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The title is a cheat, but I figured it would get me a mix of readers, some to talk about the Hennessey, some to tell me I’m posting in the wrong place.
I’ll watch the Hennessey, but my big race tomorrow is the 7:20 at Wolverhampton, a 1M 6F claimer, in which Salute makes his 50th appearance in the Golden Anorak colours. Apart from that sentimental reason, I think it’s worth a mention because Salute stands as an example that not every owner or trainer devotes every waking hour to running horses over the wrong trip or looking for other ways to fool the handicapper and land a punt.
He’s run 46 times for me on the flat and he’s gone out to do his very best every time. That policy has been rewarded with eight wins and numerous placings and has earned £65,000 in prize money in three and a half years. When he’s been beaten, it’s been because he wasn’t good enough, or because his owner had picked the wrong race to run in, or the ground had dried out too much in a turf race.
In the first few months, when we didn’t know much about him, I came close to ruining him by running him on fast ground at Epsom, and the after effects of that took more than six months to resolve. But eventually I worked out that a flat track and especially with a Polytrack surface was his ideal. As a result, he’s now collected prize money in 17 consecutive races on Polytrack, ten of them at Wolverhampton.
The handicappers aren’t really that stupid and if you play fair, they’ll treat you accordingly. When Salute won a handicap at Kempton in July, the placed horses were running from out of the handicap and the handicapper left our mark unchanged despite the win.
The race tomorrow is the claimer he won last year and he’s in good form at home and ready to score again. It looks a tougher race this time, with Birkside, Heathyards Pride and La Estrella all serious rivals. On his last six runs at Wolverhampton, Salute has run to 81-83-81-81-84-87 according to the Racing Post ratings, and if he can continue that sequence, he should have every chance.
He’s still as enthusiastic as ever at home and he did a good piece of work last Saturday with a recent addition to the stable called Colourful Move (ex Cecil, half brother to Ulundi) and that horse couldn’t get him off the bridle. So it was encouraging to see Colourful Move run second in a maiden at Southwell this week which made the forum for other reasons!
Tomorrow will also give me the chance to assess the merits of Hayley Turner for the TRF Jockey of the Year title, as she takes the ride on Salute in the absence through injury of his usual jockey.
If you’ve got this far, forgive me for carrying on about Salute, but I’ve never had the good fortune to own a horse like him and it’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever find one to match him. And I retain the hope that a racing forum is a reasonable place to write about a racehorse.
AP
Nice post APR
Salute obviously means a lot to you, and who could be surprised
"all that is right with the game"
Good luck tomorrow
Hear hear. The very best of at Dunstall tomorrow night to all concerned.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Good luck Alan, best thing the horse ever did was read that thread you started about sending him chasing.
Good luck Alan.
Question:
With your form study:
Do you think horses who are run deliberately at wrong trips, wrong ground or given a lot to do (deliberately); may get poor temperaments because of it.Where as those running in the right conditions are often genuine types. Like Salute.
Mark
Value Is EverythingA thoroughly enjoyable read. I wish Salute the best of success on his landmark run. I may even have a small investment!
In terms of your comments regarding the bad side of racing, i believe its important people are aware (and acknowledge) that the large majority of races are contended by horses trying to win, every sport has its share of chancers and greedy people willing to exploit, but then so does everything from politics to religion etc etc.
Its easy to always look at the negatives but racing is full of upbeat stories and people who love the game such as yourself. Its only my view but i prefer to focus on these elements.
Cheers
The handicappers aren’t really that stupid and if you play fair, they’ll treat you accordingly.
APA very salient point.
There is definitely some truth in the fact that horses "handicap themselves" and if you try with them every time, they should still win their share of races. I was lucky enough to be involved in a similar type in Flint RIver, who won 7 races for us, although he eventually ended up fighting a losing battle with the handicapper in his final year.
The only thing I would say on that theory is that it requires a) patience b) a sound horse who is capable of running lots to get their mark back down to a winning mark and c) a horse who isn’t on the downgrade (Handicappers are usually quite tough to convince that a horse isn’t as good as they once were) d) a lot of teeth gritting if you get beaten by some duck-egg plot with your honest stalwart!
Best of luck to Salute tomorrow!
Thanks for all the responses. Thanks to DJ for that reminder that I once agonized over whether to switch Salute to chasing, a fate he avoided with a third place finish the first time he ran ay Kempton. I can guarantee now that he’ll be retired without seeing another obstacle.
Ginger – yes I have had personal experience of a horse (not in these colours, but I had a small share) who was run down the field in three novice hurdles and did exactly the same when he was put in a handicap!
TDK – happy memories of Flint River. With Salute, the biggest problem has been trying to beat three year olds in staying handicaps between August and November, when the weight for age allowance seems to give them a big edge.
I’m hoping now that this meeting doesn’t fall to the forecast fog – the only previous Saturday evening meeting at Wolvrhampton that never started due to fog was the night we’d arranged four runners from the stable and booked a box for all the owners!
Good luck Alan!!!
A great read.
Salute loves the all polytrack at Wolverhampton doesn’t he, he would have finished 3rd last time out too if he hadn’t been so badly hampered coming round the final bend.
Good luck Alan. Last year’s win is fondly remembered in my household – took all the early prices down to 7/4, each-way of course, got a load of accounts closed as a result.
I think it was the last winner I backed on polytack.
I had the good fortune to meet Salute at close quarters earlier in the year when he ran at Musselburgh. He looked great, a credit to his trainer, and ran a fine race in a relatively hot affair by Musselburgh standards.
I vowed to back him until he won so imagine my horror when, two runs later (I think?) and unnoticed by me, he scooted up at 12/1.
Very best wishes to the horse and connections.
Alan,
Many thanks for "for carrying on about Salute"….a very readable and enjoyable post.
Wishing you both the very best of fortune tomorrow.
steve.Powered by Linux
Alan has good enough to give me a couple of owners passes to watch Salute run.I probably didn’t bring him a lot of luck as he was nailed close home at Kempton and didn’t seem to handle my local track.
Salute has been a great servant. I have enjoyed Alan’s threads about him.I remember the one mooting whether he should go over fences- the horse probably values his escape!
Hope all goes well tomorrow- I have my fingers crossed!
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