The consistency of horses under modern-day trainers was again emphasised by Joe Pride at Royal Randwick last Saturday.
Sure, Pride’s three winners isn’t flash in the Chris Waller era when winning percentages and rich prizemoney mean more than getting a result from bookmakers.
Once it was geared around the dividend of a well-planned coup and good odds which meant the masquerading of ability and into finding the weakest race with the lightest possible weight.
Chicanery abounded.
But Pride and others can string top performances, if not all winners, together. Consider his Randwick treble.
- In Flight: 17 starts with seven successes, and five in the first three with his last six starts: 1-1-2-2-4-3.
- Headingly Grange: 17 starts, seven wins, seven placings with the last six races being 1-2-2-1-2-2.
- Storm The Ramparts: 15:4:4. Last six 1-1-2-9-3-4.
Pride had a few misses over the long weekend, including favourite Cool Jakey, the $2.60 at Randwick. Cool Jakey, though, ended fourth with his last six now being 4–2-1-3-2-1.
Others to go down were unfancied, resuming after spells. However, The Black Cloud, lacking the six-race figures of his stablemates at Randwick, was a strong second when returning at Canterbury on Monday, taking his form line to four wins, four placings from 12 attempts.
It could be argued Pride, who doesn’t dabble with many two-year-olds, deals with bread-and-butter types than Group ones but he has held his own at the elite level, too.
Thus Pride is a strong recommendation for the expertise of current trainers after last week’s recollection comparing the former greats with Chris Waller.
“As you know, Max, back in those days, some vets were joined at the hip to particular trainers, especially in Sydney, and their expertise in some matters was much in advance of general veterinary knowledge, and well in advance of the “rules,” Cynthia emailed to which I replied:
When I kicked off, around 70 years back, trainers, then with very few horses and little capitol, could not afford flash veterinary assistance.
Of course they were horsemen and tuned by previous generations. Les Bridge, still going strong, was apprenticed to “Clyde” Cook, who had a “medicine book”, the answer to any problem a horse developed, handed down by the family.
While Bridge has thrived on the advice of great vets he still reflects on the knowledge of the “medicine book”.
No doubt veterinary science has advanced quicker than the official analysing techniques. For the last 25 years I have referred to “Performance Drugs In Sport”, particularly “Racehorse Performance Drugs”, by Dr Phillip Swann, published in 1990. Dr Swann had a good idea of the illegal “stings” and how they could be used in the previous era of desperates.
With trainers now having huge stables, vets play an even superior role. However John Size, not only in Australia but Hong Kong, is one of the great training successes. The feeding regime of Size contributes to ulcer free, very healthy horses. Who devised it? A vet? No. Henry Davis, a trainer under whom Size was educated. Vets contribute, but the buck ends, and always has, with the trainer.”
(In 1982 Getting Closer, prepared by Davis, was backed from 50/1 to $7/1 at Canterbury and landed an estimated $1 million plunge, masterminded by bookmaker and part-owner Mark Read.)
Incidentally Pride studied under Size.
According to champion jockey James McDonald Joliestar in the Kingsford Smith on a demanding Eagle Farm surface “made him look good”.
Perhaps it was rated a soft five but a heavy nine at Randwick provided better and fairer racing.
Joliestar made up seven lengths when being handy at the turn looked necessary. Alas J-Mac’s other two Group one mounts, the fillies Movin Out (Oaks) and Belle Detelle (Queensland Derby) made him look bad.
Both settled down at the tail of the field. Movin Out had a bumpy passage before ending up fourth, beaten under two lengths. J-Mac took off early on Belle Detelle to hit the front on the turn but under pressure. Last week I was enthusiastic about the tactics of Dylon Gibbons setting his mount alight early and scoring at Rosehill. Maybe J-Mac’s two bads were due to wide barriers, regarded as so vital in present.
Still apprentice Anna Roper launched from 14 at Randwick to win on Thunderlips. Yes different track and conditions.
Be forgiving of the champ but it was downright ugly for him at Canterbury starting with Central Coast, beaten at $1.65, by $51 stablemate Autumn Boy, also trained by Waller.
Four others, Monarchs Pride, Blue Willow, Strand Beauty and Pink Shalala were all downed under $3.
Monarchs Pride was distanced 37.75 when J-Mac eased him down. Could it have been the thumps or cardiac arrythmia, the modern afflictions that have come into play in recent decades to bring favourites undone? Later stewards deemed: “No abnormalities”.
