the stupidest question, totting-up, champions' day, i am maximus & newton abbot.

​There is a universal answer to the stupidest question and if I hear Oli Bell ask the stupidest question again, I will send a letter of complaint, using language that would upset Archbishop Welby, to his boss, Ed Chamberlain. Oli’s boss, obviously. Ed Chamberlain is not, or ever could be, boss of Archbishop Welby, even if God is no longer keen on the job, either. The universal answer is ‘of course he/she is. I wouldn’t be running if he/she is wasn’t, you nincompoop!’ The question, of course, goes along the lines of ‘he/she is okay at home, no problems?’ As if Aidan O’Brien is going to answer. ‘Ah now, Oli, were not happy at all with her. Billy, who rides her every day is unhappy. Juan, who looks after her, is pulling his hair out because of the condition of her and the ‘lads’ have been huddled in the chapel saying prayers to the almighty. But, you know, Oli, I think she’ll be alright, especially on this ground.’ A trainer should really use such a reply as that would stupefy the interviewer and might put a stop to the stupidest question.

Sylvester De Sousa is right. As is Richard Forristal. As is everyone who questions the fairness and point of the totting-up process. Personally, I would hit jockeys who exceed the regulated number of strikes with harsher penalties in the first instance and do away with the totting-up nonsense. For example, for a first offence keep the penalties as they are 2-day, 4-day, whatever. Second offence in a six-month period, double the length of suspensions and so on. Persistent offenders will soon reach the number of days of suspension that squeeze their pips to the extent that they will soon be mending either their whip action of their ability to count up to six. And instead of doubling the length of suspension when jockeys fall foul of the whip rules in major races, a fine of 25% of the value of the race should be imposed. I would also like to see a small percentage of all fines imposed on jockeys, trainers and owners go to R.o.R.

This is the time of year when I moan about Champions Day’, the one race-meeting I would ditch in the blinking of an eye. Originally, if my ailing memory is not fooling me again, is that Champions’ Day would morph into a European equivalent of the Bleeders’ Cup. Obviously that aspiration proved a hill too high to climb.
It is absurd to have such a high-profile meeting at the end of the season, two-weeks after the Arc and a similar number of weeks before the Bleeders’ Cup. Kyprios is the only equine champion due to take part and only one human champion will be there. The ground will be dire, as it almost always is at Ascot in October and the finishes as unedifying as a 4-mile chase in the mud at Hexham. Scatter the five big races to other meetings, such as York’s final meeting of the season, return the Champion Stakes to Newmarket, etc.
As always with the B.H.B., if it is not enough, it is always too much. Champions’ Day falls into the latter category.

As if J.P. McManus has not achieved immortality in the sport already, he now, possibly sensibly, has instructed Willie Mullins to train I Am Maximus for the Little Grand National and not the Cheltenham Gold Cup, as he has ambitions for his horse to win two or possibly three Little Grand Nationals. The horse could easily achieve the double this season because, as Willie Mullins pointed out in excusing the death blows perpetrated on the formerly great race, the race is more for the high-class horse these days, with the lesser owner and lesser trainer with the ordinary handicapper unlikely to get a sniff of a run from now on.
But let us be clear, if I Am Maximus were to win four Little Grand Nationals, he would not go near to equalling the achievements of Red Rum as he won 3 proper Grand Nationals, when no fence resembled an upturned dandy-brush and the race was a fair reproduction of the race as it was during the 1930’s to the 1960’s. If I Am Maximus were to win multiple Little Grand National, in my opinion, it would not make him the equal of Tiger Roll and he only won two Substitute Grand Nationals.
The days of Aintree legends are over.

Newton Abbot has suffered its sixth abandonment due to waterlogging since the end of last season, on the day racing at Wincanton is held on ground described as good, good-to-firm. Are the weather manipulators targeting Newton Abbot for practice purposes?