letters to racing post. (PART 4)

​In March 2023, for purely financial reasons, I started to read the Racing Post on-line. I prefer, still, a paper copy, though I am getting used to reading from my laptop. When I finally listened to my body and gave-up working for a living, my first consideration was how to afford the horrendously expensive Racing Post when my only income was the state pension. I considered only buying at weekends or alternate days, filling in the gaps by reading a national daily, if I could fine one that continued to publish race-cards. But I could not see me living even remotely happily without the Post to read every morning. Hence, the subscription.
I believe my first cutting from the paper in this era was my admission that though I believed Lester Piggott to be a legend of the sport, I was not appreciative of his style of riding and remain embarrassed to this day of his ride on The Minstrel in the Epsom Derby. To my mind, then and now, the best two flat jockeys of my lifetime are Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore, with the latter getting my vote as the greatest due to his overall consistency.
Over the past eighteen-months my disquiet on what has been done to the Grand National is reflected in the four letters I have had published on the subject. The race is now a haven for has-beens. There should be ‘win and you are in races’ through the season to ensure the right horses get to run in the race. The death by a thousand cuts policy of Aintree was rendering traditional Grand National trial races, including Aintree’s own Becher Chase, obsolete. Neptune Collonge was the last real Grand National. Corach Rambler won the last substitute Grand National, with I Am Maximus the first winner of the Little National.
To ensure horse racing’s crown jewel races are afforded the greatest amount of publicity, they should be scheduled so as not to conflict with other major sporting occasions –World and European football tournaments, Wimbledon, cricket, rugby and so on. It only takes a little forward thinking.
The Irish Derby should not be reduced in distance, not before bonuses for any horse winning or placed horses at Epsom achieving the same at Leopardstown or changing its place in the calendar, perhaps running the race on the same day as the Irish Oaks or even waiting until Irish Champions Day, with similar bonuses for horses placed in the French Derby.
The coups of Barney Curley were just as embarrassing for the sport as the Gay Future coup, I reminded Chris Cook, who was particularly irked by the Cartmel incident.
There is no comparison between Formula 1 and horse racing and I wish people would stop informing us that the two are compatible. 20-drivers, around 20-races a season against a sport with hundreds of jockeys, thousands of horses and thousands of races! ‘Full Gallop’ could only ever give viewers a sniff of what makes the sport tick.
Amateurs are well-cared for at Cheltenham. Professionals allowed to ride in the National Hunt Chase was long overdue. Amateurs, unlike professionals, can ride in every race at the Festival with the exception of the Martin Pipe. In fact, as there is only one race restricted to conditionals, perhaps there should only be one for amateurs at the Festival?
A.C. Hopkins was wrong. The sport desperately needs 0-50 races, otherwise the sport would lose a clutch of much-needed owners and no doubt several racecourses.
A levy of 2% on the purchase price paid at public auction would fund the aftercare of racehorses through retraining and rehabilitation. Breeders should take some responsibility for the aftercare of horses they alone bring into the world.
The final word is yet to be said on this season’s Cesarewitch with an appeal still to be heard on behalf of the connections of the disqualified horse. My view is the disqualification should have happened on the day of the race, with the appeal on the Tuesday if connections believed they had a case to argue.
Spanish Steps, my all-time favourite, my first love. My guilt for not voting for Frodon, my last love, probably.
I proposed two Festivals. A spring festival to replace Cheltenham’s ‘Trials Day’, similar to Ireland’s Dublin Racing Festival, with races taken from the March meeting, including the now defunct Turners and a new Champion Mares Hurdle, to make a 2-day Festival in late January and to revert to tradition by reducing the March meeting to 3-days.
I quoted Fred Archer from a book by John Fairfax-Blakeborough – ‘I have lost more races through use of the whip than the whip has ever helped me.’ 
Bookmakers were fined a combined total of £76-million by the Gambling Commission. I wondered where this money went and how the sport could do with it.
I argued, as always, against shooting stars like Sea The Stars given legendary status after 9-months of dominance, when others labour to success over 2 or 3 seasons.
I quoted John Francome who credits Harry Cobden, Rachel Blackmore and Bryony Frost as being best at presenting a horse over a fence. 
To give equal opportunities to horses who prefer the old course over the new and vice-versa, Cheltenham should consider opening the meeting on the old course one year and the new course the following year. 
I continued to argue that mares who win a championship race should have their allowance cut in subsequent years. 7lbs to 5lb to 3lbs if they have won 2 championship races.
I go one way and then the other on Premier racing. In this instance I thought the B.H.A. were on the right track. Now I am not so sure.
To stem the dominance of the few, I suggested a cap on the number of horses any one trainer can train in a season should be considered. I believe this might encourage owners to spread their horses over several trainers.
Red Rum is considered to have helped save Aintree and the Grand National. I suggested that in 1973, the greatest race ever run, Richard Pitman and Crisp set-up the race that started the legend of Red Rum and their combined contribution should not be overlooked.
I thought it odd that Amy-Jo-Hayes, a female apprentice jockey in Ireland should win ‘Ride of the Year’ yet receive so few rides, with her name presently absent from race-cards. I suggested it was time Ireland considered restricting a few races to professional female riders to encourage trainers to give them a fair shot of establishing a professional riding career as is happening in Britain..