If there is one lesson for racing’s ruling body to learn from its defeat at the hands of the Sandown Seven on Tuesday, it is the importance of taking seriously any concerns expressed by the Professional Jockeys Association. This is a lesson that might have been learned three years ago, when the “perceptions of bias” stramash ended up costing the BHA £425,000 in cold, hard cash, as well as a portion of its reputation for competence, more than a year after the PJA had warned of exactly the chicken that came home to roost.
It can be argued that something similar has happened over stop-race procedures, as it emerged during Tuesday’s appeal hearing that the PJA had asked for changes in 2017, following an incident at Perth. Paul Struthers, its chief executive, wanted the colour of the stop flags changed, because it was too similar to the fluorescent bibs worn by some fence attendants and its import might therefore be missed by a jockey in mid-race. He also wanted more flags to be deployed.
Two years later, the field for the London National failed to stop after a single flag was deployed and the jockeys failed to register its presence. Why weren’t those PJA concerns heeded?
The appeal panel in the Perth case noted at the time that the stop-race system was “under review” and welcomed that review as “valuable and necessary”. But Rory Mac Neice, presenting the jockeys’ case this week, said the review was quickly disposed of under “any other business” at a racecourse committee meeting at which the BHA was represented but jockeys were not. No changes were made.
“It is our belief that we should mirror motor sport,” Mac Neice said on Tuesday, explaining that the PJA wants to see flags being waved all around the course when a decision is taken to stop a race. That must be a better approach than the one we have now, which, at Sandown, led to there being only three yellow flags on the course because officials were too worried about accidental deployment to let all fence attendants have one.
As a result, five fences were jumped in the London National between the decision being taken to stop the race and a flag man actually being deployed. That’s five fences at which horses and jockeys were risking a fall in a race that was not going to count. For obvious moral, practical and reputational reasons, racing should not be taking risks like that with the wellbeing of its participants and I look forward to an improved version of the stop-race procedures being developed in the coming months.
The BHA may feel a bit sore about the whole thing but the solace for them is that they have put a good, independent panel system in place that provides for thorough hearings and results that do not always suit the paymaster.
Among the little details I learned was that Jamie Moore likes to take an outside line on the approach to Sandown’s Pond Fence before taking the obstacle at an angle towards the inside, which he thinks is an especially effective way of riding that section of the course. “It’s a little secret I’ve got,” he told the panel. To laughter from the six jockeys behind him, he added: “Well … it’s not a secret any more.”
Wednesday’s best bets
It’s not the strongest-looking card at Newbury, with odds-on shots seeming to have the centrepiece races at their mercy. The two Jonjos have been working well together, with five winners in the past fortnight, and I fancied their chances with Ready And Able (1.20) in the novice handicap chase.
This six-year-old is bred to be a chaser and scored over fences at the first time of asking in the summer, when he was outsider of three at Southwell. He needs to have learned from that but his rating did not go up and he should be sharper for a reappearance spin over hurdles last month. I’m afraid the market does not share my interest and he’s been allowed to drift to 10-1 from about half that.
Jonjo Jr has a more obvious chance on Defi Sacre (3.00) for Richard Hobson later on the card. He’s well in under a penalty for winning at Musselburgh last week.
The most interesting one at Ludlow is Proper Ticket (1.30), having her second run for Fergal O’Brien in a novice hurdle for mares. An Irish points winner, she stayed on nicely into third on her rules debut here in October and can get more competitive with Connor Brace up this time. She’s 7-1.
Lingfield 12.10 Agent Of Fortune 12.40 Broughton Sunpearl 1.10 Little Miss Lilly 1.45 Griggy (nb) 2.15 Shimmering 2.50 The Jean Genie 3.20 Guroor
Newbury 12.20 Fraser Island 12.50 Shishkin 1.20 Ready And Able (nap) 1.55 Magic Of Light 2.25 The Big Breakaway 3.00 Defi Sacre 3.30 Dreaming Of Glory
Ludlow 12.30 No No Maestro 1.00 Mr Antolini 1.30 Proper Ticket 2.05 Hatcher 2.35 Roll Again 3.10 Subcontinent 3.40 Lord Apparelli
Newcastle 3.45 Dancing Rave 4.15 Royal Nation 4.45 Xian Express 5.15 Gold Brocade 5.45 Pageant Master 6.15 Fortamour 6.45 Zebulon 7.15 Gowanbuster
