ROB'S SHOUT - HOW BIZARRE WAS THAT?

By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, August 12, 2010

Robert Heathcote is the leading racehorse trainer in Brisbane. 'Rob's Shout' - the personal blog of the premiership winning trainer will appear every Thursday on HRO.

I am probably not on my own when I say I was initially dumbstruck when I saw young Mitch Speers fall from Fillydelphia last Saturday.

It was certainly the most bizarre racing incident in which I have ever been involved in and I am quite sure that young Mitch Speers and Luke Rolls would probably say the same about their riding careers to date.

We all know there are many ways to get beaten in a horse race but that was a new one for me and no doubt for many of the punters who took the shorts about my filly!

I was watching the race from my usual spot in the main grandstand. There was a tent/ marquee partially obscuring the home turn so I missed the first 'bump' which caused Mitchell to lose his balance.

For a fleeting moment I then got a glimpse of his cap as he parted company with my filly and then he was bouncing around on Luke Rolls's horse before he crashed into the turf.

It was all so sudden and I was momentarily stunned until I saw Fillydelphia running up the straight on her own with the other riderless horse.

I then raced downstairs before the race was over to see about corralling our filly.

I have to be honest that my first and primary concern at that stage was for my filly as it's so easy for them to do a serious injury whilst running around un-mounted with the stress of the post race etc. I should however point out that I knew the medics are tending to the fallen riders.

There was an obvious state of confusion in the unsaddling yard with everyone asking each other what the hell happened but I was just like everyone else unsure exactly what had happened.

I have since seen the replay a number of times including in the stewards room and a request was given to me to not make my full views on the incident public until after the racing stewards have held a full enquiry.

This will of course involve the two young lads who fell so they will have to make some form of recovery from their 'war wounds' before they can give evidence!

I do know that young Mitch and Luke are top class apprentices and it is one of those incidents that just highlights how dangerous their profession can be at times.

Some interference took place, of that there is no doubt and maybe there is a rider out there a bit nervous of a pending 'holiday' that may be coming their way.

It's very unfortunate but the rules are generally that any rider causing a fall usually gets a suspension of a month. I don't think that the interference caused initially was very serious, but unfortunately the consequences were far more serious than what would probably be normal.

I certainly do not believe any malice was intentioned, but that's the competitive nature of racing and why we have the stewards to police the rules of racing. If a rule was broken and the consequences were severe, someone may have to pay a penalty unfortunately!

It's been suggested to me by some pretty qualified people including ex top jocks that young Mitch might have been riding a touch too short which caused him to lose his balance so easily. That's where the jockey's have their stirrups up very high close to the saddle.

It's a criticism that I have heard on a number of occasions regarding our up and coming young riders! Is it important to look good on a horse or to be effective and safe?

I am not a jockey and I have never ridden a race horse so I am not qualified to make an assessment or even comment on that ticklish question. I have included a picture that I took of Mitch on the way to the barriers. He looks to be riding high.

No doubt he simply lost his balance and once he past that point of no return, it was 'Sayonara Luke', I’m coming over'!

As I said, I am certainly not qualified to pass comment on that one so ask a jockey for his opinion as the replay did get shown on every news bulletin on Saturday night right across Australia!

I know I can say one thing with 100% certainty. There will be punters that 'did their dough' on the supposed good thing of the day and Mitch as much said to me that she was trotting and she would have just won in a canter.

That in no way demeans the win of Noel’s very promising galloper who won the race. Celtic Dancer is a good horse on the up and he deserved the win!

I do know that young Mitch so wanted to win that race and he was then going to back-up and ride Buffering at the Exhibition day race meet. He is gutted to have come off the filly, as we all are, so I in no way apportion any blame or ill feeling at all to Mitchell. He is a solid young guy and he will continue to do well in this industry.

I would think that Mitch does however owe young 'sausage Rolls' a dinner at one of Brisbane better restaurants when Luke can manage to walk and Mitch can actually 'chew' his food again!

It's just another racing incident and one thing I have learned over the years in this racing game, it's done and dusted and as the old adage in this industry says … 'Money lost, nothing lost, confidence lost, everything lost'! We will be back!

There will be other 'bizarre' incidents to come in my career as a trainer, of that there is no doubt. I was disappointed after the race … as were probably a few punters as well and so were the owners, but I loved the way Frank and Pauline just said, "it’s something for the scrapbook, so let's just move on".

Great character indeed from the owners and they deserve to have a good horse. She will be back in the winners’ stall again.

The filly? Fillydelphia has pulled up in good order thankfully. It was the first thing that Mitchell asked me about.

She worked riderless around Eagle Farm this morning as she is used to it now! Nah … just kidding, but she is fine and I do plan to run her in the mile for three-year-olds in two weeks time.

Who will ride her? Now that's something I will think very seriously about! Perhaps lethal Larry will be back from his cruise?

I have always liked this quote and seeing as she was the odds-on favourite I now think it’s appropriate … ‘A racehorse is an animal that can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time’ … so Mitch wasn't on his own when he fell off!

As always, should there be any specific areas of discussion you would like me to cover, please feel free to contact me at editor@horseracingonly.com.au and I will endeavour to include as many of 'your' points of interest as possible in future blogs.

Take care and good health.

Robert.

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