Sussex Stakes

[Aragorn]

Quite frankly i’d be more bothered about winning the race if I was them..

[clivex]

All of Ramonti’s best form prior to yesterday had also come from the front. It was a sound idea not to let him have an uncontested lead, a sounder ride still from Dettori not to take them on.

Is there really that much differnce between having an uncontested lead and going along at a similar pace behind pacemakers?

It is perhaps down to the idea that some horses respond better to being allowed to dominate but is this true or do they simply like to run at a certain gallop?

[Anonymous]

Is there really that much differnce between having an uncontested lead and going along at a similar pace behind pacemakers?

It is perhaps down to the idea that some horses respond better to being allowed to dominate but is this true or do they simply like to run at a certain gallop?

Clivex

I would suggest there isn’t much difference provided the horse is allowed to do its own thing.
Without going into any Willo-type bullsh*t, it has long been my view that a horse uses less energy when it isn’t actually competing against others at whatever stage of the race, and the less it competes – and without the concomitant changes of pace – the more energy it will have left at the business end.
A simplistic view maybe, but one that holds good race after race, and no doubt (imo) the reason why Murtagh was looking around for Frankie yesterday, to try and draw Ramonti into an uneven gallop and prejudice his capabilty in the finish.
That Frankie was having none of it, and consequently had enough left at the 2 pole to utilise the horse’s undoubted stamina, gives credit to both the horse and his jockey.
I suspect that, if they meet again, it will be Ramonti with the pacemaker, and would personally expect exactly the same result; even more so on a stiffer track.

[clivex]

Good stuff Reet. Interesting

But are we talking about spoliers now rather than pacemakers (or pace slowers as at Sandown)?

Makes sense what you are saying and makes it even more pleasing that Ramonti won

Was a great ride by Frankie

[Galejade]

I agree completely with Reet especially with the sentiment that the horse is allowed to do its own thing ie does not pull when running behind or if challenged for the lead etc

I do not think that we are now talking about spoilers or that Coolmore did anything wrong. I think that they just chose the wrong tactics for their horses. I think Excellent Art would have been better suited by a slower pace placing more importance on finishing speed. This would have forced Ramonti to go for home even earlier than he did.

I also agree with Reet that a stiffer track would play even more to Ramonti’s strength.

[Librettist]

I agree that Excellent Art would have been better suited by a slowly run race but Coolmore couldn’t really win this one because had there been a slower pace set by the pacemakers then Ramonti would surely have just taken up the running and made it a true test himself. Unless of course he was then hustled by a pair of Ballydoyle spoilers….

As it turned out I thought Excellent responded well in the last couple of furlongs and certainly wasn’t stopping but seemed unable to cope with Ramonti’s injection of pace about two furlongs out.

[Grimes]

I thought Ramonti showed outstanding courage in his previous race, and was surprised that, after last Saturday’s race, connections and commentators just mentioned that he was very tough.

Not quite the same, imo. But then I can’t be sure these days that I follow what’s going on properly!

[Author]

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