Originally Posted by
Triple V
What puzzles me more than anything else at this point is that in recent times here in NSW we've had a Trainer score no less than an apparent Methamphetamine positive, it being an illegal drug that puts you in jail if you're found in possession of it...and we've had another Trainer score an EPO positive, it being a highly restricted and prescription only Human medication that has apparently somehow turned up in his horse...and yet nobody seems to want their respective Jatz Crackers hanging from a Flag Pole?????
All that anyone and their dogs want to bang on about is Luke's Boldenone overage.
I think the outrage is underwhelming when you consider the lynch mob mentality not that long ago on this forum, those who were baying for blood and having Luke drawn and quartered would only have appeased 1/10 of his detractors. Even tonight by those standards its pretty quiet on here. Maybe the state of origin about to kick off may be a diversion.
Some significant Double Standards at work perhaps?
I think it was Bruce Fox who recently went for 6 months for Salbutamol/Ventolin and apparently nobody gave a bugger. Copped his punishment, sweet.
Old mate the Vet from Liverpool also went for Clenbuterol and again nobody gave a bugger. Barry went for 6 months for exactly the same thing that Luke has gone for 9 months for and once again, as far as Barry was concerned, apparently nobody really gave a bugger. I don't think Barry was ignored at all Triple, the whole boldenone saga got a good airing. He lost his Dad recently and I think people showed enough good grace to go easy.
The difference between those 3 blokes and Luke? Yep, that's right...here's where the hypocrisy runs rife.
Those three blokes were not winning race after race after race, week after a week after week...so they were not seen as competition to anywhere near the same degree, so basically nobody cared. Luke was competition however & the outrage is duly multiplied 20 fold.
Race clean, race fair...my arse. It's smoke and mirrors and by and large it is not about those noble aims at all. Must be missing something here Jaimie, if it is not about integrity and a level playing field, what is it. The stewards cannot just say, oh shit its Luke, lets go quiet. They kept the issue open and public and dispensed justice to him as they would have to any other rule breaker.
If it was then the supporters of those views would have thumped Bruce & the Vet & Barry just as much...which they quite clearly have not. This is big target, Tall Poppy stuff, no more, no less. Each one of those blokes, including Luke, has scored just (1) positive...but thus far only one of them has worn the full weight of public criticism.