is that a threat or a promise?:)

seriously, why the drama? everyone else is just doing the same as you, speaking their minds, and not implying that you shouldn't.

I'm done with this thread.

If you don't want to believe fact, then there is nothing i can do about that.

Uh oh, someone get him a "This is my last post" t-shirt.

The Green Monkey is not a donkey, dammit!

He is a future G1 winner. :D

Funny girl

weren't you done with this thread like 3-4 hours ago?

Good one. :rolleyes:

This thread is littered with absurdities and i won't comment on each one but this? This was funny.

You're blaming Crisford now?

C'mon be serious here.

As far as the Observer that's one of the reasons i asked if it was by a staff writer or a freelancer. They're not responsible for the opinions of a freelancer. You said yourself former employees were interviewed... what does that tell you?

What it tells me is exactly what STS said.

edit - Finished reading through this..... agree with Sniper, Sightseek and AJ.

This is NOT fact.

Crisford has always been one of the many problems behind the downfall of Godolphin. This guy hasn't got a clue, all he was before he landed this job was a journalist, but now he is trying to train the horses and telling the Sheikh which horses he should be buying. He is just a PR, not a racing manager.

I'm pretty sure this guy is a staff writer, i do not read the Observer on a daily basis, but i think he is a sports writer for the paper.

Former employees were interviewed because current employees are not aloud to talk to the press about these sorts of stories! Everyone they interviewed are good people Neil Graham in particular, he used to be a very good trainer. Godolphin asked him to train their 2yo's for them. He didn't like the way they were being trained, so he suggested something else...... and they didn't like it. You're telling me that is how a training operation should be run?

They aren't bitter staff, most interviewed left there when the going was good, either just to move on or become trainers on their own.

Oh, i'm sorry, but i didn't realise you knew people who worked at Godolphin that could tell you otherwise.

If this article was a load of crap, i would have read it and not bothered to post it at all, but the fact that i was told about it "reading very close to the truth" i thought i'd read it and see what i thought.

From everything i have been told by both current and ex employees, this article remains to be the truth.

You have said yourself that you know little about racing, especially over here, so i don't quite see how you are in the position to say that this isn't fact.

People can argue with me all day long, but when i have bothered to send this article to the people who still work there and both have said, it is well informed, i cannot see how you can say it isn't the truth.

I could say white is white at the moment and the reply would be "no it's not".

Believe what you like, but you have serious tunnel vision.

It's an interesting story. When you first read the headline you think "jeez, he's bought Teofilo". However, it's interesting to see that the Sheikh has no ownership of him whatsoever, he is just standing under the Darley banner.

Darley have lost out on severl stallion in the last few years through being too greedy (i.e. wanting to buy the stallion outright, or not at all), so i'm glad to see their position has altered somewhat.

Also, with the Bolger's still having full ownership, i would imagine this would give Darley a kick up the backside to make sure they don't mess his stallion career up, because if they do, he will be at one of the other large operations very quickly.

I'm surprised the shiekh hasn't got even a small percentage of ownership. I suppose it is a like a get out clause for the Bolger's.

He will certainly get much more media coverage under the Darley banner, which is something i do respect them for. Their marketing is very good.

I think a couple statements are telling;
"Financial constraints do not apply to the Sheikh. They never have, particularly where his bloodstock is concerned. Those who question the worth of Godolphin and Darley, his racing and breeding empires, do so through western eyes. And if the excesses are unpalatable to some, they matter little to one who has developed Godolphin as a promotional tool for Dubai"

and

"This is a free country and (people) can write what they want, but I have different ideas."

I have a hard time believing this.....

A journalist first? Well ummmm yea..... many writers go into PR.

Sorry but I think it's nuts to blame him for ANYTHING.

I know one. Not well but i do know one person there.

Anyway, i don't personally know Lava man... does that mean i can't have an opinion on him?

You don't need to know Lava Man to talk about him, you just have to say how wonderful he is and what a great story he is or everyone jumps down your throat. :rolleyes:

Including Simon Crisford?:p

No, I don't believe that's me.

I wish I had time to look up all the good they do, all the positive stuff.

Are you aware that at the 2001 BC they donated 100 percent of their winnings? Everything? This was on top of the huge donation for families of Sept. 11th victims ($5 million).


