How many tools can destroy one's day at the trots???

[STRUTTER]

M Champion JNR, P Holtham, T Lee, M Jacques and B Giorgio was there a prize today for the [b]deleted[/b]who best gives their horse no chance???? these [b]deleted[/b] all would be fighting over it no doubt. My vote goes to B Giorgio for trying to hold out Xtra Value and destroying his chances of running the place. After 30 years of being out there destroying races and punters you would think that he would have learnt at least a thing or two but NO NO NO NO this wombat wants to drive every horse the same and think he's on the best horse in the race every time to make matters worse his brother sticks up for him, he would't know what end a horse S__ts out of let alone try and defend someone.

[centreman]

I heard ducks brother got someone off a serious charge one day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its only the other 651 days in court that have been no good!!!!

Comes highly recommended from JB i've heard!!!!!!

[bayman]

another reason why i say there should be say 20-25 professional drivers (like jockeys) & that is where you get your drivers from, not "i've got a horse & i'm going to drive it" syndrome & for those that don't like it they either go to non tabs or get out, you put the drivers on (from the clubs or even the government) retainers of say $40,000.00 & with confidence of the drivers the pools will start to rise as the confidence of punters increase, i realise what i say will not happen & would be a costly exercise ($1,000,000.00) but in the long run it would imho pay for itself

[mal]

In the last few weeks Ive been fried by some inept driving.
Thats trots and I can accept that the good outweighs the bad most times
BAYMANS suggestion makes sense

Astounds me when less credentialled drivers drive thier horses and
Hollywood Harding,Ryan Hyrhorec, Mark WebSTAR and Jake WebSTAR
are watching the races on TV somewhere on the course.

Today was proof
Michael Norman was listed to drive Baby Jack
I rated Baby Jack at $3-00 to win the race and 2nd fav.to Tonys Trotter
However after taking my quaddies I was shafted when Hollywood Harding
was a late replacement to drive Baby Jack.
With Hollywood on board it would have been $2-00 fav. and a one outer in quads
Thats how much I rate drivers enough to make it even money and not 2/1
This is not being disrespectful to Norman but respectful for Hollywood.

[STRUTTER]

Thats right CM but being serious lets just say and i dont know why you would but lets just say you owned that horse with Bronte and you were paying your $900-$1000 a month or more!!!! and he goes out there with a prime opportunity to run money and he does that???? You wouldnt let him get off the track, you'de just deck him right there at the gate, take the horse and give it to the next bloke, like what chance have you got with a nickname WOOD DUCK!!!!

[STRUTTER]

He's (Brother Of Duck) ok until you look like being locked up then you have to step in and save yourself!!!

[G]

I've been a longtime fan of Baymans system regarding drivers. Put them in groups and grade them but only that A grade group of 25-30 can drive Sat. nights and we go from there.
To get upgraded from B to A you pass certain criteria as stipulated with the main problem being who would adjudicate. [surely not the stewards].

[robber]

another reason why i say there should be say 20-25 professional drivers (like jockeys) & that is where you get your drivers from, not "i've got a horse & i'm going to drive it" syndrome & for those that don't like it they either go to non tabs or get out, you put the drivers on (from the clubs or even the government) retainers of say $40,000.00 & with confidence of the drivers the pools will start to rise as the confidence of punters increase, i realise what i say will not happen & would be a costly exercise ($1,000,000.00) but in the long run it would imho pay for itself

ya kidding right the industry would do its absoloute arse if you paid a mil in retainers. our leading drivers at the moment would lucky to be getting 40 a year

[bayman]

I've been a longtime fan of Baymans system regarding drivers. Put them in groups and grade them but only that A grade group of 25-30 can drive Sat. nights and we go from there.
To get upgraded from B to A you pass certain criteria as stipulated with the main problem being who would adjudicate. [surely not the stewards].

whatabout the punters (us) giving their approval

[SCD]

Professional Drivers would be great - but it will never happen unfortuntely because who decides who gets a licence etc.. it can't be the owners / trainers and can't be stewards or punters, so it just won't happen..

