A Great Week For Racing

Well that was quite a week wasn’t it?

I came into this year’s Royal Ascot expecting a somewhat unbalanced week with Frankel on day one, Black Caviar on day five and, frankly, very little in between – how wrong I was.

It turned out to be one of the best Royal Ascot meetings I can recall – even the weather was relatively kind.

Even without Frankel I always think day one of the meeting is the best, with three group one contests. Of course the presence of the best racehorse in the world made it even better and to add a thick layer of icing on an already rich cake he, arguably, put in his best performance ever.

He certainly laid to rest the ghost of his run in last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes and he stamped his authority as the best living racehorse and depending on whose ratings you choose to believe he is either be best or second best horse ever.

My only grouse about his run was it was the first race on the card and to use the old cliché, an impossible act to follow.

It was known some time in advance that Frankel would be heading to the Queen Anne Stakes – could Ascot not have changed the running order so The Queen Anne was the feature race at 15:45, so we would, at least, have had an even bigger build-up to the contest?

He certainly was a hard act to follow and the favourites in the Kings Stand and St James’s Palace Stakes all disappointed. Indeed in the St James’s Palace Stakes the winner was the aptly named Most Improved.

For me it was a profitable day in that I backed Excelebration to win in the “without Frankel” market and my bet of the day was Simenon in the Ascot Stakes – more on him later.

After Tuesday and Frankel Wednesday’s card was going to struggle to live up to the same billing and with four of the six races going to horses with double digit odds it was a day for the layers.

The big race was the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes where there were hopes for a Royal Winner in Jubilee year as the improved Carlton House, owned by The Queen was a well backed second favourite. However, not for the first time, the Ballydoyle team came along as the party poopers, although there can be few complaints as So You Think chose to finally show his full potential and he came home a very worthy winner.

After two days of sunshine there was an almost certain inevitability the weather would change for Ladies Day and it sure did, luckily the precipitation was showery as opposed to the forecast persistent variety, however it was blowing a howling gale, making life difficult for racegoers with hats and horses (without hats) alike.

For me it was to be a second losing day on the trot, with only a couple of placed bets.

On the course we saw some great performances. Princess Highway in the Ribblesdale and Energizer in the Tercentenary both put in scintillating late runs to win their respective contests, the former being one of the most eye-catching runs I’ve seen from a filly in a long time.

Thursday’s feature race was The Gold Cup, note not The Ascot Gold Cup, it’s the one Gold Cup race which doesn’t need a location descriptor.

Fame And Glory was sent off the odds-on favourite to retain the cup, looking to give the Ballydoyle team a sixth win in seven year – it wasn’t to be and their old “enemy” Godolphin claimed a 1-2 with Frankie Dettori on Colour Vision edging out, literally, Opinion Poll ridden by up and coming Mickael Barzalona.

The pair had a “coming together” in the final stages and in a televised Stewards Enquiry Dettori was given a fairly easytime by the stewards. Of course Barzalona wasn’t going to criticise his “team mate” but the Stewards could have been more probing. There was never any danger of Dettori losing the race but by not switching his whip through to his correct hand he was arguably guilty of careless riding and he should have picked up a two day ban. Instead the Stewards deemed the interference accidental and no action was taken.

For me Friday was the day I clawed the money back from the bookmakers as Newfangled, Estimate and, my banker of the week, Gatewood all obliged.

I was really impressed with Gatewood at Epsom who ran on late to win from an almost impossible position. He adopted the same tactics again here but with it being his first time on ground with the word soft appearing in the going description he didn’t seem to accelerate as well. He only got home by a neck but a winner is a winner.

For the rest of the world the big result was Estimate as she is owned by The Queen and it meant she had her 21^st winner at the Royal meeting but, more importantly, a winner in her Jubilee year. An almighty roar went out as Estimate hit the front and the commentary was drowned out as she came home five lengths clear.

By a strange quirk of fate the prize for that race was presented by The Duke Of Edinburgh – it’s a shame he didn’t give the winning owner a kiss.

Saturday, of course, was all about the one horse and a capacity crowd created a fantastic atmosphere, for me the best atmosphere I have even encountered at a flat meeting and I thought the atmosphere at last year’s Champions Day would not be beaten.

