The running of Grand National winner Pineau De Re in the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday raised a few eyebrows on the Daily Thread, not least because he was never put into the race by Darryl Jacob and the whole thing amounted to little more than public schooling. It is easy to respond with a nudge and wink, and comments along the lines of "Well it was his first run since Aintree and he was carrying top weight in a listed handicap hurdle" but there is the rule which says each horse must run to it's merits and achieve the best possible finishing position. We very often see horses given a "sharpener" in one code as a prep for a big handicap in the other in order to protect their marks. Many a Grand National horse, having achieved the required chase rating to make the cut, will be switched to hurdles for the build up to the race, in order to not compromise the chase rating. Similarly, it is quite common for Pertemps Final horses to have a prep run over fences. So what do we make of this? Is it fair and ethical, are trainers just using all means at their disposal to get their horses to the big 'un with the best possible chance of winning? Or are they misleading the betting public and pulling a sly one like those old rogues the _____________________ (enter the name of the yard who you think are old rogues)? I think it is borderline at best, and the trained punting eye can usually spot these things a mile off and vary wagers accordingly. But for folks new to the sport (which is what the sport continually needs to grow and progress) it must be difficult, especially when hard-earned has gone astray?
Whilst races like the Grand Nationals are handicaps, you will have people wanting to work to get a horses handicap mark down, and therefore I don't really have an issue with it. Everyone knows that horses like PDR is being targeted at the Grand National and that everything he does prior is a prep for that day, and you have to take that into account when you are looking at his races. That said, I do think that jockeys need to ride the horse to get the best finishing position, and that he wasn't given a hard time at the weekend, but these animals don't need flogging on the racecourse if they are not fully fit/primed. It is a catch 22 situation. Easy solution? Make the Grand National a level weight race.
Pineau is being prepared for one race only this year - a shame really as we don't see the best horses running enough - Balthazar won't be seen till Aintree for example!! Favourite quotes at the moment seem to be "needed the run" or "will come on for the run".
Shame on you Nass. Make the most famous race on the planet a level weight race? In no time flat, the event would be reduced to a 10 horse race with only two or three chances.
I think the biggest handicaps should have some sort of qualifying conditions (a bit like the Pertemps Qualifiers) - in fact I would stretch this to cover all the big races at the big festivals. It can't be in the interests of the sport to campaign horses the way Bobs Worth was campaigned last season. I remember some folks crabbing Kauto Star for only having 4 or 5 runs per season but he seems over-raced compared to some of today's stars. Here's one for starters - I would require any horse who wants to run in the Hennessey to have run in a Class 4 (or better) Handicap Chase this season.
Oddy, problem with that is that a horse like Denman wouldn't be eligible because he wouldn't have run in a handicap prior to the Hennessy. I think what should happen is that we should have a few stakes races through the year, where handicap marks are not allowed to rise after them. So we get to see the top handicappers running over fences before the big day at Aintree. It improves after the weights are allocated, so perhaps they could allocate them even earlier?
And if it's been injured Or the yard's had a bug? How does a trainer weigh up the interests of the horse against the interests of the owners/staff and the yard? The National is the highest value race of the season so the horses are obviously prepped for that day. Does seeing a horse before the big day but watching it run when three quarters fit add anything to a punters experience?
Nass, in your desire to change the face of the Grand National, I hope you don't condemn this wonderful race to an all weather course.
Fair point on the Hennessy Nass, I guess it does come pretty early in the (traditional) season. But the GN is right at the arse end of the season so a qualifying system should be manageable. Bob I would just like to see the better horses running more often. What John Oxx did with Sea The Stars or Sir Henry did with Frankel, as opposed to what "the lads" do with their top horses (only running in races which will add to the stud value). Now, clearly a different argument applies in NH where most horses are gelded, but it just galls me to see very decent prize money put up for races and them ending up a mundane, small-field affairs. There will be exceptions (and Quevega was a notable one - her fragility meant she couldn't be seen too often) but these shouldn't become the norm.
The system encourages the placing of horses, but realistically runners have to run and often are just getting ready for a future target! The art of punting is spotting this, especially handicaps, sellers etc
Cor blimey I don’t know why the surprise over dear old Pineau. Horse racing is corrupt. Always has been and always will be. Every single jockey and trainer in the land is ‘at it’ and there is hardly a novice or handicap event run where at least one of the field isn’t ‘at it’. Any sport or pastime which revolves around atrocious prizemoney, man and handicapping is asking for nothing else and I personally don’t blame those who are ‘at it’ because in so many instances they have to behave like this in order to make a living. People like the good Doctor can smugly go into any ‘Stewards Room’ and be confident of no charges being made because how on earth do you prove it!
Good lord SBC!! The forums favourite trainer will be choking on his G&T if he were to read your comment - surely Nicky 'The Needle' Henderson, lovely name for a trainer by the way, is not, as you say 'at it'?!
Handicappers are, by definition, not the best horses. Does it matter how often we see a 145 rated horse run in the grand scheme of things? I'm happy for the Good Dr to piss about with Pineua all year so long as he gets him to Aintree for me to top up last years winnings!
Drever, I’ve said the above many times during my time on this forum and before it 606. Many people have a rose tinted view of horse races but the reality it is far from the ‘champagne and roses’ sport you will see in the brochures. Sometimes even the very best have to pull the odd ‘trick’ in order to ensure their animal is well treated. Part of the sport if you are to have any chance in many a handicap.
It is with the utmost consideration for the Honourable Sir Barney, that I thrown my weight behind his startling conclusions in regards the so called Sport of Kings. The Game is full of cheating bastards. What chance the little guy in the street when it comes to the fight for his hard earned cash? He has no hope at all. It's pretty well excepted that the average person who suffers through a life time of punting, is asked by those who run the business, to take it up the ass on a daily basis. No ifs or buts, it's out with the prickly stick, and whoosh, straight up the buttock's crack. When will he ever learn? What's the world come to when we take this flapdoodle at face value? I know the game is bent, you know the game is bent, we all know the game is bent. So lets all get back on the merry-go-round and make knob heads of ourselves all over again. I'll study the form, do the weights and measures, consult with the "Bible" of racing then throw a wad on something that's been ordered to be looked after. And heaven forbid that some bunch of corrupt turds in saddles should decide to boat the race. But of course this kind of stuff never happens. I've seen it written a thousand times. And who am I to doubt the word of those in high places? I'm just the idiot who carries the sport on my scrawny back. I might not contribute all that much when it comes to cold, hard cash, but I'm only one of the great unwashed, who in number, provide these bastards with the knife they need to cut off our balls. Anyone got a decent bet in the next?
