This has not been the best of weeks for sports fans with all the kerfuffle in the football (avarice is a sin, remember), but all those arguments pale in to insignificance in comparison to the desperately sad loss of amateur jockey Lorna Brooke who passed away after a fall at Taunton, reminding us all that jockeys genuinely do put their lives on the line day in day out for their own pleasure, but also for ours. There is zero doubt in mind that riding horses was what she loved the most, and maybe that will soften the blow to her family and friends just a little, and riding horses at speed will always come with the inherent risks involved, but that doesn’t take away my personal shock as I genuinely hoped for a full recovery. As expected, racing has pulled together via respectful silences and the wearing of black armbands, and if and when I find if there is a charity to donate to I will be getting involved and sharing the link here.
Although different codes, there is a definite link to the positive cocaine test recorded by young Benoit de la Sayette this week that sees racing in a dim light once again. Although I don’t side with the mischief makers who put a video of the eighteen year old at a party where the white powder was consumed, it has to be remembered that if he or any other jockey is even remotely “under the influence”, then we are talking about a catastrophe waiting to happen. Horses travelling at in excess of 30mph need someone in the saddle with all their faculties about them and whatever your views on recreational drugs, racing has no place for them for safety reasons if nothing else. Having said that, I don’t want the book thrown at him, with education and rehabilitation surely the way forward, but I am wary of the alleged prolific availability of cocaine in all the main racing centres in the UK. I am told that it is as much about keeping their weights down as it is about the experience (never done it so I wouldn’t know), but it is high time more was done to combat the issue, though I am not sure exactly what. One school of thought suggests we up the minimum riding weights again to stop so many having to starve to get a ride, but that is a double or even triple edged sword. A higher minimum weight would see plenty of the lighter jockeys struggling for rides (we all prefer jockey to lead to make up the weight carried), while I can also see the animal rights bodies up in arms about the cruelty to horses if the top weight is increased as it would have to be to get a spread for the handicaps.
Meanwhile, as I was starting to write this article, Robert Havlin picked up a 21 day ban for his ride on Stowell at Lingfield on Wednesday afternoon. If you want a replay of the race (4.35pm over a mile and a half) you will soon see the issue involved in that, and I quote “Havlin was suspended for failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure Stowell obtained his best possible placing” – although he has now launched an appeal. I admit it didn’t look good as he only went down by a head (and to his stable companion to make things look worse), but my issue is slightly different as in who is he supposed to listen to? According to connections, he rode the horse exactly as he was told to, hands and heels and not to use the whip as the horse is fragile, which puts the jockey in a very unenviable position. Following instructions he gets a ban – but ignoring those instructions could potentially cost him his job and future rides so it seems to me he is caught between a rock and a hard place, damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. Obviously, punters need to be assured nothing “dodgy” is going on in a race so I can see the BHA side, but I can also see the animal welfare side – what if he had used the whip, the horse broke down (God forbid), and then we all found out his instructions to be gentle as the horse was fragile – all hell would break loose and racing would hang him out to dry regardless?
Finally, and I am no fan of simply following whatever America does, we will have a flat racing Hall of Fame – as they have for over half a century now. As I thought about the concept I did realise that any input would be very much age dependent – Lester Piggott retired for the last time 36 years ago and won’t even be in the thought process of a large percentage, so there can be no right or wrongs in our opinions. Four categories are covered, Horse, jockey, trainer, and major contributor, and I have gone for the first one that entered my head for each of the quartet. No great shock to anyone that Frankel tops my horses list, and no real need to repeat his endeavours here other than to remind people he went off to stud unbeaten. Unlike some of the heroes of yesteryear, I saw him in the flesh on many occasions, both on the track and on the gallops with Henry Cecil (and yes, I do feel privileged), and will never forget the 2000 Guineas where he made all the running at a ridiculous pace as those of us in the press room at Newmarket ran around like headless chickens trying to confirm the leader was Frankel – and not his pacemaker. For a jockey, I have gone for Steve Cauthen, the Kentucky Kid who had a clock in his head more accurate than any timepiece I could afford. His rides on Oh So Sharp to win the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger in 1985 were a great example of his skills from the saddle, and for me he fully deserves his place in the Hall Of Fame for those achievements alone. John Dunlop would be my trainer nomination, one of the biggest influences on my career and a true gentleman sadly missed by all in the industry and beyond. I had the pleasure of interviewing him at his Arundel stables for the local paper many many moons ago, and although I was (and still am) a small fish in racing terms, he treated me as if I was chief sports writer for The Times. Articulate, polite, and willing to answer any question I asked, I backed Shadayid for the following season’s 1000 Guineas hours after our meeting and reaped the rewards of a 33/1 winner over 12 months later. He was a major player in encouraging the Dubai Royal family to get involved in the British racing scene (he handled Sheikh Mohammed’s first winner as an owner, at Brighton in 1977) and trained over 3000 winners including 10 classics and remains fondly remembered by myself and many others. Major contributor is the toughest one for me to call having lost so many in recent years such as Prince Khalid Abdullah, and of course Hamdan Al Maktoum far too recently, but I suspect they will have plenty of supporters so I will go for retired trainer Jack Berry. His endless work for the Injured Jockeys Fund has not exactly gone unnoticed but he refuses to slow down and is thoroughly deserving of further recognition.
