Team Tactics
Authorized IRE (Montjeu IRE) still leads the betting lists for the King George and this year's Arc de Triomphe despite coming in second in the Coral-Eclipse on Saturday.
His run has been rated by the Racing Post Handicapper Paul Curtis as 6 lb below his 130 Derby win.
His connections are not certain that he will be sufficiently rested to race in Ascot's King George in 19 days and his owner says that they will let the horse tell them. They will not rush him.
The Coral-Eclipse winner, five-year-old Notnowcato (Inchinor) was kept at 127 RPR--the same as when he won over Dylan Thomas last month.
Both his jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Sir Michael Stoute are unhappy that his win is attributed to misfired 'team tactics' instead of his genuine achievement.
Authorized's trainer, Peter Chapple-Hyam, considered Notnowcato as the horse that could have beaten his horse not George Washington IRE (Danehill USA). Regretably for Chapple-Hyam, he did beat him.
General public anger at the jockeys, in particular Frankie Dettori who rode Authorized, has abated upon reflection and the controversy is now rightly focused on the effect of 'team tactics' on British racing.
'Team tactics' ruined the Coral-Eclipse (and many other races) in my view and I agree with the many who believe that it is time for the British Horseracing Authority to revise its rules covering them.
Most horses run on their merits--alone. It is deeply unfair to the majority of British racing connections to have certain superpowers running 'teams' in our races and I am not referring to pacemakers.
Racing is not football.
Under current rules, there was little the HRA could do about what happened Saturday.
Pity Saturday's double victim Dettori for getting a ban for drifting right and interfering with Yellowstone IRE (Rock of Gibralter IRE) on top of being the 'team tactic' target. It is no wonder he looked so grim.
How unfair we are in sending jockeys out in a dangerous enough sport without the psychological threats, if not actual actions, of 'team tactics'!
His run has been rated by the Racing Post Handicapper Paul Curtis as 6 lb below his 130 Derby win.
His connections are not certain that he will be sufficiently rested to race in Ascot's King George in 19 days and his owner says that they will let the horse tell them. They will not rush him.
The Coral-Eclipse winner, five-year-old Notnowcato (Inchinor) was kept at 127 RPR--the same as when he won over Dylan Thomas last month.
Both his jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Sir Michael Stoute are unhappy that his win is attributed to misfired 'team tactics' instead of his genuine achievement.
Authorized's trainer, Peter Chapple-Hyam, considered Notnowcato as the horse that could have beaten his horse not George Washington IRE (Danehill USA). Regretably for Chapple-Hyam, he did beat him.
General public anger at the jockeys, in particular Frankie Dettori who rode Authorized, has abated upon reflection and the controversy is now rightly focused on the effect of 'team tactics' on British racing.
'Team tactics' ruined the Coral-Eclipse (and many other races) in my view and I agree with the many who believe that it is time for the British Horseracing Authority to revise its rules covering them.
Most horses run on their merits--alone. It is deeply unfair to the majority of British racing connections to have certain superpowers running 'teams' in our races and I am not referring to pacemakers.
Racing is not football.
Under current rules, there was little the HRA could do about what happened Saturday.
Pity Saturday's double victim Dettori for getting a ban for drifting right and interfering with Yellowstone IRE (Rock of Gibralter IRE) on top of being the 'team tactic' target. It is no wonder he looked so grim.
How unfair we are in sending jockeys out in a dangerous enough sport without the psychological threats, if not actual actions, of 'team tactics'!
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