Of course we all know what happened and there is no point in dwelling on it to long here.

I will stick with what I wrote immediately after the race when I said “for me Black Caviar is still a great horse despite the best efforts of her rider to ruin her chances.”

It’s very easy, although justified, to be critical of Luke Nolen, however to his absolute credit he held his hands up and admitted his mistake and anyone who saw him in the aftermath could realise how upset he was at what happened. No private rollicking from a trainer or owner would be as harsh as Nolen was being on himself.

My biggest fear was what the reaction been had Black Caviar been beaten due to Nolen’s error – how would the crowd have reacted? Thankfully we never got to find out.

It is a great pity that Nolen’s ride overshadowed the race. At the end of the day she is still unbeaten, 22 from 22.

She may not have been 100% - she cannot tell us – but she still won, it wasn’t her fault she only won by a head.

The other shame of the final day is all the attention on Black Caviar detracted from a brilliant performance by Simenon who followed up his 2m 4f Ascot Stakes win on Tuesday with victory in the almost 2m 6f Queen Alexandra Stakes. Despite Ryan Moore failing to get a run against the rail and having to be switched he showed a great turn of foot to come home seven lengths clear.

That run was the icing on my punting cake as he obliged for me the second time in the week and coupled with winning runs from Sea Moon and Camborne gave me a good end to the week.

From a working perspective it was a hard week, I hardly got to see the runners in the parade ring and the media centre was rammed packed – even more than usual with all the international attention on the meeting with the two best horses in the world in attendance.

I hope Ascot do review how they deal with accrediting press at future Royal meetings, I know I am not the only one who is frustrated with the current system but that shouldn’t detract from what was a fantastic weeks racing.

It will soon be back to earth with a bump as my next scheduled racing is Worcester on Wednesday – one couldn’t ask for a bigger contrast after what has been a great week for racing.     

Too Much Hyperbole

If you believe most of which you read in the press, there is only one horse running at Royal Ascot this year, the Australian superstar sprinter Black Caviar.

Whilst the appearance of an equine superstar, prepared to travel half way round the world, is undoubtedly welcome, the amount of column inches and broadcaster minutes assigned to the story is very much in the realms of hyperbole.

Interestingly, jockey Ryan Moore has said as much in his Betfair column today, as a consequence he is coming from of stick in the social media and racing forums.  Now, this is something you’re not hear me say every day but I do agree with Ryan Moore on this occasion and I think the criticism is undeserved, as he said “let the horse do the talking.”

The amount of coverage given to Black Caviar is ridiculous and in danger of becoming counterproductive, as it could well put people off.

Yes coverage of the great mare running at Royal Ascot is good for the sport, however this coverage needs to be measured and is currently in danger of running out of control.

I am very much looking forward to see her run in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday but it needs to be remembered there are 29 other top class races over the week and they are increasingly becoming in danger of being ignored.

Indeed it seems to have been forgotten that the racecourse rated officially number one in the world, Frankel, is running in the opening contest of the meeting.  It could well be argued the opening Queen Anne stakes is the racing equivalent of a premature ejaculation, as with Frankel running the opening race of the meeting, there  is a danger of the meeting climaxing too soon.  I suppose the consolation of Black Caviar running on the Saturday is it gives us something very special to look forward to later in the meeting.

As I said, I think it is marvellous we attract these overseas runners but please, fellow hacks, try and keep some sense of perspective. 

Of course Ascot are delighted with all the publicity and it is no surprise that Saturday is already sold out,  let us all hope the capacity crowd will not be disappointed - I don’t think they will. For what it’s worth the only thing I can see beating Black Caviar is the great British weather and the ground being too soft.

Even though I have a preference for National Hunt racing, Royal Ascot is one of my favourite meetings of the year, it is certainly the one flat racing festival which has wall to wall, quality racing.

The meeting which encompasses Group One contests, with the best horses from around the world, alongside fiendishly impossible handicaps, is such there is something for everyone.

Granted many in the crowds are there simply to be seen, there are still many who simply come to watch top class horse racing.

From a working perspective is probably the hardest week of the year as it means seven am starts and if I am home for nine in the evening I’m happy.

Being at the plankton level of the racing journalism food chain I don’t get access to or anywhere near the parade ring and I have to take my chances with the huge crowds, which does make paddock inspection somewhat difficult - but I like a challenge.

