EDMONDS HITS OUT AT ABUSE

TELLS PUNTER ‘HOPE YA BACKED IT’:

ANGRY punters are going to extraordinary lengths to seek out trainers and abuse them over a horse’s performance as they look for someone to blame for misplaced wagering.

An attack on Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds (pictured) was called out by his son and stable foreman Trent Edmonds on social media on Saturday, revealing the extent to which some are going to vent their frustrations.

Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell quickly moved to condemn anyone harassing trainers.

The punter who sounded out Toby Edmonds went to the effort of going to the stable’s website and getting the contact number – made accessible so trainers can be contacted by clients and potential owners – before firing off multiple expletive-laden messages.

“Stable can go and get f---ed Lady I Am weak as piss and Elusive Melody back to the same s--- as it did when trained by Dwyer threw it away,” the message read.

The horses mentioned refer to Lady I Am’s fourth place and Elusive Melody’s secondplace at Ipswich on April 10.

Another exchange led the offender to label Edmonds a

“dirty weak skunk” before the respected horseman threw a cheeky barb back saying “Yep hope you backed it”.

In a concerning trend, Toby Edmonds confirmed he was constantly abused by angry punters who also use social media to target trainers.

Edmonds is one of Queensland’s leading trainers and his win rate of 18.2 per cent is the best of any in the top 10 of the statewide metropolitan premiership.

Many flocked to support the trainer and stable, with one saying: “Well I’m proud of you and everyone of your staff and owners that are behind you.”

Parnell added: “They, like everyone else, are entitled to perform their jobs without vitriol being directed at them.”