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DAVID CARR |
Weblog: What do you mean the Wi-Fi doesn't work? The life of a Racing Post reporter
Welcome to the world of cold calling
It wasn't that hard a question but you'd have thought I'd asked some of them to explain Pythagoras' theorem in Serbo-Croat.
Paul Bittar takes over as BHA chief executive next week and all I wanted was a short welcome message.
A line or two hailing his arrival, outlining hopes and expectations for his reign and the dragons they hoped he would slay.
Tricky? No, I didn't think so either. But some of the great and good couldn't wait to put the phone down:
"Oh, I was just dashing out."
"It depends what the others are saying."
"I don't want to say anything as there is already enough pressure - haven't you done enough on him already?"
"All I think is that he will have to be better than his predecessor, which wouldn't be hard - but don't quote me."
To say nothing of the guy who was still at lunch at 2.30pm - to be fair, he was back at 3pm and no office-based worker does anything worthwhile on a Friday afternoon do they?
Plenty of good stuff from those who did respond, including one who reckoned that the new man could potentially become one of the greatest racing figures of the modern era. No pressure then.
The most honest welcome gesture would be kneeling down in awe of a man who has chosen to desert a decent job with the Victoria Racing Club in the warmth of Australia to spend a shivery January in Britain, where the racing may be good but the sport's various factions demonstrate great ingenuity in finding different ways to fall out with each other.
If they're not fighting over money, the Levy or TV coverage it is the whip rules. And the restructuring of responsibilities in racing's power structure means that the man looked upon by some as asaviour will be operating with at least one hand tied behind his back.
You can always ignore the future and look backwards in a wave of nostalgia, brought on by the sight of Pipe horses heading the betting for the two big TV races tomorrow, just as they always seemed to through the 1990s.
For what it's worth, the trainer - David, not Martin nowadays - says the bookmakers have got it right with Decoy at Kempton but warns that stablemate Faasel has as good a chance as major fancy Sona Sasta at Warwick.
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