Same As It Ever Was

Last week I argued racing couldn’t be seen to emerge unscathed from the controversy surrounding Brian Kavanagh’s reappointment as Horse Racing Ireland’s chief executive — WRONG. It was based on an assumption that the Dail’s Agriculture Committee might have more in their armoury than harrumphing — WRONG. And that receiving public money behoves transparency — WRONG. Instead racing has emerged with a few minor reputational scratches but also record funding and everyone still in situ; effectively, an invitation to carry on as normal.

It’s a good job that years of trying to tip winners have made getting it wrong a not unusual sensation.

Certainly no one appears to be entertaining any ideas of Joe Keeling stepping down. Arguing the HRI chairman would have to go was based on the common practise of those in charge carrying the can when things go pear-shaped. On what we knew he also stood out as the most likely candidate to carry any politically expedient can that might have been kicked towards racing’s ruling body. Instead he is the hero of the HRI hour after a remarkable performance before the Dail Committee.

Keeling apologised for the way Kavanagh’s reappointment was handled and took personal responsibility for it. But with the sort of linguistic gymnastics that have characterised so much of what has emerged from HRI on this matter he also rejected any idea that he had intentionally misled the Department of Agriculture. Nevertheless, whatever about intentions, government officials and two Ministers made important calls without being fully informed and legislative processes about the role of semi-state boards in appointing CEO’s were breached.

Keeling then dismissed any mundane considerations about the job of CEO of a semi-state body being publicly advertised, arguing it would have been a waste of money since Kavanagh had won easily twice before and would win again. If that provoked comparisons to De Valera looking into his heart, then the hauteur with which the HRI chairman reacted to suggestions he might do things differently if faced with the same circumstances was positively Gaullist — he wouldn’t, so there: and the committee response to such defiance — lots of head-shaking, and that was about it.

We did learn that Kavanagh is playing a hand which is the employment equivalent of a Royal Flush in that he’s in a Contract of Indefinite Duration scenario. He might also be invited to appear before the Dail Committee in future but the nature of such invitations is that he won’t have to if he doesn’t want to. We have also learned that HRI will perform another value for money review of itself and there will be a review into corporate governance at the body which will no doubt produce lots of satisfyingly bureaucratic paperwork.

What was striking about the Dail proceedings was how ineffectual it appeared. There was a lot of posturing, a lot of colourful language, some off-the-wall detours, yet Keeling’s statement that he wouldn’t do things any differently effectively highlighted the committee’s incapacity to do anything meaningful. By any measure surely such unabashed arrogance - of a sort hardly unique throughout much of the racing industry it has to be said - was deserving of censure of some kind, but apparently not.

Instead this week starts off with nothing different in Irish racing, bar the even greater realisation that when it comes to public money racing remains a resolutely private show. And that that’s wrong appears to be completely irrelevant.

It might explain perhaps why so much else that is of public interest, such as a drugs regime that even aspires to be able to keep track of a thoroughbred throughout its life, and glaring integrity issues , gets parked to the side. And with so many interest groups possessing a very real interest in maintaining the status quo it’s no wonder this stuff does get parked. There appears no requirement to do otherwise.

Thankfully a lot of us at least got something right in the Spring when pinning hopes on Minding being a very rare talent indeed. Saturday’s QEII was her fifth Group 1 of the year and the idea of Minding racing on as a four year old will warm more than a few hearts during this winter. Where she’s remarkable is in the range of that talent. Very good horses win from a mile up to a mile and a half but usually they wind up extending in trip. Minding dropped back to a mile and to these eyes at least always looked in control against top class opposition.

We can also now conclude that last month’s Irish Champion Stakes was unquestionably the best race run in Europe this year. Almanzor might have come to Leopardstown under the radar but he looked a superstar in cutting down Found and looked even better again at Ascot. Even with recent tweaking to allowances older horses have to concede, a peak-form Almanzor — and who knows, he might improve again — will be tough to beat in 2017. Even for Minding.

Ryan Moore was again under fire for his Fillies & Mares ride on Seventh Heaven but he basically repeated the tactic that worked so brilliantly on Found in the Arc and this time got undone by a lack of pace in the race. The gushing praise Moore gets when he wins can often seem OTT. But that doesn’t mean he has to get crucified when things go wrong through little fault of his own.

And finally, it was hard not to like Gordon Elliott’s recent questionnaire response to what his biggest fear is — “Being asked to go for a cup of tea!”