MY CALL - KNEE JERK REACTION IS NOT THE WAY TO GO

By David Fowler | Tuesday, October 21, 2014

David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.

Whoa! Hold your horses!

A terrible week for racing just passed with the fatal falls of Carly-Mae Pye in Rockhampton on Monday and Caitlin Forrest at Murray Bridge on Wednesday.

All of sudden they were all out there. Lee Freedman sprung from the blocks wanting to change this, that and everything about horses and race riding.

The Australian Racing Board’s Peter McGauran wasn’t far behind.

To be honest, I expected better from Freedman. It could best be described as a knee jerk reaction.

Last week’s two deaths within 48 hours was a horrible coincidence. That statement is not meant to downplay the tragedy but both cases did not involve riding safety or riding culpability.

They resulted from the fragility of the thoroughbred animal. And then for Freedman to suggest a compulsory pre-race vet check of all competing horses was glib.

Tracks are now better cambered, running rails are fast becoming plastic, field sizes continue to go down not up, improved vests continue to be modelled.

What more can happen?

We have to continually remember 500 to 600 pound animals racing in close quarters with 50 to 60kg people aboard is not for the faint hearted.

All jockeys are mindful of their own safety and others.

Accidents will happen. It’s a given. Very occasionally, fatalities will happen which can bring us to a flashpoint but theatrics is not the path to go down.

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I thought long and hard before I wrote this.

I expect it will raise the ire of many but I expect some will nod their head quietly in agreement.

No-one wants to go public.

When a fatality happens, why is there this sudden rush to start a fund raising appeal?

If, in the case of both Pye and Forrest who were single, where does this money go?

A fund raising appeal is totally understandable if there is a young family as stake.
And I’m all for fund raisers for jockeys who incur serious long term injuries and their short or long employment prospects are snuffed out.

But I just don’t get where the money goes in the case of last week’s two deaths.

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Was Admire Rakti brilliant in the Caulfield Cup?

Or was he flattered by a less than vintage field ?

I’m not certain either way but at the very least, the win was very good.

Being a big believer in sectional times, the Japanese invader didn’t blast his rivals out of the water in that department.

Lucia Valentina’s effort could be considered nearly as good and she is shaping promisingly for the big one in a fortnight.

And don’t sack The Offer despite his 11th on paper.

His sectionals were more than comparable with first and third and the Sydney Cup winner simply couldn’t get into the race.

He isn’t out of Cup calculations by any stretch of the imagination.

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If the track was a good 3 at Caulfield on Saturday then I’m a monkey’s uncle.

There is little doubt a bit too much watering took place to prevent a flint-like track.

Just for the record, they were nearly seven seconds outside the track record in the Cup.

Until next week.

David Fowler