October
MarchWhippy-slappy, not happy-clappy
I read Adrian Dunn’s “Spare the rod ...” article (14/2). Sorry mate but horses race to win — it’s not meant to be a run in the park!
For every Bowman you see riding a Catkins out hands and heels to a narrow victory you’ll see 10 times as many jockeys get done in a close finish. It’s all very nice in this nanny state racing lives in now to give him a rap but what if he got beat? Surely it should be a mandatory suspension!
Give me Blake Shinn’s vigorous use of the whip in the final furlong every time to these quiet Corey Brown types. I use those two jockeys deliberately because in big races a couple of years ago it was Shinn who continually outrode Brown to get close photo finishes — Viewed’s Melbourne Cup for one.
Also take a look at the Epsom Handicap where Shinn beat Brown, riding five times as hard. Ridiculous, I say. Brown should have got suspended for denying his mount what should have been victory.
Remember the horse is a beast over 500kg, not a dog or a cat!
Racing has survived 150 years without these preachers telling us about overuse of the whip. It’ll survive another 150.
Essendon (Vic)