You've acused me of horrible things - wishing harm to their horses and supporting them for supposedly running their horses into the ground - and I've tried to remain fair.

You're acting like a kid on a playground who isn't getting his way, No Chance.

You believe some damned piece... go ahead.

If they're so satanic why on earth are you playing the 7 Stars? I'd think you'd be boycotting it.

THEY ARE GOOD FOR THE SPORT. You can't convince me otherwise and neither can some piece of propaganda.

Do you know what he does? No, i didn't think so. Do you know the person who worked along side him for three years?

The guy is an idiot.

The only reason he is getting his way is through brown nosing. I feel sorry for Saeed because he is the one that people jump on first, but he plays a back room role now.

You're telling me a journalist has the right background to train racehorses and tell the Sheikh which ones he should waste his money on.

The more i read i more i realise that you know very little about Godolphin apart from some of the horses that they "train"

Out of curiousity...if you know so much more, how come you haven't been able to get a job in the Thoroughbred Industry?

Uh oh, I feel like there is another "This is my last post" coming.

At least i believe something which i know is the truth and not being naive. This is what annoys me, so far what you have written shows you have very little idea about Godolphin and what they do and what a poor business they run, but you continue to argue the toss.

That was very nice of them, i agree, but with the money they have they would do much better to give it to charities than buying everyone else's horses.

They might be good for the sport in America (they haven't taken over there yet), but over here they are not good for racing. Far from it.

As i have said. Tell me why they cannot compete with Coolmore, even though thay are more wealthy? I will give you the answer. Coolmore are not as greedy, they know how to run a business, and what's more..... they have a plan.

Tell me why Godolphin make all these big entries costsing them hundreds (sometimes thousands) when they have no intention of running the horse? Especially when they said they were going to stop wasting money on mass entries this year (yeah, right).

They do run the horses into the ground, which explains for many of the injuries their horses suffer, but they know they can just buy another to replace them. That is the attitude they have. They have already admitted that buying the competition seemed to be a good ploy. Now if that is good for racing, i don't know what is bad for racing! Hasn't worked for them though, has it!

How is it good for racing when they have a runner and they are telling trainers not to run their horses because they are owned by the Sheikh or Princess Haya?

As i have said, i'd really like to introduce you to the people i know. Maybe they could make you see sense.

The seven stars? why shouldn't i play it. Just because i don't like the way they run a business why should i boycott it? That would be like a company saying, even though you produce the best products by far, we aren't going to buy any of them....... i mean a company would be stupid to do that.......... oh wait, that's what Godolphin did!

Believe what you want, and i will believe the truth.

Yeah, i'm in the playground, and you're the one stupid enough to push the swing :rolleyes:

I know people at Godolphin, which is how i know what goes on there. It has nothing to do with my employment whatsoever.

Are you going to contribute to this thread in anyway?

This is coming from somebody that had a strop when people go off topic on racing threads :rolleyes:

Your opinion is so jaded in a pro-Coolmore/anti-Godolphin way that there is no point in trying to add anything of substance since you won't listen to it. I'd have a better chance of convincing a Bush supporter that we'd have been better off with Howard Dean as President.

Believe me...... i'm far from pro Coolmore. I can't stand either of them, but as far as success and running a business is concerned, i do admire Coolmore because they do it so well. They themselves aren't great for racing, but at least they don't go out buying other people's horses what seems like every month with Godolphin.

You don't hear about Coolmore/ Ballydoyle having lots of injuries and break downs, not like you do with the Godolphin horses.

I'm not a fan of either, but Godolphin make me sick how they ruin so many horses in the space of a few months and they think by buying another one it will make it all better again.

Really? Then where the hell is Spanish Chestnut? What happened to Wild Fit when she got in their care? How long was Chekhov out for? Where'd Ravel go? How about Scat Daddy who they were running with bar shoes for a year? Heck, they have a $16 million horse that hasn't even made it to a race yet. How can you possibly think that Coolmore doesn't have a lot of injuries as well?

I have no idea about the American operation. That sounds more like Todd Pletcher's problem to me.

They may have many injuries, but what gets my goat about Godolphin is the perfectly good horses they buy which they either turn into nags or get them injured.

I probably get to see this much more than you guys.

