golden ace, 4 out of 224, envy, cheltenham success & an idea.

​What was so pleasing about the surprise victory of Golden Ace in the Champion Hurdle was both the reaction of the spectators around the winners’ enclosure to Jeremy Scott and that the trainer himself made no bones about how surprised he was to have trained both the Champion Hurdle winner and by how well his achievement was received by the public. It was a joyous occasion, even though the fan’s favourite had fallen for the first time in his life and that State Man had lost a race he deserved to have won.
Now, ever the sportsman he is, Jeremy Scott is prepared to take his wonderful mare to Punchestown to take on Constitution Hill, State Man, and we can presume Lossiemouth. And who is not to say Golden Ace will not rattle their cages again? What has been missed due to her unexpected rise to stardom is that Golden Ace, irrespective of whether she was a lucky winner or not, was running the best race of her life in the Champion Hurdle and was booked for a very honourable second-place, only for the sporting gods, perhaps concerned the Irish were going to inherit not only the sporting earth but the heavens also, to unite themselves to the British cause. 
Next season, Jeremy Scott has suggested, she might be seen over fences. I suspect how she gets on at Punchestown will decide where they go with her next season. His thinking, as I suggested was the cause of Constitution Hill falling last week, is that horses can get complacent jumping hurdles and fences will often get them to concentrate on their jumping again. Personally, as her owner intends to breed from her, I would roll the dice again and attempt to defend her Champion Hurdle crown as with the progression she is making she might, just might, surprise as all again.

The Racing Post (Chris Cook’s column today) provided data on the number of falls in hurdle races at Cheltenham last week compared to the number of runners. 4-falls from 224-runners, which rather put a spanner in my speculation as to whether the white padding was achieving its aim. Despite fact suggesting overwise, the swinging hurdle problem I still believe needs to be addressed.

In today’s ‘Another View’, Patrick Gilligan, U.S. domiciled author and ex-trainer, from his bed recovering from a stroke, wrote a wonderful piece about how owning shares in a racehorse can bring joy that easily spreads from the lucky part-owner to all around. Gilligan wrote with a fluidity and impact that I, with my only ailment increasing old-age and mediocrity, can only dream of achieving. Micro-shares in racehorses is the way forward, I believe. Perhaps micro-shares would make the perfect Christmas or Birthday gift for a friend or loved-one.

Never mind the decreasing attendance, which can be reversed, Cheltenham was a success last week and everyone responsible for delivering the spectacle should be warmly congratulated. An offering should also be given to the sporting gods who went beyond the call of duty to keep us all on both our toes and tenterhooks.

A small idea, impractical and perhaps not required. It came to me when I heard someone talking about schooling races for young horses and barrier trials for young horses on the flat. Why not allow a wire-less connection between a jockey with only limited race-riding experience, say between their first and fifth-rides, and the trainer they work for, or jockey-coach, in a race, allowing the trainer/coach to offer advice through an ear-bud. This proposal, if allowed, must surely be of great benefit to the young jockey and help build their confidence and skill-set. I am not suggesting this should be mandatory or allowed to continue beyond the early L-plate period of the conditional. I just thought if it is good idea to school young horses on the racecourse but not in public, why not something similar for young jockeys.