On to the racing…
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Saturday
Leicester 2.10pm
I never fail to be amazed at the small fields these better class races get and obviously, others don’t need the £21,000 first prize as much as you and I. Just the five go to post in the search for more black type, and it looks like a two horse shoot-out between old favourite Mums Tipple for Richard Hannon, and the Charlie Hills trained Pogo. The first named arrives in good form after a win at Wolverhampton over the seven furlongs he faces today followed by a five length second to Khuzaam at Lingfield when tried over a mile and possibly failing to stay the trip. He also has to give three pounds to the Hills beast with his Listed penalty, and is rated three pounds his rival’s inferior – but then again he has a fitness edge with Pogo not seen on the track since a second to Happy Power in a Group Two at Newmarket. It really looks tough to pick between the two of them, and come race day I will be backing the favourite minutes before the off in the hope that gives me a clue to Pogo’s fitness – but for now I feel the son of Zebedee has the best overall form on turf at this trip and seems the most likely winner at the weights.
Sandown 2.30pm
Jumps in the sun would have been a good day out if we were allowed to go racing, beer in hand, but as a spectacle four runners fails to set the pulse racing. My self-set rules mean I try to cover the better races each weekend regardless, but granted a clear round this looks like easy money for Bryony Frost and Frodon who look head and shoulders above the opposition. The two and three quarter mile trip looks ideal for the nine-year-old with the only slight worry a hard race when fifth in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. If he has recovered from that then he wins this pulling a cart, if not then Mister Fisher could be the one to take advantage, though the fact he has pulled up twice and unseated once from four starts this season hardly inspires any confidence for his supporters and I will stick with the obvious for a change.
Sandown 3.05pm
Once more in to the breach I go as anyone who knows me will take one look at the line-up and know for a fact I will be on Altior here. Now we all know we should not let our heart rule our head when it comes to having a punt but where is the fun in that, and I am happy enough to lose now and again to follow my equine heroes. Although getting long in the tooth now at the age of eleven, Nicky Henderson’s gelding has been lightly raced in recent years with just the two starts last season and one so far this, with a second to Nube Negra at Kempton in December. He missed both Cheltenham and Aintree and arrives here fresher than most, yet is set to go off second favourite despite a record of fifteen wins from seventeen starts over fences – and a pair of seconds. Irish raider Put The Kettle On is the obvious danger with a Champion Chase win at Cheltenham in March the highlight of his CV, but I don’t see that as the strongest ever renewal by any means, and he will need to do even more to beat the selection IF he is back to his best, of course. Sceau Royal is another who could get involved, but Altior likes it here and has won this race three times in 2017, 2018, and 2019 and will hopefully make it number four this afternoon, though if not, then surely retirement beckons.
Sandown 4.15pm
Hurdles instead of fences now, though once again a pretty small field, meaning each way bets will only pay out on the first and second. Call Me Lord won this in 2018, and Younevercall in 2019, and both are back for more in 2021 for Nicky Henderson and Kim Bailey respectively. Both must be considered seriously but there are others I prefer including the upped in class Captain Zebo who has won all five starts since moving from Gordon Elliott to John Dixon in November 2018 after being bought for a bargain £10,000. Equally happy sitting off the pace or making the running, he steps out of handicap company after winning over three miles plus at Carlisle last time out, but is even better over shorter and could cause the principles more problems that his odds suggest. I genuinely wish connections all the very best (we all like a David v Goliath success story), but I rather doubt he will be able to cope with Pic D’Orhywho is my tentative selection here. Trained by Paul Nicholls, his supporters including me are taking a risk over this trip, which he has never tried before, yet on breeding there is plenty of stamina in the family, and this may well be what he needs to get back to winning ways. Less effective over fences, he had a wind operation in December before returning with a head second at Taunton (when easy to back), and if he improves again as expected, he should give us a good run for our money, if nothing else.
