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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:45 am Post subject: Flapping
I see from the RP that the delightful character of Fran Ferris is heading up to Scotland to ride in some "flapping" races. The article describes these as "the black sheep" of the horseracing industry, but didn't actually explain what they are.
Is this the racing of horses that aren't pure TB? Or some sort of localised amateur racing without any rules?
Or do the jockeys ride cows and wild boar, as LUFCwaffe claimed in the pub last night is commonplace in Ireland (amongst tales of the women of Middlesborough nightclubs).
Anyone ever been to one of these odd-sounding events? _________________ Known as the catch of the camp.
I've never heard of them before, it seems that you can get flapping tracks in greyhound racing. A quote from an animal rights leaflet lifted off the web :-
Dogs who are not fast enough for registered tracks
may be passed on to race at ‘flapping’ tracks, which are
unlicensed and do not have vets in attendance.
Thanks suejoe- looks like the key difference is that the horse doesn't have to be with a registered trainer- ie any farmer that reckons their nag is the next Shergar but is too tight to pay fees can race it.
I wonder how well the form holds up and how seriously it's taken for the kind of prize money on offer. _________________ Known as the catch of the camp.
Tagalie, it is pretty widespread in Ireland (as far as I know they only ride horses/ponies, not wild boar). It's also often called pony-racing, as they have classes for the smaller beast. It's becoming more respectable now, though, up until quite recently, attending a flapping meeting would result in disciplinary action from the Turf Club for jockeys/trainers/owners. There are many tales of skulduggery, as is often big money made from betting. There was a big scandal over a horse called Ballygowan Beauty, trained by Charles Byrnes, a couple of years ago - they ran it under a false name at a flapping meeting, but got caught out. Byrnes is not alone either! However, many good jockeys started off on the pony racing circuit
I've never heard of them before, it seems that you can get flapping tracks in greyhound racing. A quote from an animal rights leaflet lifted off the web :-
Dogs who are not fast enough for registered tracks
may be passed on to race at ‘flapping’ tracks, which are
unlicensed and do not have vets in attendance.
The biggest load of BS you will ever find.I run greyhounds at flapping tracks in scotland.A flapping track is a track that does not come under the rules or greyhound racing laid down by the bgrb and ngrc and a lot of registered dogs run at these tracks up and down the country in big competitions because the prize money is a lot better that under rules.Many a registered dog cant win at these tracks because of the quality of the dogs that we own.Animal rights campaigners couldnt tell you the truth about a flapping track if their lives depended on it.Much better to tell what they think as it makes better headlines. _________________ sticks & stones may break my bones but whips & chains excite me
So is flapping the flat equivalent of point-to-pointing ?
Not exactly - pt to pting is run under Turf Club rules, and horses must be named and registered, and jockeys licensed. Am not an expert on flapping, but as far as I'm aware it's unofficial. However, some meetings are now covered by the Irish Field (lick-a**e Irish weekly racing paper that would NEVER offend the establishment), and some trainers' children are photographed winning races, so obviously it has gained some sort of recognition - but only very recently
DUAL bumper winner Chestnut Charlie, a leading fancy for the championship race at the Aintree Grand National meeting that had to be abandoned, has been barred from running in Ireland after he was found to have taken part in flapper races under a different name before scoring at Downpatrick and Limerick this year.
At a Turf Club hearing on Tuesday, trainer Lindsay Woods was fined €500 after the Strabane, County Tyrone trainer was found to be in breach of rule 148 (vi) before a committee chaired by Gordon Holmes and assisted by Mary Onions and Charles Cunningham.
The investigation found the horse had run under the name of The Boxer when winning a flapper race at Boyle in August last year.
Under present rules, any horse that runs at any unrecognised meeting is not qualified to be entered or to run in any race. Before winning that race last year, The Boxer had previously finished only sixth in the Dingle Derby.
The matter was referred to the referrals committee following investigations ledby Jimmy Johnston, head of security at the Turf Club, and the five-year-old was subsequently disqualified from his two racecourse wins at Downpatrick last February and a winners' bumper at Limerick in March.
The 26-length runner up at Downpatrick, the Neill McLuskey-trained Drumboy, and the runner-up at Limerick, the Sean Aherne-trained Cailin Vic Mo Cri, were awarded the respective races.
