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The long running saga of the new whip rules is now more or less ‘old news’. Many views have been aired publicly and privately in a number of forums and outlets. But this issue will not go away.
Almost daily in the trade paper, whip bans and rule breaches are eluded to in the most prominent pages and with the news of a modern-era-record-breaking 52 day whip ban for amateur Robert Cooper, this ruling once again calls into question both the righteousness and effectiveness of these harsher penalties.
What is the priority here? I would like to think that, as with everything racing does, the welfare of horse and human is paramount. Every horse – and human for that matter – is however a very different entity. Bad enough is it to apply blindly a number of strokes for every national hunt race, from a 1m 4f bumper to the four and half mile Grand National, but as punters up and down the land will testify what has happened once is not guarantee to happen again. If past performance is no guide to future events, how can the intricacies of a horse race be dictated so steadfastly by rules which are frankly impractical.
Did Mr Cooper abuse his horse? Did it show signs of distress, emotional or physical? Was it marked by his air cushioned ‘persuader’? In short, no. Yes, he hit the horse too much and yes it looks bad. But not as bad as it is. The penalties should fit the breach, but Cooper did not butcher his horse. Making an example of him will not serve any positive purpose in the eyes of the racing public, nor those anonymous ‘non-racing’ people we are hoping to convince to grace the turf.
Fifty two days is a lifetime in racing for anyone, but for an amateur jockey who harboured dreams of professional riding it may well be a killer blow to a career not yet begun. It seems it is he that has set a new record this season for longest ban, quite far from the records we were hoping to see this term. 300 winners for McCoy anyone?
The fact is some horses need more aggressive encouragement to show their merit than others – they are all, as I said before, separate entities. A specific number of eight strokes will be more than some horses need in three miles and not enough for some over the first few fences. That is part of the fascination with these animals. Should we not protect the personalities of these varying individuals? It is what punters bet on, and in doing so fund the sport to a large extent and it is also what makes for the spectacle of the sport. Let’s show both these two factions some acknowledgement and respect.
This Uttoxeter example is by no means an isolated incident and indeed the whip furore is not confined to racing longer distances over the sticks. Flat jockey Robert Winston has been handed a 22 day suspension – following on from a 7 day ban back in October – for excessive frequency and hitting his horse down the shoulder in the forehand position in what he insists were ‘corrective measures’.
Corrective measures can be interpreted as actions by jockeys taken to ensure the course of a race passes as safely as possible for themselves, their mount and their opponents. Such action is of course open to interpretation and the nature of the beast is that it is the jockey themselves who are best placed to judge what ‘corrective measures’ to take and when to take them. Let us remember they are horse riders. It is what they have done, in most cases, for many years and how they etch a living in a challenging financial climate.
With prize money comparatively very poor and costs of transport and of everyday living soaring in a seemingly never ending upward spiral, racing needs to protect its own. Instead of banning jockeys and disillusioning punters with stringent regulations, why not allow them the respect and flexibility to do their own job.
No one wants to see horses abused, but the with the modern whips it is almost impossible to abuse a racehorse such is their cushion based specification and why not focus efforts to educate the public and ‘non racing fans’ of all the good that racing does instead of pandering to them with unpopular and unjust regulations. It is not the non race goers who finance the sport in neither money nor affection, and racing should prioritise the needs of the riders as well as those of the horses they serve with.
I shall reiterate – no one wants to see horses abused in the name of racing but by judging each ride on its merit with some flexibility, transparency and discretion to match the ever changing landscape of race riding, horse racing can regulate what happens on the track far more satisfactorily. So in the dawn of a new tenancy at the head of the British Horseracing Association, lets call time on these rules and revert to common sense among those qualified and experienced enough to know ‘excessive frequency’ when they see it and be able to quantify and punish it with some perspective and professional interpretation.
Racing seems to be obsessed with the approval of those who don’t even watch the sport and in an ‘image is everything’ PR world strives to gain recognition for good work by simply stirring more bad headlines, instead of looking after one’s own and allowing the sport to be played out by those who know the game best. When will racing realise it can do both?
NAP – Kumbeshwar 3.00 Ascot
Quinz 3.40 Ascot
Dhaafer 5.05 Wetherby
res – Time for rupert 3.20 Wetherby
POQUELIN to replace DIAMOND HARRY 3.20 Wetherby
RISAALA to replace FASHIONABLE GAL 2.15 Wetherby
2.05 Newmarket
ECLIPTIC
SAMURAI SWORD
SECRECY2.15 Wetherby
WHOOPS A DAISY
DANCE FOR JULIE
FASHIONABLE GAL2.30 Ascot
TAKEROC
BASEBALL TED
KING EDMUND2.45 Wetherby
CANTLOW
CARLITO BRIGANTE
WHAT A FRIEND3.00 Ascot
THIRD INTENTION
KUMBESHWAR
TOPOLSKI3.20 Wetherby
TIME FOR RUPERT
NACARAT
DIAMOND HARRY3.40 Ascot
QUINZ
MUIRHEAD
DOVER’S HILLOn the At The Races Sunday Forum earlier, Mac eluded to an interview by ATR with Graham Goode this week, is there any footage anywhere? I had a look on the website but couldn’t see anything. Did anyone see it?
At Perth in April 1972 Peter Brogan and his infamous brother Barry made history when they dead heated for first place on Avondhu and Almond Lodge respectively in the Argaty Handicap Chase. That is surely unique.
I think it is worth mentioning that most – or certainly some of the major – online bookmakers have the function to watch a race that you have had a bet on via streaming. Personally, this is a much more convienient and easy way to watch the racing that I want to, or have had an interest in than subscribing to RUK for the monthly fee.
The reviews are a great feature, but for me do not justify a subscription for those who work full time. I think most recreational bettors prefer to watch only the races on which they bet, and with many bookmakers’ sites having this, I cannot see a viable future for the pay-to-air channel despite its good coverage.
For those who perhaps have not yet seen it, Master Minded’s Timeform essay is free to read on their site as an ‘essay of the week’
Thought some might be interested.
I would agree with that, is there an definitive list of Grade One Courses, I always thought Ayr was one, as it holds the Gold Cup and Scottish National, or is it just up to individual opinion.
Does that mean the building of the Mildmay course coincide with the end of flat racing at Liverpool? If not, would be interested to see the layout of the course!
Cormack
Elimination of those horse that cannot win is an interesting and worthwhile approach. Personally I go down the field and make a note of all the horses I think have chances – then you soon find that a field of say 14 or 15 can be whittles to 3 or 4 for serious consideration.
By the same token, races that are very difficult to solve soon make themselves clear quite quickly which saves spending time on races that you don’t desire to play in unnecessarily.
Also, once you have identified those horses you believe have no chance – and then check the betting to find it is a price you are happy to lay. it is an effecient way of identifying lays as well as ‘backs’ very quickly which, in an age where there appears to be a race every five minutes is important for ‘professionals’.
My Hennessy Preview now available at
http://racingrecord.blogspot.com/
For what its worth… looks particularly tricky this year!
Thanks for that. I just got to thinking about the Park course when the issue of ground preservation at Cheltenham came to the fore. I am assuming part of the thinking behind it was to keep the ground not in use fresh for some of the bigger meetings.
Would be interesting what the Cheltenham management would have to say about resurrecting it for some of the courses less valuable cards, for example the October meeting you eluded to and the Hunter Chase card in April, to keep the ground in optiumum condition.
