Betfair Official Blog

Inconsistencies tarnishing France Galop's reputation

Authority needs to take a consistent line with everyone - big or small - says La Casaque Noire

Last week saw France Galop make a total howler by bodging the Arc result. A lot of claptrap has been written in the press since, the racing daily devoting a section to 'experts' who unanimously said the stewards got it right, but strangely, none of them being able to quote the rule book as to why. Reading between the lines, what they were saying is that Dylan Thomas was the best horse on the day and the rules should have allowed him to keep the race.

Anyway, it's not just this rule where France Galop has their wires crossed: let's have a closer look at the winning jockey last Sunday, one K. Fallon. You don't need me to tell you that Fallon is currently in court answering race-fixing charges. Quite rightly, under the innocent until proven guilty law, Ireland allow him to continue riding (and no surprise when you consider who employs him). So, on the face of it, one can argue that France Galop are spot-on by also allowing him to continue plying his trade, especially when the UK, presumably under the "detrimental to the image of racing" rule, have banned him. So far, so good. But France also has this same rule.

One such person who has had their license suspended under this seemingly arbitrary rule is the former Chantilly-based trainer Yann Porzier. His stables were raided at six in the morning back in June 2005, after a tip-off about the use of illegal drugs, presumably of the performance enhancing type.

Despite taking away dozens of 'homeopathic' treatments, no drugs were ever found, nor have any of Porzier's horses ever failed a drugs test (other than one minor case where contaminated feed was the culprit). Although Porzier continues to be 'mise en examen', which loosely translates as helping police with their enquiries, here we have an innocent man (no charges have ever been brought), sitting at home twiddling his thumbs - no horses, no job, no money...no life.

On the other hand, we have the champion jockey, already banned once for personal drug-abuse and now being charged for race-fixing, not considered a similar threat to the image of racing.

France Galop aren't too keen to talk about this issue, firmly putting the "no comment" board up.

If 28 months out of work isn't bad enough for Porzier, Jean-Philippe Dubois, raided at the same time and also 'mise en examen', continues his trade as a trainer/jockey unabated, as he is licensed by the trotting organisation SCF and not France Galop. Furthermore, another jumps trainer is also currently 'mise en examen' by the police, this time under the suspicion of money laundering. He also, is being allowed to continue training.

Whether Porzier fell foul of the wrong people or simply rubbed the wrong people up the wrong way is not clear. What is clear is that France Galop once again has their knickers in a twist. And, the final cost might not just be blown reputations - a spin-off of this case was that eight horses were prevented from running under the care of Porzier in the third week of June (2005). One of those was Rock And Palm (who should have run in the French Champion Hurdle), the owners of which have recently had the courts rule in their favour (and against France Galop) to the tune of €60,000, with plenty more to come now the owners of the other seven are sure to follow suit.

However, this is likely to pale into insignificance when they get the compensation bill for Porzier.