No action will be taken against the jockey of the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas pacemaker.
That was the official word from the National Horseracing Authority after viewing the video footage and giving consideration to the subsequent evidence led by Gareth Wright, rider of the MR 80 galloper Canford Lights.
The Stipes have advised that they are satisfied with Wright’s explanation and will proceed no further with the matter.
The Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas stampede (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
After the running of the R2 million Gr1 contest, won by his stablemate Charles Dickens, plenty of debate ensued on this platform.
This followed a note in the official Stipes report that Wright reportedly told the Stewards that his instructions were to ride the gelding positively and to ensure that he cleared the two horses drawn to the inside of him from the start.
Watch the replay:
He added that he had managed to clear both At My Command Port Louis with ease once the gates had opened but Canford Lights had taken hold of the bit and had raced more prominently at the head of the field than he had anticipated.
When questioned by the Stipes as to why he had at one stage in the back straight and on the bend been positioned several lengths in advance of the field, he responded that the gelding had been strong and he had been unable to bring it back to the field. The Stipes observed that after straightening, Canford Lights commenced to give ground suddenly and had finished tailed off.
Wright also stated that Canford Light’s merit rating was far below the average of the other runners in this race.
When it was put to him that he had not made a report to the Stipendiary Steward that was assigned to take reports from the riders following the race, Mr Wright confirmed that he was aware of the Rules pertaining to ensuring that his mounts were given every opportunity to obtain the best possible placing and that he knew that we was obliged to report any circumstances that might have had an effect on his mount’s performance.
Widely respected Bloodstock man, and a former director of the National Horseracing Authority, Robin Bruss felt that some of our readership had missed the excitement of Charles Dickens’ terrific victory.
He wrote on our comments platform that ‘a mature society reserves its moral indignation for what really matters : weighty considerations such as poverty, preventable disease, injustice, and oppression’.
‘Why are we wasting time, energy and words in this forum on condemning the role of a pacemaker when it is a commonly accepted practice in all of type of racing- both human and horses – and for eons gone by. For example, I’m reminded of stablemate Bullet Train making the pace for Frankel’s 11 length victory at Royal Ascot. No one. Complained then. Why now ?’, asked Bruss, adding that having a pacemaker is an acceptable common practice because pacemakers play a valuable role in the making of a true run race – which ensures that the best horse wins and therefore overwhelmingly is in everyone’s best interests.
Horseracing expert Jay August also wrote on our comments platform following the news that the Stipes had adjourned to review the matter.
He said that one has to suspend belief to believe that a horse rated 80, and which has never led a race in its previous 10 career starts, is now suddenly expected to run to its best ability by leading at a tearaway pace in a Grade 1 race.
August suggested that ‘those who moan and groan and call the Stipes out should really get a grip on reality and pause for a moment’. He pointed out that the Stipes job is to enforce the rules irrespective of any personal view they may have on the correctness of a rule.
‘Changing rules has a very specific process which does not include Stipes picking and choosing which rules they wish to enforce’, he added, stating that if the rule needs changing ‘then a cogent and rational submission to change the rule can and should be made to the NHA’.
Maybe it’s time to revisit the rule.
