THE PATH NOT TAKEN

The midsummer showpieces have been run and, as usual, several of the best performances have come from Ballydoyle inmates. They should be recognised and congratulated, but the obsession the racing press has with reporting chapter and verse from their advertising manual is driving many true enthusiasts to despair. Each successive year witnesses the anointment of “The best colt that we have ever had,” while their reverses are excused in microscopic detail. The TDN heralds debuts, lauds victories and excuses defeats at such length that one wonders who pays Tom Frary’s salary. Compare this with the lack of column inches afforded Goliath since his convincing victory in The King George and Calandagan after his meritorious second in The Juddmonte. There has been some discussion about the eligibility of geldings, but very little documenting the steady rise of two top performers in their respective generation; neither has their trainer received fair exposure. The fact that Goliath has a marked case of stringhalt has not encouraged a worthwhile article on this condition, or comparison with some other successful horses that have displayed it. There is surely much fertile ground here, both for aficionados and newcomers.

Aidan O’Brien’s post-race excuses for his King George runners suggested that the ground was misrepresented and was soft; in fact Goliath ran a faster time than all four of Aidan’s winners of this race. He suggested that they raced on the unfavoured inside rail, but they were there because his pacemaker swung wide off the home turn to allow his stablemates the shortest route to the finishing line, interfering with the rivals seeking to come around him. Auguste Rodin was a worthy winner of the greatest race and Luxembourg has been an admirable servant who overcame physical challenges; defeat does not lessen their achievements. The fear of defeat and the campaigning to avoid it is one signal reason why racing has lost devotees in Europe, while the absence of this has propelled the sport to such fervent popularity in Japan.

The most refreshing feature of The Ebor meeting every year is the genuine enthusiasm of the crowd for the racehorse. Fans were six and seven deep at the pre-parade ring before the major races. Perhaps these are the people that should be interviewed and asked why they go racing, rather than B list celebrities?

The following week some high class horses graced Sandown Park. This also has an excellent, appealing pre-parade ring. Unfortunately, as at most meetings here, racegoers were denied the opportunity to study their passion, as the vast majority of runners are saddled in the racecourse stables and head directly to the main ring. Hats off to Ralph Beckett, who, recognising the saturnine brow of this writer, attempted to mollify him by instructing his charge to complete a lap of the first circuit. The racecourse had established a new seated area under an expansive canopy, which was empty. It is to be hoped that they persevere with this innovation and insist on trainers using the pre-parade. It would be an excellent facility and with a little encouragement will bring the key players closer to the audience.