HAS Irish racing gone mad? It appears insanity has set in.
Although it’s had little press, it appears Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), the equivalent of the BHA, has decided on a new series of National Hunt races beginning in January that specifically preclude horses trained by Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead and Gavin Cromwell.
My understanding is that this was first mooted in April, and at that time the four handlers mentioned thought it might have been an April fool!
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But it appears not. Why is racing so good at kicking itself in the hoof?
There are 60 of these races planned for 2025 – bumpers, maiden hurdles, beginners chases and handicap hurdles – which equates to four per cent of the National Hunt programme.
These races are open to all National Hunt trainers that didn’t train 50 or more winners in either of the last two seasons or in other words every trainer except the big four.
HRI has made this decision in response to the dominance of the big four stables in recent seasons.
And it is an attempt to give the smaller trainers a chance to win more races and in turn give these trainers ‘the confidence to attract new owners into their yards with the knowledge that there is a programme of races there to support them in that endeavour’.
This idea is beyond belief. Wasn’t it only last year that Ireland was up in arms when Britain suggested it might restrict Irish raiders?
The Irish authorities seem to be saying they want to sanction success. No one should ever do that. End of.
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Added to that, the races involved are the academy races for young horses. They are not for superstars. Not every horse in the Mullins yard is a superstar.
Does racing owe anyone a living? No. If you run a corner shop you have to compete. If you don’t do that you go under.
It’s just the way of the world. And sport is about being best of the best. That’s it.
The big question is when are HRI going to restrict Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore? I bet that doesn’t happen! Because it would be crazy and unacceptable.
Elsewhere, a plea to Ascot… stop the helmet camera view on your big screens – NOW!
Everyone loves innovation – but in sport it’s particularly important it comes in the right way.
That’s especially the case in horse racing, where seeing every horse as often as possible – and particularly in a finish – is crucial.
Often close-ups and odd angles are considered clever by producers, but hated by viewers and punters.
The simple truth is that in most races every horse has at least one backer. Not just the fancied few. So all the field must be seen.
Ascot has recently decided to operate a box within its big screens which gives an in-running view during a race from a jockey’s helmet.
I don’t have any problem with that, although in real time I tend to believe it adds little.
In contrast, helmet shots as an analysis tool can often be fascinating, as was clearly seen with the passage of City of Troy coming down the hilll in the Derby.
Everyone, though, will have a different view on this.
That’s fine, as it’s all a matter of opinion, but the in-running box at Ascot gets in the way of the field. It’s an absolute nightmare.
I can’t believe anyone thinks it’s working.
I watched Simmering land the Group 3 Princess Margaret on Saturday a few feet away from his trainer Ollie Sangster who was in the paddock.
Just as his filly was about to look for gaps under Ryan Moore she completely disappeared behind the in-running helmet camera view.
None of us knew how she was getting on for a few seconds. It was infuriating.
The box has to go. Until someone can find a way of using it without ruining coverage of the field.
Meanwhile, has there ever been a worse decision by any owner than that made by those connected with one-time star filly Blue Rose Cen and electric miler Big Rock to ditch their former handler Christopher Head?
Yeguada Centurion moved both horses to Maurizio Guarnieri in April.
Since then Big Rock has run two shockers and Blue Rose Cen has been stuffed three times and was last at Deauville on Sunday.
As someone once said: “What a mistaka to maka!”
Speaking of mistakes, I’ve watched Sunday’s two-and-a-half mile handicap chase at Uttoxeter dozens of times and I still can’t for the life of me understand how the stewards awarded the race to Get Up Mush who had defeated with Flic Ou Voyou.
I utterly disagree with the stewards’ interpretation of the finish and their decision. A shambles.
Maybe they should join forces with HRI!
And finally… Hong Kong-based jockey Harry Bentley, best known in the UK as the former rider of July Cup and Foret hero Limato, is back in the saddle at Goodwood this week.
Bentley told me: “I’m really looking forward to getting back in the saddle in the UK.
“Goodwood has always been a course close to me as I grew up locally, and it seems mad that I haven’t ridden in this country for four years now.
“It’s going to be good to be back and I have two rides on the day. Navello is a speedster and won recently and Nocturnal is second time in handicap company with a good draw.
“Fingers crossed they both run well. I’ve had 39 winners this season in Hong Kong which is a personal record and I look forward to bettering that in the future.”
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