The referrals committee deemed that Terence McGowan, registered as the owner of Chestnut Charlie when running second in a Kelso bumper last January, not to be in breach of any rule. Chestnut Charlie was not qualified to run in any races after August 27, 2006 in accordance with the provisions of rule 87.
During the hearing, the committee considered evidence from Woods who admitted that he returned Chestnut Charlie to training in the name of Terence McGowan for a period of time when the horse was in fact the property of Fiona McConnell.
The committee also considered written evidence from McGowan.
Denis Egan, the Turf Club's chief executive, said after Tuesday's hearing: “It is very unfortunate for any owner to lose two races in this way but people entering racing need to be aware of the rules.”
“Had they been aware of the rules in this case, the issues which the referrals committee had to deal with would not have needed to be addressed.”
I've never heard of them before, it seems that you can get flapping tracks in greyhound racing. A quote from an animal rights leaflet lifted off the web :-
Dogs who are not fast enough for registered tracks
may be passed on to race at ‘flapping’ tracks, which are
unlicensed and do not have vets in attendance.
The biggest load of BS you will ever find.I run greyhounds at flapping tracks in scotland.A flapping track is a track that does not come under the rules or greyhound racing laid down by the bgrb and ngrc and a lot of registered dogs run at these tracks up and down the country in big competitions because the prize money is a lot better that under rules.Many a registered dog cant win at these tracks because of the quality of the dogs that we own.Animal rights campaigners couldnt tell you the truth about a flapping track if their lives depended on it.Much better to tell what they think as it makes better headlines.
Brett, is a vet in attendance routinely at flapping tracks, or not? Yes or no? Even if the quote is BS, it is important that at least some welfare standards are kept, and an attending vet is surely a basic one. _________________ UNEXPECTED WINNER 2009 FLAT 10 TO FOLLOW COMPETITION!
DUAL bumper winner Chestnut Charlie, a leading fancy for the championship race at the Aintree Grand National meeting that had to be abandoned, has been barred from running in Ireland after he was found to have taken part in flapper races under a different name before scoring at Downpatrick and Limerick this year.
Just thought this might be interesting
And it was - I fancied Chestnut Charlie for the Aintree race. It says banned in Ireland - does that mean he could run in (mainland) Britain, or just that the British horseracing authorities haven't had to consider the case yet? And would it include point to points? It sounded rather like it. Unfortunate for the horse.
I've never heard of them before, it seems that you can get flapping tracks in greyhound racing. A quote from an animal rights leaflet lifted off the web :-
Dogs who are not fast enough for registered tracks
may be passed on to race at ‘flapping’ tracks, which are
unlicensed and do not have vets in attendance.
The biggest load of BS you will ever find.I run greyhounds at flapping tracks in scotland.A flapping track is a track that does not come under the rules or greyhound racing laid down by the bgrb and ngrc and a lot of registered dogs run at these tracks up and down the country in big competitions because the prize money is a lot better that under rules.Many a registered dog cant win at these tracks because of the quality of the dogs that we own.Animal rights campaigners couldnt tell you the truth about a flapping track if their lives depended on it.Much better to tell what they think as it makes better headlines.
Brett, is a vet in attendance routinely at flapping tracks, or not? Yes or no? Even if the quote is BS, it is important that at least some welfare standards are kept, and an attending vet is surely a basic one.
Flapping tracks are slowly having vets in attendance at meets but the problem is paying for them or who foots the bill for the vets to be more precise.Flapping by its nature for greyhounds hasnt had vets in attendance but with recent reports from different government bodies this is the way that we are having to go.I know that the track that i run at doesnt have 1 just now but all the trainers know vets who are on call in the local area.If anything happens to my dogs which requires the intervention of a vet, i can have the dog off the track and at the vets in 10 mins.If it is an injury which is so severe that the only action is to put the dog down,then usually the track management or somebody at the track has the means to put the dog to sleep humanely and quickly.Not the best scenario but a lot better than the anti's make out with their doom and gloom acting like we dont look after our dogs.We pay a lot of money for them and dont have big owners with open chequebooks buying new ones every month so we have to look after them.You find some that dont but that happens in horse racing as well.Its a part of the sport but they are in the minority.
We are changing with the times but slowly as a some tracks are run on a shoestring just to keep the game alive and finding the money to have a vet at thetrack for 4 hours a night twice a week is difficult
Here are 3 websites that i use for all things greyhounds.Dont be afraid to ask questions on these boards if you want to know more about greyhound racing and the welfare of the dogs.
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