Fighting For Common Sense

Some people say the most stupid things. Take for example, that complete moron Teddy Roosevelt. Terrible moustache, terrible fool: the only US President to have been blinded in one eye because he insisted on proving his masculinity by boxing when he was forty. To complete the trio of terror, he then went on to make one of the most stupid speeches ever made: ‘Citizenship in a Republic’, better known as ‘The Man In the Arena’.

It contains this passage:

This flies in the face of all reason. Criticising the critics is the often the refuge of a man whose own stupidity has got his own face unnecessarily covered in blood. Men in the arena regularly hire critics, and pay them excellent wages: they are called boxer’s trainers, and their job is to reduce the amount of unnecessary blood and sweat expended by said chap in said arena. The role of the critic is important. The critic often is the repository for decades of accumulated wisdom in a field. The critic is not always right. Groupthink is often wrong. But people who ignore common sense more often prove themselves to be fools rather than innovators.

So on to the Fighting Fifth, a Grade 1 hurdle race run a Newcastle today. The main contender was Buveur d'Air, twice winner of the Champion Hurdle and one hell of a horse. He was aiming for a glorious hattrick of wins. As is usual, the majority of the hurdling world decided to go elsewhere, to avoid a bashing by JP McManus’ champion. Only five runners went to post.

The balls up came at the start. Four jockeys were not keen to make the running, so Henry Brooke kicked Cornerstone Lad off in front and stole himself a nine length advantage. Barry Geraghty, Buveur d’Air’s jockey, was so unwilling to take the lead that he actually held his horse up at the start. Two and half miles of good quality hurdling later, Cornerstone Lad had made all the running and beat Buveur d’Air by a nose.

This madness. Luminaries from Tesio to Mark Johnston have all discovered a simple fact. Accelerating costs more energy than running at a steady pace. If a horse is allowed a lead of nine lengths at the start, logic dictates that his challengers must run the entire race nine lengths quicker than the leader if they are to win.

Now Buveur d’Air nearly made it up to win, and from his start, covered the distance quicker than Cornerstone Lad. He lost by the bob of a head. But the extra effort required was completely unnecessary.

Ultimately the failure was Geraghty’s, a failure of his judgement of pace. A top jockey should have enough confidence in his judgment of pace that he can lead a race from the front. He should know the best time his mount is capable of running, and if the pace in the race is too slow, he should set his own. This is why young flat jockeys are sent to America to learn on the clock. There is a reason why Mark Johnston has more winners than any other British trainer in history: he instructs jockeys to run steadily at roughly their best pace, and his horses are not forced to make up superfluous ground.

Whilst I will acknowledge that jump racing is more imprecise than flat racing (because of the danger of the obstacles and the longer distances), basic principles are applicable across both codes. Geraghty should have been able to go to the front, and bloody well run his own race. In asking his mount to make up nine lengths, he gave away a needless advantage which cost him a valuable Grade 1.

I will make one concession. Barry Geraghty is a far better rider than I will ever be, and probably a far better man. Everyone makes mistakes, and he remains one of our best jockeys. He is often superb to watch. He has talent, and has won many races. I write words on a blog, and have won none.

But the man in the arena should listen to the critics, and not just abandon the wisdom of decades. In the long run, it saves an awful lot of dust and sweat and blood.