The axe has been wielded by the Phumelela executives over us trainers down here in the Cape and a challenge laid down. And I like to try and rise to these. If there is one man who usually has many runners, it is me, writes Joey Ramsden.
However, the system of drawing – and not drawing one horse below 25 or 26 before acceptances – makes it impossible if one is not having a good run or the horses are slightly off form. Running them from poor draws is then not an option.
Sadly, while Phumelela’s living might be in jeopardy, so too is mine as the owners lose interest.
They don’t want to keep a horse which has ability but is perhaps not in the best form and is then having to run from an impossible draw. It is simply a chicken and egg situation.
The only way to get runners is to force people to run their horses. It was something they dabbled with a few years ago and the statistics said it worked. However, for some reason, they seem frightened to re-introduce this system. I
f they want more runners, they know what to do. There were some interesting suggestions as to how we could get more runners. The usual one of an ordinary program came up.
A certain young man made a strange suggestion
I do agree with that but everyone always moans about the programme and it is hardly something new.
The third and final suggestion, while I am fond of the young man, was a complete and utter joke. He suggested having ten races to enter the horses in and choosing the eight best and biggest fields. Well, if ever anything was open to complete and total manipulation, that was it!
It is tough enough to keep racing honest in the public’s eye but to start fiddling around with letting people pick and choose what races they want to keep on the day – and I am not talking about the authorities picking and choosing – is a rather embarrassing thought.
Tarry Ho
S’manga Khumalo
There have been bits and bobs in the press regarding S’manga Khumalo and Sean Tarry.
Everyone is rather glad it is over as it has been extremely expensive and appears to have been badly handled. It was something that was never going to have a winner and only losers.
The final blow is their trying to pin down Sean Tarry. I think in today’s society, the NHA have a tough job trying to govern racing and police it but – from a trainer’s view – we do not see enough questions being asked about suspect and disappointing runs.
This applies to both trainers and jockeys.
I sometimes have a runner – and my runners go out trying their best – but I end up saying to myself that I would question why it ran so badly. This is something that one rarely sees.
Mark Of A Man
Vaughan Marshall – I learnt plenty in those days
It brings me back to a lovely old tale when I was working for Vaughan Marshall in PE and training for the late Tony Ross. We had a very smart youngster that we ran first time up.
I put the irrepressible Mark Brewer up.
He was the most smashing man and is sadly no longer with us. The one thing about Mark was that the worst thing one could ever do was tell him to have a full go on something, even despite it being a first timer. All was well, or so I thought.
We just wanted this one to have a quiet look round just to see what racing was about. I have to say, even giving horses “quiet runs” they are always out trying no matter what. If they can win they must win or they learn bad habits.
The last thing I want is to see them being done any dishonesty as it only backfires. Anyway, the instructions to Mark were as follows: Listen Mark, there is going to be another day for this horse but if he looks like winning, then do your best.
I thought I was going to be in right trouble here and deservedly so, although the horse was having a go, even if only a “tender” one.
Anyway, I did not hear anything and after the last race – we had the most wonderful chief stipendiary steward in Malcolm Marsh – I was called over the loud hailer into the board room at Arlington.
Tears
He emptied the room out and then proceeded to give me the biggest bollocking of my entire life, to the fact that I left the room bawling my eyes out. It is something I have never forgotten and something I have never attempted to do again.
It is a good example that sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
Maybe that day after S’manga and Sean’s horse failed to perform (although I am sure both did nothing wrong) a quiet word in their ears might have been the right way to go about it. Hundreds and thousands of rands might well have been saved by all!
Read the full story on www.joeyramsden.com
