A Sad Week For British racing

ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN

In all honestly, I find these things tough to write sometimes, but BHA Chair Joe Saumarez Smith deserves a feature even if it is written with great sadness. Joe was only 53 when he passed away on Tuesday this week, and I can only imagine the heartache that has caused for his family and friends, but I am hoping he will be remembered fondly by those in racing as he should be. I am not one to suddenly see the best in people in these circumstances, and I have given the BHA a bit of stick (when deserved) over the years, but on the occasions I ran into Joe he was polite, amicable - and certainly knew his stuff in detail. We are all guilty (hands up your honour) of criticising others without necessary having the answers to their issues, and it is easy to forget the tough time for racing that Joe had to cope with – never shying away despite his ill health.  As I have said a million times now, Joe’s hands were tied with regard to the lack of power the BHA currently has, needing to agree any move with all sorts of other interest parties, and looking back he did a quite remarkable job of keeping the sport going, looking for future needs and necessities, and getting everyone around the table when needed. Lord Allen has bigger shoes to fill than some may speculate, but as a racing fan, I wish him all the best in his new role.

Meanwhile, it has been something pretty new to me over the last couple of years dealing with MPs and Ministers, and although some appear grounded and genuinely interested in working on behalf of the Country, the vast majority are as thick as pig sh!t! Those arguing against that statement only need to look at recent speeches regarding problem gambling where they constantly misquote figures, refer to discredited statistics, and seemingly make it up as they go along. Although I might not abide by the maxim of “if you don’t have anything worth saying, say nothing”, the number jumping on the politically correct anti-gambling bandwagon has to be seen to be believed, most of them coming from a position of ignorance – and by the bucketload. Personally, I have NEVER argued against protecting problem gamblers (even if I am not convinced affordability checks solve the problem), but to call gambling “a cancer in our society today” seems more attention seeking than realistic to me. Protecting the 1% (if that) who have a problem is of course all-important (not to mention a vote winner among those who don’t like a small bet ), but compare that to obesity, drug addition, alcoholism, and my personal favourite, high interest short term loans (1000% pa anybody), not to mention the real cancer, and I know which ones I think are more dangerous to society overall.

Over at the GC (Gambling Commission), the comedy continues as their pilot “frictionless” (believe it when you see it) affordability checks trials continue. Apparently, some customers in the trial are finding different credit ratings from different companies which is causing a glitch in the process, something I am amazed was not spotted before the trial began? Surely common sense (not that common, apparently) would see one company picked for the trial at least, to guarantee a clean set of results regardless, or am I using 20/20 hindsight yet again? Conspiracy theorists (who me?) may even suggest this was a pre-planned fail with many in the anti-gambling lobby seeing credit agencies as far too easy for the punter, as opposed to producing reams of paperwork and pint of blood for your £1 Lucky 15, whereas I would be putting it out to tender to one of the household name credit reference providers and only working with the one option – but what do I know.

Lastly, the Grand National handicap marks were allocated this week, meaning we have a better idea of the would be runners, who head to Aintree in April.  I have no great love for the race if I am honest even if it is the one race each year everyone asks me to tip in (yeah right, a four and a quarter mile handicap over unique fences and just to make it more difficult, a bloody handicap!), but Ron asked me for a long term selection so here we go (if you bet on it, more fool you). What I can say is I was sent a lot of post weights press releases and quotes from various trainers after the announcement, and it was Paul Nicholls whose comments stood out to me.  He currently has five entered for the marathon slog that will be watched around the World on Saturday April 5th, with Hitman, Bravemansgame, Threeunderthrufive, Kandoo Kid, and Stay Away Fay. He seems to be hoping the fences will wake up Bravemansgame and I might yet have a saver on him just in case (classy at his best but seemingly on a downward curve), but it was Kandoo Kid who catches the eye of the trainer at these weights, saying  “He’s a Coral Gold Cup winner and he went round Aintree last year – I’d be very happy with that weight”.