What i don't understand is that when a sheikh or arab buys one of your nice horses, Premium Tap for instance...... you all go mad about it. But when i get fed up with Godolphin buying all of these good horses over here, not only that but ruining them in the process, i'm wrong for having that attitude?

Pletcher didn't have the majority of those horses. Wild Fit was a perfectly good horse that they spent big money on and died in their care. Chekhov was a $3.3 million horse that could barely win a goat race. Coolmore has their share of nags and injuries just like Godolphin does.

I apologise if i have upset anyone in this thread.

I have been trying to get what i'm 99% sure is the truth across. Maybe when Godolphin start taking over in the U.S you will see where i'm coming from.

I respect your owners for not giving up to them, especially the smaller owners that manage to find a really nice horse every so often.

I guess i'm sick of seeing them buy everything that is in their way, just because their breeding operation cannot produce the goods anymore. I hope that now they have pruchased some good stallion prospects that the mass buying will stop, and it will encourage more owners back into the sport. I'm sick of all these good horses just 'disapearing' or all of a sudden becoming useless.

As you can tell, i'm very passionate about this subject.

I don't want to fall out with anyone over this, but i do think some of you turn a blind eye to them just because they like a number of the horses they train.

But he's so cute, dammit.

Who exactly are you talking about here..... I can't find the post with the horse you listed but if I'm remembering correctly you mentioned hinterland (nothing wrong with him) and The geezer (nothing wrong with him either).

No, those two are fine, but they have become nags since they were at Godolphin. How can a horse like Hinterland (who looked like he was going to be a nice horse) all of a sudden just seemingly lose most of his ability. The same with The Geezer.

Imperial Stride and Vista Bella were injured soon after they arrived at Godolphin.

I don't have a problem with Godolphin bashing. I don't think Shiekh Mo is particularly good for the sport since he seems too into the breeding aspect these days and it is taking good horses off the track. I think Shiekh Hamdan actually does care about the sporting aspect. I just don't understand when you start bashing them while defending Coolmore at every turn. There is no difference between the two groups to me. If anything Coolmore is worse for the game sending horses like Holy Roman Emperor and Aussie Rules to stud early and healthy. At least Bernardini I could understand the urge to retire.

I don't have the luxury of time to sit here and argue about this all day, but a few points.

Who are you talking about here? you mentioned Hinterland and The geezer..... they're both fine. I wish I had the time to find your post but i don't.

They are damned either way..... they're accused of horses falling into the big blue hole and of running them into the ground?

One more thing... if you're gonna insult me go ahead and do it here instead of in pm's.

Again you're being condescending to me in particular..... why is that? I never claim to be an expert of any kind. I detest it when people do that crap. All I have are my opinions and my opinion is that YOU are wrong here.

edit - sorry my screen froze and i didn't think that other post went through.

I wouldn't say i have been defending Coolmore. I have just said that they don't go out buying people's horses just buying up the competition, and they run a very good business. They don't play the childish games that Godolphin/Darley have been doing. Coolmore must have been laughing when they decalred they weren't going to buy their stallion's progeny. They make their money anyway.

I was annoyed with Holy Roman Emperor, too, but after a while i realised that if they wanted to have a really successful year, they needed a good Danehill to be standing, and it was just very unlucky that it was a 2yo that was the next best Danehill they had after GW. I don't like the fact they retire good horses early, but we have to remember that almost all the big organisation race to breed these days, as there is far more money in doing things that way.

Racing is a business now, just like most sports. Coolmore (although i don't agree with what they do now and again) can run a good business and they usually only rely on their own horses (either home breds or yearling buys) rather than Godolphin that seem to have to buy everyone elses horses and they still can't compete.

Many horses seem to have potential and don't go far.... I liked Hinterland and he's been a disappointment but I don't blame anyone for that.

The Geezer? Again I like him very much but c'mon..... wasn't he a bit past his prime when they bought him?

I didn't.

Well, i apologise, but as i have said before i'm 99% sure i have been giving out factual information.

Nearly all of the horses Godolphin buy end up injured or half as good as they were before they were transferred to them. You cannot say it is bad luck, because it happens to nearly all of them.

I get so annoyed when i read they have bought another one or a horse has been transferred to Godolphin. I'm not sure how true it is, but i have heard Silkwood will be going to Godolphin at the end of the season, which (if true) will be very depressing.