Opinion

Dented reputations, shattered dreams and heartbreak for a few on a scintillating afternoon of action-packed horse racing. It really doesn’t get too much better than Saturday’s Classic Day and Dubai World Cup combination for us partisan couch potatoes, crowned by a touch of welcome PR genius in the recruitment of the delightful and authentic horseracing persona of the lovely Julie Alexander as our host at Turffontein.

The idea of hitting something to make it go faster is usually met with incredulity by non-racing folk (as is the idea of weighting down superior athletes. Imagine telling Usain Bolt to carry a lead pack! But that’s an argument for another time).

Whips remain the number one selling piece of equipment in tack shops.

Racing: Clockwatcher’s column to 3 March

There is a sales term called the ‘infinite curve’ where a small number of high value sales will create an impressive spike on a graph, but it is the infinite collection of smaller sales which in fact makes up the far larger proportion of the turnover. I have mentioned before that it is this proportion of the market, the ‘little guy’, be it the owner, trainer or punter, who really keeps racing going.

Sarah Whitelaw on Kildonan’s first foals, Free My Heart in retirement, Team Valor mares, racing in Argentine and SA yearling buyers in Melbourne