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Ashforth's Angles: Cheltenham scandal must be answered for

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The world's media get reaction from Ruby Walsh after riding Al Ferof to victory in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle Cheltenham Festival 15.03.2011

Spread the word, Cheltenham General Hospital must be stopped

  PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)  

 By David Ashforth 6:00PM 21 FEB 2016 

David Ashforth previews the racing from Carlisle, Wolverhampton and Lingfield on Monday

THIS is the worst possible time for a scandal to hit Cheltenham but with the Festival less than a month away that is precisely what Cheltenham faces. Wrong doing should not be swept under the carpet and it falls to me to expose an appalling situation. As Robespierre said during the French Revolution, heads must roll.

On February 12, having been armed with a new hip the previous day, I took advantage of the Wi-Fi available at Cheltenham General Hospital to access the delights of the Racing Post website. Try as I might, I failed. Suddenly, shockingly, the reason revealed itself. The site had been blocked.

There was a number you could ring to request that a blocked site be unblocked. I submitted my request. Meanwhile a trolley with newspapers, including the Racing Post, was wheeled through the ward.

On February 15 WiFi Spark replied to my appeal. “We have reviewed the website and as a result we are unable to take this request any further.” First Syria, then Donald J Trump, now this.

I immediately asked for more painkillers. It was tempting to demand my old hip back and threaten to take my joints elsewhere. Instead, I left hospital the next day, determined to expose the scandal.

Cheltenham, the heart of National Hunt racing, has banned www.racingpost.com, at the heart of the sport. It is too late for me but what about all the racefans and professionals admitted during the Festival? Something must be done.

For those of you more interested in backing a winner today the biggest problem will be holding onto your money until the last race at Carlisle, if there is a Carlisle.

W Six Times plodded his way to victory under Kieron Edgar at Ayr last week and, off the same handicap mark, has an excellent chance of replodding the feat over a longer trip (4.45). Don’t say I didn’t tell you.

Mind over matter

The most interesting runners are at Wolverhampton where Ray McGlinchey, who trains in County Donegal, runs Universal Mind in an amateur riders’ race (2.45) and Julie Camacho runs the orientally named Yulong Xiongba (3.50).

McGlinchey last trained a winner in 2010 and has not trained one on the Flat since 2008. As a four-year-old, Universal Mind ran poorly in two bumpers then fell back exhausted. After twice walking unsold through the sales ring he finally reappeared less than a year ago, as an eight-year-old. In eight subsequent runs on the Flat he has not finished in the first two.

Not, it is fair to say, very promising …. and yet. Universal Mind’s most recent runs at Dundalk have been his best, judged on them he is fairly handicapped and McGlinchey has booked the promising Mr H Hunt (5). Interesting.

As to Yulong Xiongba, it is not to Camacho’s North Yorkshire yard that we must look for an explanation but to North China. Yulong Xiongba was once owned by Zhang Yuesheng, a wealthy mining entrepreneur with a keen interest in horseracing. He owns Yulong racecourse. Perhaps he will be watching.

 

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