Very nice performance and apparantly the Breeders Cup beckons...on dirt she is better according to Dettori? That one puzzled me
Not generally in favour of French stewarding but Realtra being able to keep that race is a travesty in that the horse came across everything and stopped the fav in her tracks. The horse wiped out the whole race and yet keeps it. I am not saying the horse would not have won, although the favourite had not gone for everything, but the point is you cannot wipe out the whole race and take the money home.
Agreed, some common sense required for stuff like that. Disgraceful to cut across the entire field, hamper market principles and then keep the race.
typical end of season result, interference apart. 25;66 and 25-1 again ... what are the chances. More fool me I'm siding with fav Koora in the Park Hill
The UK stewards rules can be abbreviated to the following.... Do whatever you need do to get your horse first past the post. We will only take away the race if the horse interfered with is second and then only beaten by a nose or short head. WE have to be a little more balanced than this I feel.
This sort of episode does create a dilemma. I think there would be general agreement that Realtra was the best filly on the day, so some justice was served by her keeping the race. The jockey, Jack Mitchell, got an eight day ban for careless riding: arguably he should have stopped pushing her forward and straightened her out, but then he might not have won. The problem of course is that he almost certainly cost the fourth horse, Fadhayyil, second or third place, which did effect the ‘result’ in terms of prize money and punters’ bets. It is, of course, impossible for the stewards to change the minor placings since there was no contact between the other three horses and it would be complete speculation to rearrange the second, third and fourth. At York the other week, Storm The Stars was allowed to keep the Great Voltigeur Stakes despite clearly impeding the runner-up Bondi Beach in the last half a furlong. I expect that stewarding faux pas to be corrected on Saturday.
Just been watching the races at a place called Laytown In Ireland - iT looks like an all weather track but they have made a big ricket by laying the same surface as Southwell, it's not got quite as much kick back and doesn't ride quite as slow as Southwell however.
