Racehorse TALK

By Ken Callander

June 15, 2009 12:00am

IT IS lucky Octagonal and Lonhro are not racing today. If they were they would be racing in Dubai and we would have missed out on all of their great victories.

The sheiks from Dubai, who bought the Ingham racing stables where Octagonal and Lonhro were nurtured, have made it clear what their Australian racing project is all about. Sure they are pouring millions into their racing operation, but that will be paid for by the millions they are making from their huge stallion roster in the Hunter Valley and from the prizemoney their horses win.

The big thing that is now clear, and what a downside it is for Aussie racing, is all of the best horses from their Darley stables will be shipped out to Dubai.

This week they announced nine of their very top horses, including Caymans, Aichi, Fravashi, Desuetude and Time Thief, are going to Dubai to be set for racing there and in Europe.

John Ferguson, the messenger boy for the sheiks, has tried to put a spin on it by telling us it is a "massive compliment to Australian racing".

Please John, we don't fall for smooth-talking Pommies any more. Tell it for what it is, a raping of our top-class horses for the pleasure of the sheiks on the other side of the world.

There is nothing illegal about it. If you have enough money you can do almost anything, but don't try to make out you are doing us a favour.