I am fortunate that I am able to watch the racing from the balcony outside the main press room, which does afford the fantastic view of the action.

There is always a large contingent of overseas press at the Royal Meeting and I have a very strong suspicion this year, especially on the Saturday, there will be a large number of antipodean accents to be heard in the media centre - I wonder why?

There will be full coverage of the meeting for all five days on the web-site ORS Racing as well as Twitter feeds (time permitting) at @orsracing. 

Here’s to a great weeks racing and may the best horses win.

Be Careful What You Wish For

The chatter in the racing world today has been around the offer of Sheikh Fahad to inject £700,000 to the Sussex Stakes prize money if Frankel and Black Caviar both race.

Frankel on Champions Day 2011

Needless to say the usual suspects have been salivating at the prospect and the hyperbole has already begun – without either set of connections confirming the race as a target.

I’m minded of the old adage “be careful what you wish for” for the offer could be more trouble than it is worth.

First of all there is the £1,000,000 purse should both horses turn up. Meanwhile racing has a funding crisis prize money is in a downward spiral and a new funding mechanism needs to be sorted out.

Yet, against this backdrop, one million pounds of prize money is offered if two horses turn up for one particular race.

I accept the extra money is coming from, for want of a better word, a benefactor but it still does not look right and it, potentially, sends out the wrong message.

If I heard an owner pointing out how poor prize money was I would ask him to reconcile his complaint against the money on offer for this one race.

To me it is akin to a family struggling to make ends meet, with maxed out credit cards, receiving a substantial sum of money from a generous uncle and blowing it on a luxury holiday.      

Now I admit I am a fully paid up capitalist and to me socialism is an anathema. I fully accept an individual is entitled to spend their money how they see fit but in the current economic climate even I wince at such a huge amount of money being spent just so two horses can race, even more so when you consider the other concerns I have.

Let us assume the money is not an issue there are plenty of other concerns.

Now Goodwood is a lovely racecourse, there is no better place to spend a sunny summers afternoon enjoying  flat meeting. However Goodwood is one of those courses that could be considered idiosyncratic with it being set on the chalky South Downs.

Now I’m no expert on Australian racing and I am quite happy to be corrected but I strongly suspect there are no courses in Oz configured in the same was as Goodwood. I strongly suspect Black Caviar has never run on an undulating track.

If Black Caviar were my horse why would I want to run her at Goodwood? For such an important race I would not want her running at a course where she will be at a disadvantage compared to her rival.

If there is to be a UK meeting then it should be at a flatter track like Ascot or York, this would be fairer on both contenders.

Then there is the danger the race will not live up to what will be almost unbearable hyperbole in the build up to the race and we all know the hype can backfire.

Remember the Frankel vs Canford Cliffs hype at last years Glorious Goodwood?  
What a damp squib that turned out to be.

All the “showdown” would prove is who was the better horse on the day, nothing more than that.

 You can go 1.01 that the connections of the losing horse will have their excuses ready the moment their charge crosses the line.

Is it also fair that one of the contenders has to travel half way round the world to compete?

If the showdown has to take place would it not be fairer held at a neutral venue where both horses have to travel and to that end staging the race in South Africa would probably be best.

- - - - -

Richard Hughes has also been a talking point at the moment, following his failed attempt to avoid having his Indian ban reciprocated.

Whether the penalty handed out to Hughes in India is deemed to be to severe is, frankly, irrelevant.

He chose to ride in India, he accepted he would have to ride under their rules and regulations, he then chose to show scant regard for their rules (on more than one occasion). He was not forced to ride in India.

Whether the reciprocity arrangement is formal or informal, there is one and the ban should apply here.

For the BHA to refuse the request from the Indian authorities, it would have looked arrogant and patronising to a "smaller" authority.

Hughes legal team can attempt all the mealy mouthed worming they want but at the end of the day Hughes committed the offence so he pays the price - ergo I have no sympathy for him at all.

If Hughes did not want to be in this position the answer was in his hands in the first place.

Whilst Hughes may be a good rider he does seem to have an ego issue - two bust-ups in India and his petulant (and actually meaningless and empty gestured) dummy spitting when he received a ban under the whip rules here shows a particularly nasty character trait.