THE HRO / RACEHORSETALK COMBO – WOORIM AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING GROUP 1 TROPHY

By HRO/racehorsetalk | Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Every fortnight readers will be served a tasty HRO / Racehorsetalk Combo. Topics sourced from the racehorsetalk.com.au forum of the past two weeks will be expanded upon by the HRO team to give you the best combination of coverage on topical events. This coverage, courtesy of this forward-looking undertaking between two successful websites, will appear every second Wednesday on HRO making it a ‘Must-Read Midweek’ offering.

Rob Heathcote’s ever popular weekly blog is a huge hit on HRO. Love him or hate him, Heathcote’s brief is to tell it like it is from his point of view and he hits the mark every time in terms of giving racegoers that ‘inside’ perspective.

Heathcote’s column often prompts debate and that was again the case when, amongst other things, the multi-Premiership winning trainer spoke about Woorim’s run and Michael Rodd’s ride in the $1 million, Group 1, Emirates Stakes at Flemington. (See separate story: Rob’s Shout - The thrill of Buffering's run overcame the disappointment of the Woorim result).

The many variables of racing can mean that things go wrong for a trainer or for a particular horse or rider in a race. The debate, or should I call it a dog-fight, then becomes all about just who got it wrong.

Comments from racehorsetalk.com.au

Calgary:
Maybe if he was trained to take up a better position in Group 1 races he wouldn't need so much luck. If that is the only way he can race then unfortunately you have to suck it up.

Dubbledee:
You've had experience in this training game, Calgary? Rob's receptive to good ideas, if so. Bernborough's trainer couldn't get it right either.

Calgary:
Nope - but Rood could easily have jumped off and said, "look he is really one dimensional so I had to go back - I didn't think I'd have been able to round the up going that wide on the turn so I had to ride him for luck ... we didn't get it".

Dubbledee:
He didn't have to ride him for luck. That's the point. The horse was travelling well and the percentage play was to come down the outside.

Mark:
I've never seen so much carry on over one ride ffs. Particularly when I've seen so much worse. You are canning the shit out of a champion jockey with bias that is so eminent it ain’t even funny, so just stop.

Dubbledee:
The "bagging" on this thread - by myself and numerous others - is NOT of Rodd, but of his ride on WOORIM in the Emirates.

Mark:
Oh cut the cryptic/ politically correct bullshit - you bag the ride you bag the jockey.

Ascot:
I was at Flemington and watched the ride every stride of the race. Jockey Rodd made a huge mistake by not coming out from the 600m to make his run with the winner. It is how the horse runs ... it has amazing acceleration as long as it has clear ground to use it. Most finishers came wide on Sat. Rodd chose to stay in. As soon as they turned he was always going to be in trouble and it finally clicked with him at the 300 when he took hold and steered out about 10 horses. He then panicked and tried to follow Pinnacles who about the same time broke down and he had to hold again to come out even more. All this happening whilst the placed runners were off.

When he finally asked Woorin to accelerate at the 150 it took off like a rocket, but all too late. It was very poor judgement from a champion jockey. I can assure you Mr Heathcote thinks similarly.

Motorboater:
It's even more baffling given the discussion he had with Heathcote pre-race.

Calgary:
Was he supposed to expect Pinnacles to break down?

Dubbledee:
Calgary, it's clear you're on a mission to convince the world that Woorim isn't much good. It's affecting your judgement. Seriously.

Ascot:
Strange question Calgary ... The smart move was to not get behind any runner. When the horse lets down it goes like a rocket and needs nothing in its path. My criticism being that Rodd took an eternity to even look for clear ground and then when he finally decided to do so he only half did it.

Calgary:
It's not that I don't think he is much good - it's more the fact that people seem to want to tear the grandstand down every time he is beaten in a Group 1. All I have pointed out is that given his running style he is always going to need luck to win, and as such, there is no real point blaming the jockey.

Ascot:
With respect Calgary, that is an oxymoron. The jockey determines the degree of luck, not the horse. If you go looking for inside runs your odds of finding bad luck on a swooper is always strong. Soooooooo the smart jockey gets out when he/she can and swoops in clear ground out wide. The irony about Woorim last Sat is the outside was where the best ground was ... bonus. It should have been alongside the winner at the finish.

Calgary:
Dear Rob, If you want less regrets - teach him to run closer to the speed. If he can't then stop complaining when he doesn't come from last every start and win. He is a great horse but he ain't Bernborough. Congratulations on all your success at the Flemington carnival.
Forever yours, Calgary.

DJH:
I am curious, how you "teach" a horse like Woorim to run closer to the speed? I guess by "teaching" Super Impose or Bernborough to race closer to the speed they would have performed better. Some people have NO IDEA!!!

Calgary:
Yes - those people that think Woorim loses all his races because he continually gets slaughtered.

Mark:
Oh and don’t forget Cal but it’s never the jockey's fault - only the ride.

DJH:
I don't think anyone has ever suggested that Cal. The fact is, Woorim has been unlucky in several races. Unfortunately for connections, they have been G1s. I would doubt Rodd would be praising his efforts from last week, as I am sure Corey Brown realises his ride in the Straddie wasn't his best effort. These things happen in racing and it is unfortunate for everyone concerned. By blaming the jockey, one is blaming that particular ride, not the jockeys potential or character.

Ratsack:
Who cares about the ride the horse doesn’t run 1600.

We’ll end right there where a new argument entered the fray. As you have seen, the temperature goes up a bit. The arguments get more forceful. There is even a few snipes between contributors, but where does all of that discussion leave everybody at the end of it all?

That doesn’t really matter. It is one of the outright marvels of the game that people can watch the same race and come up with so many divergent versions of what they saw. That phenomenon happens all the way through from studying form to evaluating the race result and it is what makes racing the exhilarating sport that it is.

For the record, The HRO view of the Woorim’s run in the Emirates is this:

Two factors have to be in play for Woorim to win. Firstly, he has to travel comfortably. That is not such a simple factor. The horse’s feet problems have been well documented and he needs a very particular surface on which to perform at his best. Fortunately, the horse lets you know whether he is confident enough on the day pretty early in the race. If he is travelling and you don’t have to hustle him, the challenge is on!

Secondly, when Woorim is ripe and ready to compete, it is imperative that the major weapon in his armoury is utilized to its fullest extent. That force is his outstanding turn of foot … his knockout punch if you will … but it can only be delivered when he is given the space to put in an uninterrupted finishing burst.

To those who have followed Woorim’s progress, there was little doubt that he was travelling comfortably in the first half of the race and was ready to line up his challenge, but the second point mentioned above had still to kick in.

Those who backed Woorim will have cringed when Rodd chose his path along the inside line. That move or, if you want to be particular, the roadblocks that Woorim ran into because of that decision, put an end to Woorim’s chance of victory and, not for the first time, the story came down to – Woorim and the case of the missing Group 1 trophy.

For Michael Rodd, it was an unfortunate episode. There is no doubt that if there were more jockeys like Rodd around in terms of his character and ability, the riding ranks in this country would be a better place. That doesn’t mean he is immune from criticism. The Woorim ride was not good enough. Rodd is big enough to take that verdict on the chin and move on.

For Heathcote that first Group 1 win remains an elusive target, but the very fact we are debating whether Woorim would have earned that distinction with another strategy from the rider shows that Heathcote is edging closer and closer to realizing that aim.

And then there is Woorim himself … still a genuine Group 1 contender.

He might not have been able to land his knockout blow himself at this stage, but few will be counting him out just yet.

Why not have your say? Join the debate at racehorsetalk

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