STOTT GOT A RAW DEAL

Sky Sports Racing's correspondent wasn't happy to see jockey Kevin Stott given his marching orders by Amo Racing

Huge volumes of water, gallons of it muddied, will have sailed under the bridge since Kevin Stott became the latest jockey to be given the boot by Kia Joorabchian, the boss of Amo Racing.

The news only flashed up on my laptop as I was settling down to type this monthly bulletin and if it rankles me it sure as hell must irk Kevin Stott. I reflected last month the similar exit strategy experienced by Rossa Ryan last summer and he, despite the knock back has flourished since, as I am certain Stott will too.

Rejection at any level is an unsettling event, especially when notification of dismissal is transmitted by text or a brief email, each spineless, impersonal and ill-mannered methods of termination. Back in the days when missives of rebuff used to flutter through the letterbox, we probably occupied a gentler and more considerate world than this harder edged digital age.

It is of course the privilege of an employer to dismiss a minion whether justifiably or not, and often the worker has the right to appeal for unfair dismissal, but in the instance of a jockey or trainer being shown the door (how many synonyms are there for being given the boot?) they usually have no option save moving on.

I may be tempting fate, but I have to date only twice been given the 'tin-tack' and on both occasions the decision was entirely justifiable. In my post-youth Stock Exchange days, I spent far too much time in the betting shop and not nearly enough trying to learn about financial wizardry - mind you, the wizardry aspect was woefully lacking in the bookies too. I enjoyed my five years as a city slicker, and (pre-termination) my generous spirited boss even gave me six months off to go travelling in Australia, not even suggesting I should buy a one-way ticket.