SEA THE STARS.

​The majority of people who read my ‘racing ramblings’ will either be annoyed by my oft-repeated views on Sea The Stars, and perhaps more so when I repeat the same argument against Dancing Brave, or they will pity my ignorance on matters equine. Yet I stand firm, refuting the opinion of experts and refusing to be dissuaded from my belief that true greatness can only be bestowed on horses exposed to the limitations of their abilities.  
Now, first things first, lets get one aspect of my argument out of the way before you all think me soft in the head. Sea The Stars and Dancing Brave were two outstanding racehorses. I do not deny that for a moment. But if we are to advance the quality and soundness of the thoroughbred breed and for flat racing to engage with the sporting public to the same extent as National Hunt, the media, and everyone else for that matter, should not make legends of horses who to all extent and purpose were here one day and gone the next.
When Sea The Stars was retired his trainer John Oxx made, at least in my opinion, the quite ridiculous suggestion that ‘Sea The Stars’ had nothing else to prove’. He had, in fact, a whole lot to prove and if given the opportunity he might have earned the plaudits given to him on the back of one triumphant season. The same applies to Dancing Brave. These two horses, as brilliant as they were, can only be honoured with the tag of ‘best of their generation’ as they were never allowed the opportunity to prove themselves against the following classic generation.
Anyone reading the archive of this website will be in no doubt of the contempt I feel towards the top breeders. Because of their investment and commitment to British and Irish racing the racing public, and I include myself amongst that number, should be eternally thankful for their contribution to our sport. Be that as it may, my contempt holds true. This is first and foremost a sport, yet to some it is an investment opportunity and money-making enterprise first and a sport second. To my way of thinking anyone entering this sport or who derives a living from it, has a duty of care towards the reputation of the sport, and this applies as much, if not more so, to the top breeders.
When someone has the good fortune to own a special horse, a horse with the attributes of Sea The Stars, for example, they have a duty to the sport to race that horse with the sport in mind and not financial considerations. Retiring a special horse to stud at the end of its three-year-old season borders on the gutless in my opinion and the media should not endorse such decisions by going along with such nonsense as ‘he has nothing else to prove’.
Sea The Stars never won a race where he conceded weight. He was never tested against the following generation of classic horses. We do not know how sound he would have proved. We will never know his limitations. It is like claiming Leicester City as one of the greatest teams on the back of one Premier League title. The horses he beat in the Epsom Derby turned out to be on the ordinary side of good and his two-length defeat of Youmzain in the Arc in retrospect hardly makes the heart beat faster. In fact, I would argue that Dancing Brave’s victory in the King George and Queen Elisabeth was better than anything achieved by Sea The Stars, even if the latter’s overall career was undoubtedly superior.
When the Racing Post asks racing celebrities to choose between Frankel and Dancing Brave or Sea The Stars it is only perpetuating the idea that short-lived deeds can be measured the equal to long-term valour. Frankel was unbeaten as a two-year-old, was a champion at three and four. The records of Sea The Stars and Dancing Brave fail by a wide margin when compared to a horse who was allowed to demonstrate his great ability past his classic year. The one criticism I have of Frankel’s connections is that they did not chance him at a mile and a half as if they had, especially if he had been kept in training as a five-year-old, the question of who the greatest horse in flat history is would be rendered moot for ever more.
To finish on a more positive note, what might not be known about Sea The Stars is that he was ‘started’ by Gary Witheford, the man trainers go to man to sort out horses with issues at the starting stalls. I use the term ‘started’ as Gary dislikes the use of ‘broken’ as it implies to ride a horse you have to first break its spirit. Sea The Stars was intelligent from the outset and Gary had his son Craig on his back and ridden away in twelve minutes. Now that was a day when human greatness aligned with equine brilliance.