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Dream Ahead won a very tight finish in the betfred sprint cup at Haydock from Bated Breath and Hoof It. Dream Ahead almost threw the finish away by steering off a true line and possibly causing Hoof It to veer as well. Hoof It connections was reported by channel 4 to have cost him the race, but because he finished third was never invited to the steward’s room and so the stewards had to keep the finishing order unchanged.
I watched the race on the big screen at Musselburgh and it seemed to me that Hoof It’s main problem was that he didn’t ahve sufficient pace to put himself in a winning position a furlong. He finished well enough but was enver getting up there and I’m not sure that Dream Ahead’s devaition made ahuge differnece to Hoof It’s finishing spot.
That aside, it was a cracking race to watch.
Rob
Hoof It connections was reported by channel 4 to have cost him the race, but because he finished third was never invited to the steward’s room and so the stewards had to keep the finishing order unchanged.
That’s not correct, why would there have been a lengthy stewards if they weren’t considering changing the result? If they considered Dream Ahead had improved his position over Hoof It, they would have placed him third with Hoof It second.
I’ve little doubt though the correct decision was made, it was only minor interference and I don’t see how anyone could say the result was affected with any confidence.Dream Ahead won a very tight finish in the betfred sprint cup at Haydock from Bated Breath and Hoof It. Dream Ahead almost threw the finish away by steering off a true line and possibly causing Hoof It to veer as well. Hoof It connections was reported by channel 4 to have cost him the race, but because he finished third was never invited to the steward’s room and so the stewards had to keep the finishing order unchanged.
That is not how I heard it RR.
I think (not sure) C4 saidBated Breath
‘s connections weren’t asked to the stewards room, because there was no interference between those two.
Had the stewards decided the interference had cost Hoof It the race, then they’d have disqualified Dream Ahead and placed him behind Hoof It. With Bated Breath getting the race.
They apparently decided the interference did not stop Hoof It from winning.
I backed both Dream Ahead and Hoof It, so would not have been pleased (to say the least) had neither of the two best horses "won". However, I would not have complained if Bated Breath got the race. Had Hoof It been able to remain straight, it’s very possible if not probable he’d have got up.
That said, Dream Ahead was by some way the best horse in the race. If only he’d not wandered (unbalanced and losing ground by doing so) would’ve won by a length or more in my opinion.
May be it’s time Dream Ahead’s jockey left the whip behind in the weighing room, either that or make a B-line for the rail to help keep him straight.
Value Is EverythingI’m always pleased to see an enquiry called for a massive margin such as a head and a nose, which under the British distance classification, I believe, could still add up to just a head, followed by a long enquiry with the end result, predictably, "the placings remain unaltered."
Don’t worry, as Nick Mordin has pointed out, cases of interference continue to rise with the current rules, but all is well as the stewards established Dream Ahead didn’t improve his placing – aka the best horse in the race – and Hoof It didn’t lose what is worth 0.02-0.03 seconds.
I guess the stewards called it right under the current rules, but it is manifestly unfair to Hoof It. Hoof It should have been placed first as he lost more than a head and a nose to Dream Ahead because of the interference. Dream Ahead beat Bated Breath fair and square though so DA should be second and BB third.
Maybe the French rules are better…
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Ginger
, you heard correctly.
Hoof It
‘s connections were in the stewards’ room,
Bated Breath
‘s were not, as that horse was not involved in the enquiry.
I suspect this went on the "too difficult" pile, because if they’d relegated
Dream Ahead
for the interference with Hoof It, that horse wouldn’t have won the race.
No doubt either that the best horse won. But his snipe-like behaviour under pressure would have got him disqualified in France, or America. Is something hurting this excellent, talented horse? Or is he developing quirks? He seems to lose concentration in front too.
But this was undoubtedly one of the races of the season – thrillingly so.
Under French rules, the best horse is disqualified far too often to make them acceptable to British punters.
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Dream Ahead swerved right and took Hoof It’s ground and then swerved left causing Hoof It to check momentarily, costing him more ground than he was beaten by – it’s even clearer on the head-on.
Hard to believe that Stewards enquiries aren’t governed more by payouts on double results than any sense of equity.Yes a difficult one. Perhaps if Hoof It had finished 2nd they would have reversed the placings. He suffered at least as much interference as Special Duty!! (sorry Pinza – I promise not to go on about that one again!)
Looking at the head on, Hoof It is definitely unlucky but agree with others who say that DA was clearly the best horse. He saw far too much daylight today and his wandering around cost himself a lot more than the inteference he caused Hoof It. His turn of foot at the 2 pole was very impressive but next time WB will bide his time a bit longer I hope.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
I still believe that races should not be determined by the stewards deciding who is the better horse. If the jockey cannot control the horse they should both be penalised.Pretty soon there would be no interference and no complaining about the official outcome.I laugh when jockeys refuse to ride before a big meet out of fear that they would be penalised!Soon such incompetent jockeys would be not riding at all.If a jockey cannot ride within the rules he is a poor example of a jockey for the young up and coming jockeys.De Souza for example better learn to ride like a pro and not like a Cajun bush rider.
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Hard to believe that Stewards enquiries aren’t governed more by payouts on double results than any sense of equity.
Only if you’re reet hard. What evidence do you have to suggest yesterday’s result was dictated by anything other than the RULES? If you don’t like ’em, get ’em changed.
This morning there is no sour taste to the result of the race (no financial involvement) – There would have been a sour taste if Dream Ahead had been disqualified.
The sport is horseracing, they are not running on tramtacks, we just have face the facts that horses are going to be unlucky in running at times, doesn’t mean horses should be disqualified willy nilly when they are.
It was unfortunate for Hoof It’s connections and backers what happened but no way did he deserve to be promoted for it, that’s racing I’m afraid.I concede Ginger, that it might have be
Bated Breath
connections and not
Hoof It
.
Hoof It did swerve when channel 4 showed the head on and if this was caused by
Dream Ahead
as
Hoof It
was in the process of trying to pass him then I think he could have been unlucky.
Kasparov why should
Bated Breath
who was not involved in the enquiry be disqualifioed. A little harsh. Yes
Dream Ahead
looked on the head on to interfere with
Hoof It
chances but it also looked accidental and while
Dream Ahead
should be demoted into third spot the other two should only improve by one.
Hoof It would have beaten BB if DA hadn’t interfered so BB should be third as he was behind DA. Simples.
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What evidence do you have to suggest yesterday’s result was dictated by anything other than the RULES? If you don’t like ’em, get ’em changed.
Only the evidence of dozens of results remaining unchanged, that would have been overturned in the era before bookies generally introduced their perceived munificence.
What evidence do you have to suggest that isn’t the case, Mr Contrarian?
I watched the race and I didn’t see any excuses. Hoof It wasn’t impeded in so much as the action was simply happening in front of him.
I still think that Hoof It is going to struggle in this grade, now the Palace House Stakes or the Vodafone Dash, or something else in that vein, i’d definitely be on even at fairly skinny odds.Dream Ahead shifting across Hoof It caused Hoof It to swerve to the right halting his run/momentum, and Hoof It ends up switching all the way out left to make his run.
I think there’s little doubt Hoof It would have won had that not occurred but from a stewards’ point of view hard to make that decision because Dream Ahead was clear of Hoof It so you can argue that DA didn’t do anything wrong, Hoof It just got spooked. But a reminder of the ingrained risk of backing a hold-up horse; that risk is amplified in big fields and sprints.
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