The only subject I plan to cover ahead of getting down to the racing sadly has to be Panorama’s supposed “exposure” on horseracing Monday night which as you will have seen has the whole World talking.
I am not here to be negative about the racing industry that has put food on my table for too many years to count now, but we all know it isn’t perfect, and I won’t be pretending it is – but nor will I be going in to the nitty gritty of a quite horrendous programme (and an even worse pierce of journalism) here, I will leave that up to you if you want to search it out – but not with the children or at meal time if I were you.
Bottom line – horses end up in abattoirs, like it or not – when their time has come, they should be humanely put to sleep (just like our other well-loved pets), and should not be made to suffer – apparently, that is anything but the case at the abattoir in question. The establishment featured seemed to show little to no care for the animals concerned (though who knows how the footage was edited), but what the programme conveniently failed to mention is that the majority of animals pictured were not thoroughbreds, they were ponies, show horses, and others, with a minimal amount from the racing industry in their ranks (and the majority of them Irish, by the way) though naturally they were singled out for sensationalist purposes at a guess. That does not make their treatment any more acceptable, but you will note how the BBC implied this was a racehorse industry problem, and that is not necessarily the case.
Personally, I have called for racehorse insurance for over 20 years now – an enforced owner paid insurance that covers any horse to be turned out into a field after retirement for any reason – food and water, vet’s bills, a field, and shelter is all it needs – and although the time will come, at least they will have had a happy retirement first.
One thing I have noticed is so called social media (can you tell I am not a fan) is not really built to handle the fall-out from things like this. If, like me, you are “friends” with trainers, jockeys, owners, breeders and so on it seems fairly safe to suggest you are pro-racing – and therefore, much as I love reading all the posts about how their horses are looked after like royalty, how many horses they have rehoused, the numbers that have new careers outside of racing (polo, show jumping, eventing, charities and so on), and all the positive news emanating from the racing industry, they are preaching to the converted. On the other side of the same coin, there will be groups and people I do not follow screaming the house down about how horses are ill-treated - and their followers will not see one positive post from inside racing because, quite frankly, most of them don’t want to, but they are the very people racing needs to get to, if only to tell our story and try to balance a very biased argument.
If there is one good thing to come out of this, and I am a glass half full kind of person, then perhaps the racing industry will wake up and smell the coffee – and do more about our reputation. What we saw on TV was unacceptable for any animal full stop – and although I am certain they may well be in breach of all sorts of animal welfare rules (how is that racing’s fault, out of interest), more can and must be done to licence these premises and ensure this sort of thing never happens again.
There is a question over how many racehorses are bred each year and the bloodstock industry needs to be brought to account if that is the case – when there is too much of something there will always be wastage, and an excess of horses doesn’t help in this situation, but I harp back to my own idea of racehorse insurance as a priority for the BHA and others to deal with and to do so quickly. Meanwhile, the BBC need to be lobbied to excess to provide the counterargument of how well racehorses are looked after before during and after their racing careers - if Facebook Monday night was anything to go by, there is a long queue of famous trainers who can’t wait to tell and prove their side of the story.
If you would prefer to listen to our thoughts feel free to go to the free podcast where Ron Robinson of World Of Sport fame will join me at https://postracing.co.uk/2021/07/23/can-love-put-adayar-back-in-his-box-ron-hopes-so-and-is-motakhayyal-the-group-horse-in-the-handicap-sean-says/
Racing this weekend:
Saturday.
Ascot 1.15pm
Nurseclaire was very easy to back on her debut over this trip at Carlisle and ran as if the experience was badly needed with a slow start and all the signs of inexperience, yet she travelled well enough to be called the winner a long way out and went on to score by three-quarters of a length. She can only improve for that run and looks a solid play for those who want to bet against New Science, who is my idea of the likely winner. Slowly away on debut he also went on to win first time out before finding the soft ground all against him in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot when a disappointing seventh, over ten lengths off the winner. If he is back to his best on this quicker ground, he ought to find this company far more to his liking and he may well come home alone (hopefully).
Ascot 1.50pm
This looks a very strange race to me, and I am unconvinced about the early betting. System looks to have a solid enough chance after a debut second and a win in Listed class at Newmarket I have no issues with her place near the head of the market and to be fair, she may well win this. Desert Dreamer has an experience edge and is another to consider after her second to Sandrine in the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket and she could go well too, but I can resist a silly bet at the prices. 33/1 for George Boughey’s Sassy Rascal is just too tempting, and she will be the one I back, each way, obviously. Sent off the favourite on both her starts over five furlongs, she has come second in both of them, the latest when running on strongly at Yarmouth, and with the added furlong now, we may well see a different horse. Do I think she will win, probably not to be honest, but she is value for a well-regarded horse and may well outrun her price at the very least.
Ascot 3.00pm
The Shadwell Estate Company colours (aka the much-missed Hamdan Al Maktoum) looks all set to dominate here with three of the first four in the betting at the time of writing. With stable jockey Jim Crowley at York, it seems clear to me that Dane O’Neill will have had the choice and he has decided to ride Motakhayyel, the easy winner of the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket which is a traditional pointer to this contest. He certainly looks like a Group class animal hiding in a handicap to me and although he has a three-pound penalty, he is still difficult to oppose. For an each-way alternative I do like Shine So Bright who ran on in to fourth after a slow start behind the suggestion and is better off at the weights here – a level break could well see him involved in the finish.
Ascot 3.35pm
The race of the day despite a smaller field than hoped, and hats-off to the three-year-olds for taking on their elders here which hasn’t always been the case in recent years. With the sun blazing down as I write I really cannot see Wonderful Tonight taking her place in the line-up and even if she does, she is unlikely to give her true running on a surface this firm. Mishriff is the forgotten horse in this field looking at the betting and seems better at this trip after a third over shorter last time out. He has been on the go since February but has some decent form to his name and for those who like that sort of thing, could go well at his price. The Epsom Derby form has been franked by third placed Hurricane Lane winning the Irish Derby and then the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, making Adayar an interesting option, but are we all convinced this year’s three-year-olds are a decent bunch – or not? As a son of Frankel there is no reason why he won’t be as effective or even better on a faster surface, but whether he can see off Love is another question entirely. Aidan O’Brien’s wonder filly has already collected five group One’s in her career and won on her reappearance despite looking as if she would improve for the race. If she is at her best, she has the consistency of form at the highest level and that may just about give her the edge, even at these weights.
York 3.15
As mentioned earlier, Jim Crowley rides at York instead of Ascot and it seems fair to assume he has good reason, and I suggest it may well be Mohaafeth, who runs in the Group Two York Stakes over a mile and a quarter plus. Unbeaten this season after four starts with successes at Lingfield, Newmarket (twice) and Ascot, he just goes from strength to strength and although this is his toughest event yet, he may well take it in his stride. Armory looks his biggest danger and is a class act himself but giving 12lb to the selection looks a really tough ask to me.
Sunday.
Pontefract 4.10pm
A mile in Listed class for our only race on a Sunday and the early betting suggests one-way traffic with Regal Reality at a ridiculously short price. Beaten less than three lengths behind Tilsit in the group two Summer Mile at Ascot he is the form choice if you take that at face value, but he is a horse without a win since August 2020 and he hardly seems one to reply on at a silly price. Truth is I doubt I will be betting here at all, with the second favourite also declared at York on Saturday, and with no standout each-way alternative, a watching brief is my best advice unless you add the jolly to any short-priced accumulators you may consider.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Mohaafeth 3.15pm York Saturday
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