JUDICIAL REVIEW (PART 2)

In my HARD WORDS  article (Sport) I suggested that it would not be too late to seek a Judicial Review of the Government’s decision to pocket £90 million (half the sale price of the Tote) which by rights belongs to the racing industry. I now discover that applications for Judicial Reviews have to be made within three months of the act which triggers the application.

I just wonder if that “three months” limitation is part of the law, or simply a regulation without the authority of law. If the latter, the Judicial Review procedure might still be available. Ironically, my research revealed that applying to the European Court of Justice for its version of a judicial review is not subject to a time limit. If need be, that avenue might be worth exploring.  Ninety million pounds is a lot of money. Can racing afford to write it off?

FAULTY VISION

Early in the season I spotted MISS YOU TOO, and followed her, rather expensively, for several months. A huge talent, but all her energy was wasted trying to run at 100 mph from the word go. Then I blinked and she took advantage of my inattention to win a £22,000 race at Yarmouth (I didn’t think such a race existed) at 20 – 1. I have watched the video several times. She bowled along in front in a really calm and relaxed manner with her ears pricked and won by three lengths. Congratulations to Mr Simcock and jockey Chris Catlin for the miraculous improvement she showed.  Work in progress, I suspect. I hope she stays in training. If her reaction to restraint continues to improve, she might be very, very special.

Early in the season I noticed SAMBA BRAZIL (a German mare) and paid heavily for following her on three or four occasions. Another blink, and another 20-1 winner passed me by.

On the Monday of Royal Ascot my diary was annotated as follows “HIGHLAND COLORI… Wokingham?” suggesting that at some point I had decided that that horse’s trip was 6 furlongs. He didn’t run in the Wokingham, but three months later I blinked and he won the Ayr Gold Cup (6f) at 20 – 1.

I am pretty certain there is another identical tale of woe, but memory fails me – I think my subconscious is in denial. Blinking is a real problem.

CHAMPIONS’ DAY

No Frankel and a nail-biting weather conundrum, and yet the afternoon was quite superb. Actually the essence of Frankel was on parade in the shape of FARHH, whose extraordinary performance after five months away from the track emphasised the fact that the quality of the horses on view was top-class.

As for the quality of the jockeys, the short head that separated J. Murtagh from G. Baker at the sharp end of the first race was a clue to the number (the considerable number) of world-class riders who are currently to be seen doing their stuff on British tracks.

I have long been a Quipco sceptic, but it must be doing something right. In particular it seems to have sussed out global warming.   So far, the third Saturday in October has proved satisfactory ground-wise. It is a little too soon after the Arc meeting at Longchamp, but  Farhh’s two nearest pursuers showed that it was possible to run creditably at both meetings.

THE DOWN SIDE

The blessings that have been lavished on British racing by Dubai and Quatar should not blind one to the fragility of its finances. The ghost at the feast is the continuing failure to achieve a proper relationship with the betting industry. One way or another, the thistle needs to be grasped. The alternative is a continuation of the begging bowl existence, which is a bit demeaning. I think Mr Bittar could be the man to do the job – if he got the support that he needs and is entitled to.  But will he get that support?

The golf course calls.

Best wishes,

cyberdonec

[At this point I went and played nine holes extremely badly. I then called in at Waitrose and bought eight crumpets. Happened to glance at the Racing Post and skimmed through the article about the deal between the racing and the bookmakers. Returned home and ate two crumpets. Just now (11.25 pm, 24^th October) read the whole article on my computer. I congratulate all the racing industry’s leaders whose cooperation was no doubt essential if a deal was to be feasible, and I congratulate the bookmakers who are co-architects of what may turn out to be just what the sport has been looking for since June 1968 when the Benson Report revealed that racing was in deep financial trouble.

In the words of the Great Man, “This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end; but it is perhaps the end of the beginning.”

It may be pure coincidence, but I have been a fan of Mr Bittar since he dealt so decisively with the whip crisis in the winter of 2011/12, and I have always written nice things about Betfred’s Fred Done, most recently in Mupdate 12, when I called him Mr Bone, for which I apologise, having effected a correction.]

RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP

Italy v. impressive beating Wales. They should beat Scotland on 3^rd Nov. If they then beat Tonga on the 10^th, who knows… they might go all the way. Remember…. you read it here first.