Racing’s image got tarnished yet again today when Jim Best-trained Saint Helena landed a major gamble at Southwell.
It wasn’t the fact that the gamble was landed that stuck in the throats of the vast majority of punters, but the curcumstances in the morning building up to the race..
Having opened at 6-1 in the morning, Saint Helena was originally the mount of Rhys Flint with champion jockey Tony McCoy set to partner stable companion Into The Wind who opened up around the 5/2 market before starting to drift markedly.
At the same time Saint Helena was being punted off the boards, and alarm bells started ringing with many seasoned pundits suggesting on twitter that it was only a matter of time befire Into The Wind was withdrawn and McCoy switched to Saint Helena.
I could also see this coming a mile off, and at around 11.45am the horse ws duly pulled out on account of the ground – despite the fact that it had plenty of decent flat form on good and fast ground – and McCoy quickly jocked up to partner Saint Helena.
Having been backed down to 11-8 prior to the withdrawal, Saint Helena was backed into 11-10 favourite on the track and needed maximum assistance from McCoy to get home by a length.
The stewards, not suprisingly, held an enquiry to consider the apparent improvement in form of the winner who had never previously been placed in seven runs over hurdles.
Saint Helena had been pulled up on three ocassions, and been beaten a total of 310 lengths on her four completed starts.
They interviewed the trainer who stated that the mare had been a very buzzy type in the past, settled better and had benefited from a break of 125 days since her last run. Best added added that Saint Helena had also been suited by the firmer ground.
Having heard his evidence they forwarded his explanation to racing’s governing body – the British Horse Race Authority – so that the previous performances of Saint Helena could be reviewed. The stewards also ordered the mare to be routine tested.
Whether the BHA will take any action after they do carry out their investigation is another matter.
They promised to hold a hearing into the improved form of the Best trained Planetoid when that horse landing a gamble at Newton Abbot in June 2013.
That horse had been beaten a total of 550 lengths in five compeleted starts over hurdles, but suddenly sprouted wings on handicap debut to win by 5 lengths having been backed into 5/6 favourite.
Fifteen months on, the promised hearing has still not been held and has effectively been brushed under the carpet.
Other horses to have landed gambles for Best in recent years are Goodwood Starlight who was beaten 122 lengths in three starts before being backed in from 6/1 into 9/4 and winning easily, and Sugar Hiccup who was beaten a total of 475 lengths in five completed starts over hurdle before being sent off 5/6 and landing a gamble at Newton Abbot.
On each occasion, and on nummerous previous occasions in Planetoid’s case, the stewards held an enquiry.
Yet nothing has been effectively done to try and stop this happening again today, and no doubt again in the future.
The BHA are happy to act quickly on other things which they believe effect the image of racing, but are seemingly happy to turn a blind eye to gambles being landed by horses that have previously shown zilch and run as if they have three legs instead of four.
At a time when racing is trying to portray a clean, straight image it is simply not good enough to let instances like this keep occurring.
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for trainers landing a gamble as it is all part of the sport.
However, there needs to be some valid reasons why a horse can win and not lame excuses pulled of an established list such as “better ground”, “it needed a break”. “it’s been intensively schooled”, “we have always liked him and it’s taken time to get him right” which simply don’t wash.
Unless the BHA starts to clamp down and follow through with proposed hearings into dramatically improved runs where gambles have been landed, racing’s image will continue to suffer and punters will lose faith in it’s integrity.
That is the last thing that is needed when efforts are being made to attract younger racegoers, and more racegoers in general, to get involved in the sport.
