Horses, horses everywhere, but how do you get a run? My colleague, Brian Fleming, touched on the vexed subject of balloting in this column last week, and I`ll now let off some steam on the topic.
The FMD outbreak has certainly played a major role in the recent glut of entries for maiden hurdles and bumpers. The fifty days absence of racecourse action, together with an abrupt ending of the point-to-point season, has left trainers exasperated in search of a suitable opportunity for their charges.
The considerable combined force of Dermot Weld and the IHA were unable to persuade Gowran Park to divide a maiden there recently and, as a result, Kilkenny racegoers were denied the chance to see a leading 1,000 Guineas contender. The master of Rosewell House was forced to run Cool Clarity in a Listed event at the Curragh the following day. She duly trotted up, but more by accident than design.
John Oxx was left without a runner in a Gowran maiden on Wednesday despite having SIX declarations. Surely this system needs an overhaul? I appreciate there may be legal implications if every horse isn`t given the same opportunity to run. But what about maintaining a high standard of racing, and providing punters with something to get their teeth into (and boosting betting turnover)?
A balance needs to be reached between accommodating the increased numbers in training, and the quality of our product. The Irish breeding industry is rightly held in great esteem worldwide but measures must be taken to avoid the standard of our racing slipping. Bumper winners get preference in balloting for maiden hurdles, so why not form horses ahead of the dross?
What about trainers with multiple entries (say five or more) nominating a guaranteed runner in the event of a ballot? The result would be a competitive event with representatives from Ballydoyle, Rosewell, Currabeg, Coolcullen etc.. Likewise Meade, Crowley, Mullins, Moore et al over jumps.
I can hear the alarm bells ringing, not to mention emails ([email protected]) flooding in, with the chorus of a two-tier system. The fascist Magee is not saying this suggestion is perfect (far from it), but something has to be done. Otherwise we will be left with future classic winners lining up against a field of 18 rated handicappers, with punters asked to take a bit of 1/50. Never mind the quality, just feel the width!
The closure of a number of our major racecourses has proved a major headache for race planners in recent times. Leopardstown will be the latest addition to the list, with the M50 motorway development likely to halt action at the Foxrock venue for some considerable time.
The Turf Club has yet to make a contingency plan, with the closure date still up in the air due to ongoing negotiations with the local council. However, the Champion Stakes meeting (September 8) is likely to be held at Dublin`s only track this year.
The performance of Corrib Supreme was the main talking point at Gowran Parkon Wednesday, after the Tony Martin trained and ridden gelding was a tenderly handled third to Stashedaway. Martin was fined 1,000 pounds and banned from riding for 28 racing days, while the six-year-old was suspended for 42 days, for `not being allowed to run on his merits`.
The Co. Meath trainer has appealed the penalties, which allowed the horse to run again at Navan on Sunday where he could only manage sixth place.
All roads lead to the Curragh next weekend for the two-day Guineas meeting and, for what they are worth, my tips are:
Tamburlaine (2,000 Guineas) - appreciated the faster ground when second to Golan at Newmarket, and can confirm placings with Minardi.
Cool Clarity (1,000 Guineas) - looked a very useful sort when winning at the Curragh, and the form was given a timely boost when Rose Gypsy took the French equivalent last Sunday.
Kalanisi - his trainer Michael Stoute has no equal when it comes to handling older horses, and the Aga Khan home-bred can launch a successful 2001 campaign by taking the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
The general public may have had difficulty getting their hands on the revised fixture list, but the same can`t be said about the Garda Siochana.
Did you spot the unmarked GATSO van in Paulstown on the way home from Gowran Park on Wednesday evening? Or the van beside the church in Lanesborough on the road to Ballinrobe on Thursday? Or the shrewdie in the hedge on the approach to Mitchelstown in the hours before Cork on Friday?
Ten points for each one you spotted, fifty punts for each one you missed!
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