NO-NONSENSE horse trainer Kim Bailey has revealed he contacts trolls and makes them apologise for abusing jockeys.
Bailey’s jockey David Bass was branded a ‘total muppet’, an ‘idiot’ and ‘pathetic’ by one irate punter in an abusive email.
The troll was incensed after Bass only managed to finish fourth on a 5-4 favourite at Ludlow last month.
Promising jockey Lilly Pinchin told SunSport of the shocking social media abuse she receives too after riding a loser.
But speaking to the ITV Racing podcast, Bailey said he thinks nothing of contacting those who send vile messages.
And he even makes them say sorry for sending the abuse – which he believes comes after they have lost money on a horse.
Bailey, who is based in Cheltenham, said: “I had a trainer approach me, a young trainer in his second season, his father came to me and said my son really can’t cope with this abuse – how do you deal with it?
“I said I laugh about it and said if anyone is stupid enough to give me their email address I will always reply.
“Because at the end of it, if I can talk to them, I will get them to apologise.
“And I have on numerous occasions.
“If you’re sitting in the car doing nothing and you get someone who gives you a telephone number – we get withheld numbers abusing us.
“Your horse has just been beaten and they blame you.
“There’s the odd occasion when they forget to stop it [withholding the number] and you get hold of their number – and then they apologise!
“They’re talking through their pocket and it makes things difficult for anybody involved.
“It is horrible and if you’re not strong enough to cope… if you’re 19 or 20, to be called some of the things they’re called, you’d be horrified.
“I think it’s really sad.”
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