Storm The Stars and Bondi Beach at York© Photo Healy Racing
Can demands for global harmonisation of the interference rules cease immediately please. They're well meaning but futile. If Horse Racing Ireland's famously astute chief executive Brian Kavanagh says he can't see it happening then it ain't happening. Kavanagh is a vice-chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and possesses a world reputation as a racing administrator. He points out how the problem between say Britain and Ireland compared to France and the US is philosophical. One side has to give to produce uniformity. That ain't happening anytime soon.
That doesn't mean it shouldn't happen but 'should' is a luxury word in the political world. Quite which system should be introduced worldwide depends on your point of view but the sanctimonious dudgeon exhibited here over Secret Gesture's Arlington disqualification was probably equalled in sheer amazement Stateside after that Great Voltigeur finish at York where Storm The Stars carried Bondi Beach across the track, gave him a couple of bumps to boot, and still held the race in the stewards room.
If Arlington was at one end of the spectrum, then York was at the other, with the only similarity being certainty over the course of action each set of stewards took. While Joseph O'Brien eloquently argued his case in front of the York stewards, his air was one of resignation. Pat Cosgrave's was one of assurance. Everyone knew the result would stand and Cosgrave would get a few days. It was inevitable. O'Brien appeared to stretch credulity by suggesting he would have won by three parts of a length without interference but he was probably just going through the motions. The only motion Cosgrave indulged in was some 'gurning' for the cameras.
What it highlighted though was how jockeys really should be kept out of enquiries. There are occasional instances where some useful and relevant information emerges from a rider but in the vast majority of cases it's just a performance that's not particularly edifying to all present. Has a jockey ever turned to a rival at an enquiry and conceded after hearing evidence that they might have a point? Of course not; so by and large listening to jockeys is a cop-out for stewards left hanging by a rulebook which lets too much open to individual interpretation.
It appears to be beyond the realm of world racing's wit to find some middle-ground, one where Secret Gesture might hang onto a race she deserved to win and Storm The Stars would have been immediately thrown out. Brian Kavanagh has also pointed out how uniform rules are hardly a panacea of consistency either. Football for instance has one rulebook and yet so much revolves around a referee's interpretation.
Stewards however have replays to call on. They also have a duty of care for both horse and rider. The rules here and in Britain encourage the sort of riding which one day will result in disaster. As philosophies go - and here it is one where it is judged the owner shouldn't suffer for jockey error, even though everyone knows riders are often riding to owner instructions - that's pretty dubious. The French and American way might produce occasional farce but on balance it is black and white, easy to understand and encourages clean riding. Still, plus ca change.
It seems a similar attitude prevails in terms of Europe's Group 1 calendar, with the all-important Pattern presenting an upcoming schedule where there won't be a top-flight race anywhere on the continent until Saturday week's Haydock Sprint Cup, always an intriguing prospect, probably more so than Germany's Grosser Preis Von Baden the following day. But besides those two races there is a glaring lull in Group 1 action until almost three weeks time when all hell breaks loose with Ireland's 'Champions Weekend', Doncaster's Leger and Longchamp's Arc Trial meeting practically stumbling over each other for attention.
Of course there are only a certain number of Group 1 races, and the modern trend towards clustering them into showpiece fixtures, means an inevitable concentration. But still, a little flexibility could keep momentum going, maintain profile, maybe even facilitate the massaging of some bruised feelings, considering some noses were put out of joint when the inaugural 'Champions Weekend' was put on the same day as the English Leger.
However it seems what is increasingly becoming a vital influence on any Group 1 contest is the weather and the boost the inaugural 'Champions Weekend' got in that department in 2014 was highlighted over the weekend at the Curragh when good to firm ground on Saturday turned to soft in the space of just 24 hours, resulting in a glut of non-runners and a pretty grim atmosphere overall.
It only emphasised how quickly ground conditions can change in this part of the world, and also the importance of versatility, something Found appears to possess in spades after an easy Royal Whip win that provoked 25-1 quotes for the Arc. The Boussac winner could hardly have won the Group 3 any easier and the normally cautious Aidan O'Brien indicated he has been eagerly anticipating her step up from a mile all season.
Found's versatility in terms of going is a major plus in Arc terms, as is the suspicion there is significantly better to come, so snapping up some 25-1 before a possible run in either the Irish Champion or the Vermeille at Longchamp mightn't be the dumbest punting move ever made.
Finally, it has been announced that the Tote is the "official betting partner" for the upcoming 'Champions Weekend' with the stated purpose of harnessing the global momentum of the event to grow the Tote's international pools. So anyone presuming the Tote sponsorship tag is attached to a race because no one else wants it should be ashamed of themselves for expressing such unworthy thoughts!
