October
DecemberHere's what I think
Richo’s regular column in Winning Post is always an interesting read, and the one giving an assessment on So You Think’s overseas efforts (10/12) was particularly so.
Whilst I have very little interest in UK/Irish racing — and its distortions caused by the use of pacemakers — and even less in the performances of Aidan O’Brien-trained horses (after that disgraceful fiasco in the 2008 Melbourne Cup) I have watched the progress of So You Think closely.
Some of the thoughts relayed to your readers from Matt Chapman (UK racing commentator) were somewhat disappointing ... they illustrated an attitude toward the horse (any horse, probably) as a "commodity" — not a living, breathing, thinking animal.
One has to concede that this appears to be an extension of the attitude of Coolmore. I believe it is sad.
Here in Australia we endure the antics of protesters citing "animal cruelty" during the jumps racing months. I disagree with them, but firmly believe that Coolmore/O’Brien have subjected So You Think to cruelty during the time he has been in their care.
It has been said that J.B. Cummings gets inside the horse’s head, and that his entire focus is on the thinking of the horse. Starkly contrary to this approach is the "commodity attitude" shown by Coolmore.
Mr Cummings prepared So You Think for one very brief campaign, and two full campaigns. The longest of these was from July 2010 to early November 2010 (beginning with slow conditioning work through to a Melbourne Cup start). In terms of actual race starts his campaign covered a mere two months and five days.
So that is how the horse mentally understands his place in the world. To be subjected to an actual racing campaign extending from May through to November was totally foreign to the horse.
Sure, as Mr Chapman rather pompously points out, this is how the top horses in Ireland/UK are prepared, but they (the horses), by virtue of their entire racing development, are mentally attuned to these "stretched" campaigns.
So You Think wasn’t — and never will be. A genuine horseman such as Mr Cummings understands these things. Bean counters don’t.
Monegeetta (Vic)