October
SeptemberGiving the game away
It’s time to revisit the requirement for trainers to inform the stewards if they intend to change a horse’s racing pattern. All this does is to give an unnecessary advantage to the other jockeys in the race, who can adjust their own tactics accordingly.
Why should a trainer whose horse has led and failed at its past three starts be obliged to tell all that he wants to try to have it take a sit in an endeavour to improve performance?
Looking at the Memsie Stakes as an example, both Happy Trails and Second Effort were ridden differently to their usual pattern. Happy Trails jumped fast and settled with the leaders while Second Effort did not lead but took a trail just behind the pace.
The most important result from this change of tactics was that each of these horses was given his chance to win the race. Had they run exactly in their anticipated manner they probably would not have placed.
Justification for the requirement supposedly is to keep punters informed. This is a condescending attitude by the racing authorities.
There are no mug punters these days.
Go to any TAB or even on course and you will see the punter equipped with all the modern accessories to help him spot a winner.
On his phone or his laptop he has access to race replays, time charts and interviews with media-friendly jockeys and trainers.
Of course he also has his Winning Post guide in his back pocket.
The stewards should stop trying to sanitise racing. Their job is the same as it has always been, to ensure that each horse runs on its merits and is given every chance to win.
Caulfield North (Vic)