“He might go to Kempton next Saturday (for the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase) – I need to discuss it with the owner. I wouldn’t run him on very, very soft ground. It’s that option or March 1st at Newbury where he likes it, just over two and a half miles just to give him a day out. It’s possible he’ll run but it’s not essential.

“Straight after the Topham (in 2024 when he finished third) I said to the owner there are two targets next year – the Coral Gold Cup and then the Grand National. So we’ve done one part of it and it would be nice if we could do the other. He’s got a nice profile for it.” The words “I’d be very happy with that weight” that really caught my eye as well as the fact that this appears his long-term target and not an afterthought and at current odds of 25/1 he will do as my antepost suggestion – though at your own peril!

Fancy a podcast – the link is here https://theworldofsport.co.uk/2025/02/14/post-racing-podcast/

On to the racing…..

Saturday

Ascot 1.50pm 

I genuinely know I shouldn’t and I won’t blame you if you don’t follow me in, but I cannot resist a small bet on rank outsider Leave Of Absence in the Reynoldstown Chase this afternoon, he is just so overpriced on my reading of the form. Lightly raced for an eight-year-old with just the five starts under rules and a debut third in a point-to-point, he won two of his three bumpers and his only start over hurdles here at Ascot when taking a minor event fairly comfortably back in 2022. Off for over two years, he switched stables from Chris Gordon to Anthony Honeyball and debuted over fences at Kempton in November. Easy to back and likely to improve for the race and the experience, he ran a blinder to be beaten less than two lengths by Iberico Lord despite making a hash of the last, and although this is not a handicap, I cannot for the life of me see why he is rated 127 when the winner was immediately rated 144 after they met at level weights? I doubt he would be such a big price if he sat on the racecard rated 141 or so and if he does improve as much as I hope, we could get a decent run for our money.    

Haydock 2.40pm 

I am less convinced than some that this is as easy to solve as the betting suggests, with the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Beauport as short as 2/1 as I write. He is classy I accept and ran the best trial when third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot last time out (behind Crambo and Hiddenvalley Lake), but he is yet to win over this trip over hurdles though he stays even further over fences. He may make this lot look positively pedestrian but I am willing to take a chance on the bigger priced Indiana Dream for the O’Neill team. A bumper winner a Fontainebleu in France, he was then sent to Willie Mullins where he won a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse (the runner up has won four times since) and then over fences at Navan before over a year off and a change of stables. Back out at Windsor over fences last month he ran a stinker to be beaten a very long way into fourth, but that is why he is a 20/1 shot this afternoon, and back over hurdles he could hit the top three at a half-decent price.

Ascot 3.37pm 

With three horses effectively vying to head the market at the off this has an open look about it, though decisions need to be made if we want to be on the winner. Pic D’Orhy bounced back from his third wind operation to make all and win with a bit in hand over course and distance on his last start in late November. With current second favourite Corbetts Cross and third favourite L’Homme Presse possibly better with more of a test of stamina, I am hopeful Harry Cobden will allow the ten-year-old to set a sedate pace on the front end before quickening up half a mile or so from home, leaving his opponents struggling to get into top gear in time and allowing him to cruise home in front. 

Haydock 3.50pm 

Although we only have a maximum of nine runners going to post, five of them were a winner last time out, and the rest all came home in the first four, so this looks competitive stuff. Derryhassen Paddy is an obvious contender, arriving here unbeaten after winning all four starts, a point-to-point, a bumper, a maiden hurdle, and most recently a Class Two at Windsor where he showed a battling attitude to get back up to win by a nose. He is not passed over lightly but he must give 3lb to Moon Rocket and that may just about swing the balance in the five-year-old’s favour. Bought after winning his point-to-point at Curraghmore for £92,000, he won his first two starts over hurdles at Doncaster and Southwell with ease before coming home a neck second at Doncaster despite almost being put through the rails by the winner (I was surprised he didn’t get the race in the Steward’s room), but he is out to get back to winning ways this afternoon and looks quite likely to do just that.   

Sean’s Suggestion:

Moon Rocket 3.50pm Haydock