It is the proper start to the flat season this Saturday, though this year the Greenham, which, in a departure from normal service, may feature Albert Einstein, though Aidan O'Brien is yet to make-up his mind whether to pursue the long-term plan of the 2,000 Guineas or the hopeful saving grace of going sprinter with the latest 3-year-old to burn up the Ballydoyle gallops and to have his trainer in a spin of superlatives.
What I have found amusing is that on a day that has both the Fred Darling and Greenham Stakes, both important Guineas trials, as well as the Spring Cup, a highly competitive handicap, the John Porter, originally and traditionally the opening race of the meeting, has been parachuted into the number 1 billing. All because of the sport's, and for now the flat's, golden boy is due to try his hand against proper Group-type 12-furlong horses. Yes, Constitution Hill is in town again, subject to the grou, which is worrying his trainer. And this, ground conditions, will perhaps provide the obstacle in Constitution Hill's flat odyssey. As with Saturday, Constitution Hill's participation will always be subject to 'juice in the ground'. Added to which, the John Porter looks a mighty challenge for 'our hero', a nine-year-old novice taking on 4-year-olds on the verge of being at the very least solid Group 2 horses. This day of destiny requires rain to get the firm out of good-to-firm.
Not only is the administration of horse racing in Britain an entangled mess but even the factions within cannot provide a consensus of opinion. The Race Course Association is having to deal with in-fighting between the big independents, Ascot, Chester etc and the big bullies of Arc and the Jockey Club, with Ascot and its associates threatening to resign from the R.C.A. unless they change the way it functions.
This sort of one-for-all all-for-one attitude amongst the sport's stakeholders is why it is ludicrous for people within our sports to continue to compare horse racing in Britain with Formula 1 and the Premier League. Both of those sports have decision-makers, even if participants have a vote on important issues. The British Horseracing Authority does not even have a chairman, let alone a coherent strategy for growth or survival. And neither of the two aforementioned sports rely on an income stream that comes from betting revenue. Lord Allen resigned his position several months ago, yet here we are with, seemingly, no one at the rudder and no message on who might succeed the Baron of Kensington or was it Islington? Or whether will we get someone at the helm with long experience of the sport?
Heartening to see Nassalam get back to being a proper racehorse at Hexham yesterday. Yes, it was only a moderate hunter chase and he hardly blew away the opposition in the manner of his Welsh National succcess, yet given a confident steer by Gina Andrews he won by an increasing margin. It is evidence that you should never give up on a horse and whoever amongst his connections thought to change stables from Gary Moore to Tom Ellis will no doubt this morning be patting themselves on the back.
The Gold Dancer controversy was debated on the Nick Luck YouTube channel over the weekend, which I only got to watch yesterday afternoon and I thought Nick did nothing to pour calming waters on the debate. My view is simple: nothing would have changed the fact that Gold Dancer had broken a bone in his back when making that blunder at the last fence. There would have been no other outcome than the sad demise of the horse, and if Paul Townend had pulled-up immediately after the incident which caused the injury, the mercy killing of the horse would have taken place in front of the packed stands, which would have made the miserable scenario a whole lot more distressing. Short term, adrenaline is a powerful pain suppressor, as anyone who has injured themselves during physical activity will be aware. Why anyone would question the professsionalism of Paul Townend is beyond me. Jockeys routinely pull-up if they know or suspect their mount has suffered an injury during a race. It is incomprehensible to me that Townend would have put winning the race before the welfare of Gold Dancer. He is not that sort of person, is he?