ALAS it wasn’t the delay to the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday that was ridiculous. Far from it.
What was unacceptable is the lack of respect for racegoers and, in particular, those who are never considered by racing officials – the punters.
There are already goggles out there horses can wear to combat the low sun problem
Why run a jumps meeting if you can’t jump? It should be abandoned.
What’s so odd here is that you wouldn’t pop hurdles or fences up at Royal Ascot but at Cheltenham it’s fine to take them away.
And while, of course, I get that’s a crazy example it does show how officials are making a mockery of the sport.
Would a football match continue if there was no ball?
Under the current rule makers Ascot Gold Cup star stayer Kyprios should be entered for the Champion Hurdle and hope for a sunny day. He can just run round and win without jumping.
Nothing that happened on Saturday is anything new.
I have been writing about low sun nonsense for years now.
Racing officials just chuck the old “horse welfare” angle at us, which has turned into the easy throw away line in the sport. It’s also a very dangerous one.
I can only repeat myself from previous articles by once again speaking to the former multiple champion jockey Peter Scudamore, who by the way rather cares about horse welfare.
He told me: “I can’t in all honesty never remember missing a fence or hurdle out for low sun in my career – or even being concerned about the sun.
“I saw an instance at Aintree the other day where obstacles were dolled off and it was clearly ludicrous. The cloud had come back over.”
Scudamore showed me he gets it. He added: “If you have a bet in a race where there are meant to be a certain amount of obstacles you should be able to get your money back. And as a trainer you should be able to withdraw your runner.
Now this is only going to get worse as the planet warms up.
Once again a reminder there are goggles horses can wear – already manufactured – if people really believe this is a horse welfare issue. And of course jockeys could wear them too.
Racing needs to sort this utter craziness out now. Or just abandon any meeting when the sun is out.
Or, simply, listen to a multiple champion jockey like Peter Scudamore.
In other news we have learnt star Flat rider Christophe Soumillon faces the prospect of having his two-month suspension extended to as much as six months, or even having to reapply for his licence, following the intervention of the ministry of the interior on behalf of France’s gaming police, the Police des Jeux.
Soumillon was banned for two months by Saint-Cloud stewards after knocking Rosse Ryan out of the saddle with his elbow while manoeuvring his horse in the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon on the eve of Arc weekend.
I find this all very strange. As far as I am aware Ryan did not report the matter or follow it up with any officials inside or outside of racing.
So there was no complaint.
For police do so on there own accord seems very odd.
Some on social media have already called for Soumillon to be banned for life.
I could not disagree more. Live and learn.
