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Cheltenham pointers What can we learn from a Festival that saw non-participation by amateurs, smaller field sizes and Irish dominance?
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HE BEGINNING OF MARCH was a difficult time for racing, coming on the back of a very difficult year. The Gordon Elliott photo created a pre-Cheltenham Festival ten days of intense discussion, rumour, conjecture, social media opinion, division and scrutiny. I have not voiced an opinion, there were enough people from all sides of the debate involving themselves. The only point I would like to make now is that we are responsible for our own actions, and we have to accept and deal with those consequences, whatever it was that led to that photo being published. The Festival did all that was hoped and more … fantastic competitive racing with top-class horses shining, the light of Rachael Blackmore as bright a beacon for the sport as could have been hoped. The racing looked fair, with the tactics (mainly from the lady above) winning the races rather than bad falls or unfortunate incidents. As so hoped by all of us in the sport, The Festival went by without incident on the track; the bad publicity that would have been created by a “difficult” Festival on the back of the Gordon Elliott photo could have done immense damage, in the UK anyway, to the public perception of horseracing. The racing throughout the week just felt comfortable, the ground was ideal, but maybe also the smaller field sizes helped, and maybe we weren’t watching races such as the Kim Muir or the (Fox)Hunters’ in fear as to just what some of the less experienced jockeys would do. I am loathe to write this having enjoyed
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many years of riding as a bad amateur / point-to-point jockey and growing up amidst excitement at home ahead of the amateur events at Cheltenham and Aintree, but maybe there needs to be further examination of the relevancy of those amateur-ridden races in the modern sport of horseracing so under threat from those who are looking for any opportunity to discard it to history. This year saw reduced field sizes because many owners did not run horses at Cheltenham for social reasons. Of course, unfancied horses can come through unexpectedly to win races or claim valuable placed prizes, but the races this year were just so straight-forward without alsorans, who perhaps should not be in the race, getting in the way. Horses can fall however talented they are – just hit replay on Envoi Allen’s race – but if only the really very best are running then the
risk chances are reduced. It also means that horses (any horse who qualifies for an entry at Cheltenham at all is still a talented equine) might be directed to races in which they might have a better chance rather than going for the premier events. British trainers might also become a little more proactive about persuading owners to run in the handicaps and so work harder at getting one well-handicapped aka the Irish. Irish.
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LOOK AT TIMEFORM’S table on page 19 shows just how dominant the Irish NH horses are – of the top 20 chasers, 12 are trained in Ireland, including seven of the top ten. Of the eight chasers that are UK-based, three of them are ten-year-olds and over.
IT IS a long four days at the Cheltenham Festival – usually caused by excessive socialising – however this year, much like last year, there was opinion change as the days ticked by. In 2020, that was due to the growing COVID grip on Europe; last year many of the masses who arrived at Prestbury Park had not heard the word pandemic since a history class on the Black Death, by Thursday last year all many wanted to do was head home. This year it was due to the Blackmore factor. Ahead of the meeting and over the first day, the wider world media comment regarding racing was still overwhelmingly negative – still bringing up the running of the meeting in 2020, and using the Gordon Elliott photo to show how uncaring the sport is toward its equine athletes. Through the meeting, the wider media had to reassess its position as it began to realise just what Ms Blackmore was up to; it has been harping on about diversity and equal chances for the last few years, it could hardly sit on its hands now. The media has been declaring what an inspiration she is for pony-riding teenage girls – she is pretty inspiring for the rest of us, too.