BUT what should happen is the stewards should crack down on a number of things
Stable Driving
Incompetence (going 59 1st halves in no better then R1 races and getting beaten 75m)
Inconsistent drives.. going forward one week from barrier 3 and grabbing hold from barrier 2 the next week

AND MOST IMPORTANT of ALL

BOAT RACES - i've heard a few stories recently of horses allegedly being handed the lead for a couple of $$ in the pocket the next morning...

[STRUTTER]

Another prob with pro drivers is that in this state there would hardly be a meeting cause all the one off's with their 1 or 2 horses want to have their own arse out there and destroy the game, without these scrubbers you would struggle to hold a meeting. I would say the best way to handle things is like what G said make things harder to get a B grade or A grade licence. The only other way is to send these blokes back to the trials or penalise them more often. If no-one tells them what they are doing wrong, how do they know that they are doing something wrong. Back in the day when i drove i had a dozen or more people tell me when i F++_ed up and i learnt pretty quick. The other major problem is that not many, nearly none, of our drivers even study any form, which makes us more the HOBBY state.

[warrior]

Another prob with pro drivers is that in this state there would hardly be a meeting cause all the one off's with their 1 or 2 horses want to have their own arse out there and destroy the game, without these scrubbers you would struggle to hold a meeting. I would say the best way to handle things is like what G said make things harder to get a B grade or A grade licence. The only other way is to send these blokes back to the trials or penalise them more often. If no-one tells them what they are doing wrong, how do they know that they are doing something wrong. Back in the day when i drove i had a dozen or more people tell me when i F++_ed up and i learnt pretty quick. The other major problem is that not many, nearly none, of our drivers even study any form, which makes us more the HOBBY state.

Strutter, I think your being harsh on our drivers. I agree with some of the things you are saying but dont class all our drivers as one. The Best drivers in this state drive between 10 to 15 times a week and that is their form, competing in races, dont worry the better drivers would study papers internet etc. Its an income for them. The fines that are issued to drivers should be higher in dollars first up for their indiscretions. Hit them in the pocket( This would get the little pay offs before the race out). If they are repeat offenders give them min. 14 days. By increasing the fines who knows the bad class drivers might think about not hopping in to the bike and letting a better driver take the reigns.

[STRUTTER]

Warrior, i was being conservative about what i said and you cant tell me that doing form is reading the paper or internet? If your out there all the time and take things seriously you have to do some sort of replay watching. The Formguide and some stooge putting his selections in there doesn't tell you when they get checked or impeded in the run, how long a horse was 3 wide and whether it missed the start and by how far etc. Like i said before from my own experience and you do notice a difference, when your out there you know how nearly every horse in the race is going and its capabilities it takes a lot of the guessing out of it.

[STRUTTER]

I agree with being harder on the more inexperienced drivers(like the legends at the bottom) but with the hobby blokes if you fine them too heavy they will end things and throw the towell in all together trainers brief and all then you lose more horses.

[warrior]

Warrior, i was being conservative about what i said and you cant tell me that doing form is reading the paper or internet? If your out there all the time and take things seriously you have to do some sort of replay watching. The Formguide and some stooge putting his selections in there doesn't tell you when they get checked or impeded in the run, how long a horse was 3 wide and whether it missed the start and by how far etc. Like i said before from my own experience and you do notice a difference, when your out there you know how nearly every horse in the race is going and its capabilities it takes a lot of the guessing out of it.

Thats my point Strutter, the better drivers do access the internet which tells you where they sat in the run, mile rates, last halves, stewards reports last lap replays etc. I know people who get copies of all gdp races for form and i bet the better drivers do access this info.

[warrior]

I agree with being harder on the more inexperienced drivers(like the legends at the bottom) but with the hobby blokes if you fine them too heavy they will end things and throw the towell in all together trainers brief and all then you lose more horses.

Im not just targeting inexperienced drivers here its all drivers and if some of the real cowboy drivers give it up and the bad horses go by the wayside doesnt that make racing better with smarter and more competent drivers and horses

[mal]

2 LATE MALS beaten last week
Both were very dubious drives
I can understand everyones frustrations in this topic
BUT
Fortunately the driving in general is adequate enough for me to continue punting at the trots