2 extra stables, Military Riders & further to Joshua Bryan moving to France.

It would seem all my suggestions for achieving a run for Constitution Hill on the flat this Friday might be for nothing as Southwell has come-up with the work-a-round of using two extra stables. It had never occurred to me that a racecourse would not make available all of their quota of stabling on a day when they had over 200 horses declared at the five-day stage. Due to these extra two stables becoming available, Constitution Hill’s race can have 14-runners, leaving only two-horses to come out for the great horse to take his place in the line-up, with one of those, Secret Squirrel more of less already declared a non-runner as he ran last Saturday at Wincanton. So, hopefully, we can all shed a collective sigh of relief and everyone can wait in until after the most famous/infamous 12-furlong novice race ever to be run on the all-weather before going out on the razzle. Mind you, for this to happen, as we stand, it really needs the connections of one of the horses not subject to the ballot to do the honourable thing, to take one for the sport and step aside to ensure Constitution Hill can run. I am sure either Nicky Henderson or Michael Buckley would reciprocate with a package of fine wines.

Given that both the Grand Military Gold Cup and the Royal Artillery Gold Cup have been lost to the weather in recent weeks, and given the importance of these two races down the decades, it is short-sighted of the B.H.A. not to save the latter and not add it to Kempton’s card on Saturday. Yes, the Royal Artillery race this year looked a poor affair but that is no real reason not to reschedule. In the formative years of National Hunt and into the early 1900’s, riders from the armed services were highly regarded and though it would be an exaggeration to suggest they kept the sport alive, it has to be said for much of the life of National Hunt it was very much the poor relation of the flat, with people inside of the sport, let alone, as now, outside the sport, lobbying for it to go the way of bear-baiting and I suspect military riders of aristocratic lineage gave the sport a mark of respectability. It also must be said that the 1^st World War was responsible for a great number of military riders to be killed in battle, though Roddy Owen, perhaps the finest of military jockeys, died of cholera during the Dongola Expedition, having signed-up for active service overseas the day after winning the 1892 Grand National on Father O’Flynn.

I just think it would be a mark of respect on behalf the sport for the sacrifices military riders have made down the years that a race of no significance should have been given significance by being rescheduled rather than given no thought whatsoever.

I often suggest that the B.H.A. and others should look to Ireland for inspiration, especially when it comes to National Hunt in the summer months, where jumps racing in Ireland is interwoven with local festivals. Thanks to Joshua Bryan moving to France, I believe we should also look to France for improvements that could be made.

In France, they are not at all prissy about starts. Girths are checked on the inside of the course and when everyone is ready the starter orders the jockeys onto the course and once the last horse sets foot on grass the starter lets them go. False starts are as rare as level breaks, I must add. Jockeys have to be alert and it seems to be their responsibility to have the horse’s head facing in the right direction.

For most of his career in Britain, Joshua Bryan has plied his trade on the flat where, I dare say, his weight prevented him from making a name for himself. He was not unsuccessful, the fact that he rode out his claim proof of that. He also had a reputation for having ‘soft hands’, and soft hands make good jockeys. A jockey who transfers from the flat to jumps in either Ireland or Britain is at a disadvantage they must immediately ride against far more experienced jockeys without the assistance of an allowance for their inexperience.

In France, the flat and jumps are not linked in this way and Bryan will start his new career with a 7Ib claim. I believe the B.H.A. should adopt this policy as it might encourage flat jockeys with weight issues to try their hand at National Hunt, even if they only ride over hurdles. In the past many jockeys only rode over hurdles. Jimmy Uttley won 3 Champion Hurdles on Persian War, for example, and there was George Duller before him and Gordon Smyth is my memory is correct.