The most useless question any horse racing journalist in this country has ever asked a trainer is "how's the horse doing?" Yet it gets asked all the time and the answer is always the same: "He's doing great, couldn't be doing better. Couldn't be happier how he's coming into the race."
It doesn't matter if the horse is cleaning up the feed tub and burning up the racetrack in the morning or sluggish around the barn, training like a snail and slightly lame in his left hind. The answer is the same.
Trainers won't give the press, the stewards or betting public accurate information on the condition of their horses because no one is forcing them to do so. The culture of the racetrack is that that information is no one's business besides the trainer and, maybe, the owner.
Is that good for the betting public? Of course not. Even the NFL, which pretends that it is anti-gambling, understands this, which is one of the reasons why football is the most popular betting sport in the U.S. Every team is required to report when a player has an injury and what the likelihood is that he'll play on Sunday. That information is made available so that gamblers are not kept in the dark.
An informed bettor is someone who trusts the game. Someone who trusts the game is more likely to participate as a gambler. In Hong Kong, they get that.
An informed bettor is someone who trusts the game. Someone who trusts the game is more likely to participate as a gambler. In Hong Kong, they get that, which is among the many reasons why Hong Kong has the highest betting handles of any country in the world.
Singapore-based trainer John O'Hara was fined the equivalent of $9,675 after a Nov. 23 race at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Race Course because he failed to report prior to the race that his horse Spalato "briefly exhibited a restricted action in its right hind leg in the stable prior to being presented to race." The horse wasn't exactly dead lame. According to the stewards' report, Spalato showed signs of discomfort in his right hind leg. O'Hara dealt with the problem by massaging the leg.
O'Hara failed to report the problem until after the race, therefore the bettors were not aware the horse had an issue. At 5-1, the Spalato finished 13th. The stewards reported that the fine would have been more severe if not for the fact that O'Hara admitted his transgression, albeit after the race, and was cooperative throughout the investigation.
"We do everything possible to respect the integrity of the wager and to keep the betting public informed of developments that can influence their decisions," said Bill Nader, Executive Director of Racing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club does more than require trainers to report any problems they are having with their horses. Every horse that races in Hong Kong undergoes a private veterinary investigation the day before it races.
In an e-mail Chief Stipendiary Steward Kim Kelly explained: "The Club's Rules of Racing provide that any event, or circumstance, or veterinary condition which has the potential to affect a horse's performance in a race must be reported to either the Club's Veterinary Officers or the Stipendiary/Racing Stewards as soon as practicable so that;
1. The welfare of the horse is not compromised in any way.
2. The safety of the horse's rider is similarly not compromised.
3. The interests of the betting public are protected.
4. The reputation of the sport and that of the Club are not diminished."
When it came to the case of Spalato Kelly explained that the Hong Kong Jockey Club simply will not tolerate a situation where the gamblers are betting on a horse without having full knowledge of any physical issues it may be having.
Kelly wrote: "It was the position of the Stipendiary/Racing Stewards and the Veterinary Officer that the horse was obviously lame for a period of time prior to the race and that this information should have been reported as it clearly had the very real potential to affect Spalato's performance in the race. Accordingly, the punting public had a right to be made aware of this information so that they could make an informed decision as to whether to support the horse financially. As importantly, if not more so, reporting the information would have permitted the Veterinary Officer to subject the horse to a stringent veterinary examination so that the horse's soundness to participate in a high-pressure race could be established. Subjecting the horse to a stringent examination acts to protect the welfare if the horse, the safety of the rider, all other horses and riders in the race and the punting public.
"Putting the welfare and safety issues aside, the public must have confidence in the regulation of the sport to ensure they continue to support racing. Confidence is enhanced by transparency and appropriate information being released in respect of the suitability of horses to race. There would be little doubt that those persons who supported Spalato financially on the relevant day would be rightfully disappointed that they were not made aware of the events prior to the race before they made their investments."
That's what you get in Hong Kong, where everything possible is done to protect the gambler.
That's Hong Kong.
Here? Transparency? That's just not how it is done.