did she not report it on the day?"

Dunne was asked by Louis Weston, representing the British Horseracing Authority, about a tweet he posted on the day of the Virtual Grand National in 2020.

The tweet said: "If Yala Enki wins this cartoon race wonder will the interview be as far fetched as they do be in real life [sic]".

Frost was due to ride Yala Enki in the Grand National.

Dunne said on several occasions that the tweet was "inappropriate and unprofessional", prompting Weston to call it a "mantra".

But Dunne declined to answer why it was inappropriate, and said he could have been referring to interviews with the trainer, owner or stable lad.

Weston said his view was that the tweet was a reference to Frost's interview after she won the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Frodon, when she likened her horse to "Pegasus".

He accused Dunne of singling out another jockey, mocking her in a "public joke", and lying, which Dunne denied.

Following Dunne's evidence, the defence called several witnesses, including four-time champion jockey Richard Johnson, who retired earlier this year.

Johnson was asked on several occasions if the misogynistic terms that Dunne is alleged to have used, but denies using, would be acceptable if said from one jockey to another.

"In the cold light of day, no, but after a race… when emotions are running high, things get said in the heat of the moment," said Johnson.

He added: "Every single jockey riding has used words that you would not like to be called in the cold light of day".

When asked about Dunne saying he would put Frost "through a wing", he said: "I've heard it said a number of times, but never seen do. All jockeys have said words like that. In the heat of the moment you say things that come straight to your mind and you're angry."

Johnson described the weighing room as a "safe and friendly place to be", but said jockeys and valets have intervened in previous incidents between jockeys.

He said there was "awkwardness" between Dunne and Frost, and that he had been asked to be part of a meeting between the two jockeys which would hopefully help "clear the air".

The initial suggestion for this meeting, he said, had come from Frost's father, Jimmy Frost, who had rung his valet, Chris Maude.

Without Frost knowing, this had been arranged to take place at Kempton in February 2021, but on arrival at the course, Frost said she did not want to take part.

Johnson said this was "disappointing" but it was her choice.

Maude, who gave evidence later, said Frost had been upset by the suggestion of the meeting, and was crying.

Other current and former jockeys to give evidence included Lizzie Kelly, Lucy Gardner and Gavin Sheehan.

Gardner disputed Frost's suggestion that female jockeys had been reluctant to speak out against Dunne because they had licences and were "protecting themselves".

"I feel that is not true," she said. "Talking to a lot of the girls… we do not feel we have ever had any problems in the past with Robbie Dunne. He has always treated us, or me, with the utmost respect."

Kelly said in a witness statement that Frost "stood out" because she wouldn't accept criticism from other jockeys.

She said there is "looser language" used within the weighing room. When asked if it would be acceptable to be sworn at by a senior jockey after a race, she said: "I actually would say I would not be overly offended if I felt the reason I was being sworn at was something that warranted it."

She said she didn't think the situation should have been settled by a "huge trial by media, which has happened as a result of the whole process".

Gavin Sheehan described Dunne as "the class clown" and said he had seen Dunne mocking Frost, including about an interview she had given.

He was at Southwell on the day in question and recalled seeing Dunne telling Frost "what she had done wrong" and later said it was a "telling off".

He said he had not heard Dunne threaten Frost.


It's all getting a bit name calling now and might not be the best thing for horse racing or indeed the people involved with it. Heat of the moment stuff said out of turn is what it sounds like now...

 

Not sure threatening to put someone through a wing is tit for tat.