Ripon 4.25pm
The obligatory once a week handicap, and this time we have six runners over the six furlongs, possibly negating the draw bias at Ripon. With only six previous runnings stats are at a premium, though don’t be too worried about the price of your selection – 17/2 is the shortest priced winner to date, and 16/1 the biggest (twice). All six winners came home in the first eight last time out, so bye bye Staxton and Citron Major, twenty four-year-olds have tried without success (au revoir Desert Safari), six eight-year-olds have tried with just the one place (auf wiedersehen Mr Lupton), and suddenly I am left with the two – Muscika and Fortamour – and I will play the pair in a reverse forecast to pennies. Trainer Ben Haslam hasn’t had a winner in close to three months on the flat now, which tips it in favour of Muscikaand if I had to pick one horse in a horrible race, he will do for me.
Sunday
Navan 3.20pm
Blink and it’s all over with this five and a half furlong sprint that seems sure to be run at a furious pace from the off. Washington DC took the inaugural running of this race for Aidan O’Brien at odds of 13/8 in 2016 but he was the one and only winning favourite with 22/1 chance Punita Arora causing a major shock last season. Erosandpsyche won after heavy early support last time out at Dundalk five days ago and did so in style but this is a huge step up in class (and on to the turf) and although he has every right to take his chance, he needs to do even more to take a hand in this better company. Alarm Call looked as if the race would do him good when only eleventh in a Cork handicap and should do better on this quicker surface as a son of Oasis Dream, but all roads appear to lead to Lipizzaner here with his form clearly the best on offer. Fourth to The Lir Jet in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer, he won a Listed race at Doncaster in October and followed that with a career best fourth to Golden Pal in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint at Keeneland in early November. This looks a relatively easy starting point for the season but be warned, he had plenty of races at two and can get detached early in a race, and I for one won’t be interested in taking a short price about his chances here, with Erosandpsyche the each way alternative.
Navan 3.50pm
Three-year-old fillies only over the mile and a quarter next but some well bred horses are in contention as we try to work out who is the best of them on precious little two year old form. Thinking Of You is the only runner with a rating over 100 which suggests a lack of depth, though I suppose her third to Elysium in the Weld Park Stakes and six length seventh to Saffron Beach in the Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket is just about the best form visible. If she wins I can accept looking stupid at the forecast prices and I will be surprised if something cannot improve past her in this line-up, but which one. Willow caught the eye when winning her maiden over a mile at the third attempt for Aidan O‘Brien and holds some pretty fancy entries in various classics, making her a solid looking bet at 6/1 or so, a remark that also applies to Port Sunlight who still looked green when winning her maiden at Gowran Park for Dermot Weld. All in all, it’s a tough call this early in the season but Willowlooks to have as good a chance as any and is bred to be even better as a three-year-old as a daughter of American Pharoah out of Irish Oaks, Nassau Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks winner Peeping Fawn.
Navan 4.20pm
Some famous horses have taken this race when you consider it is “only” a Group Three with fame And Glory in 2011 and 2012 as well as Order Of St George in 2018 the standouts. Six of the last nine runnings have seen an O’Brien winner with five going to Aidan and last year’s to Joseph courtesy of 33/1 shock Master Of Reality, and that looks likely to be repeated here with four of the six runners trained by the O’Brien family, and Master Of Reality back for second helpings. Santiago has another winter on his back now, which will hopefully help him get home here, and for me, his form looks the best on offer, though we will have to take his fitness on trust. He clearly goes well fresh having taken his first two starts last season, while his Irish Derby win added to a third to Stradivarius in the Goodwood Cup and a fourth in the St Leger suggests he will be in for a good season, and if he remains as good this year, this race ought to be little more than a starting point. Stratum surprisingly has a few pounds in hand at these weights according to the handicappers and has the benefit of race fitness after a four length win at Gowran Park on his return, but good as he is I just can’t see him having the turn of foot needed to hold off my selection here.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Willow 3.50pm Navan Sunday
Santiago 4.20pm Navan Sunday
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