HANAGAN-FALLON CLASH AT REDCAR: Kieren Fallon has vowed to fight on and overhaul Paul Hanagan. While Silvestre De Sousa is suspended, Fallon and Hanagan do battle at Redcar today. Daqman marks their chances out of 10.
Don’t go down that road. Phil Bull is turning in his grave. One of racing’s great educators fought the Jockey Club toe to toe to stop automatic disqualification of horses after rider infringement.
There is now a very fair interference rule (which France would do well to follow), whereby the effect on the result is a matter of common-sense judgment by the Stewards, and they are seldom wrong.
That, in a nutshell, is how it should be with any whips rule. What must not happen – as suggested by Sir Mark Prescott and now Kieren Fallon – is that horses are disqualified automatically if the rule is broken.
Imagine the furore, and the injustice to punters, if the Ruby Walsh ride which brought a ban when the Stewards added a neck slap as the foul extra stroke, had brought disqualification of the horse, when he clearly deserved to win the race.
Why can’t the Stewards apply simple commonsense to the whips problem as they do to interference? I got the answer last night when I spoke to a senior racing official, who did not want to be named for obvious reasons:
‘Because the Stewards are divided among themselves between the hawks who want an outright ban and those more level-headed who are trying to restore the status quo of two weeks ago, which actually worked very well.
‘The hawks have promised too much to placate activists who don’t understand the sport. So the situation now is that, until the Stewards put their own house in order, or until the jockeys strike, this mess will go on and on.’
Amid the mess, Fallon has vowed to go on with his fight for the championship, and faces Paul Hanagan at Redcar today.
1.40 Redcar: Fallon is up against it on Hurriya, from a wide berth in 13, and with connections reaching for the cheekpieces after her modest debut at Southwell.
Lady Mandy (Hanagan), by Teofilo, is better drawn but was equally unimpressive in her Nottingham maiden. However, both Godolphin and Richard Fahey have good records with juveniles here.
Takealookatmenow has some fair form in the book but, if forced to bet, I’d take this morning’s 9.8 Champagne Katie, speedily bred and touted early on but sidelined until now after a mishap on the gallops. Fallon 4, Hanagan 4.
2.10 Redcar: Fallon is again out in the car park on Triggerlo – his second stall 13 in a row – and I couldn’t back a Channon, who has the lowest overall strike rate of any of the season’s top 12 trainers, and his current 2-35 isn’t encouraging.
Uncle Timmy (Hanagan) needs the drying wind; he didn’t like it soft at Ripon and was hampered at Beverley, finally coming good last time out at Catterick. He may go on from there but you wouldn’t catch me betting on it.
There are dark horses about. Regal Lady, for instance, switched to turf for David Brown, who has a 2-6 record with juveniles here. Cheekpieces are fitted to Chicarito and blinkers to Holy Angel, both handicapping in a nursery for the first time. Hanagan 4, Fallon 3.
2.40 Redcar: Who’s got the right Goldolphin ride? Fallon for Mahmood Al Zarooni on Zaeem or Hanagan (who deserts the Fahey runner) for Saeed Bin Suroor on Future Security?
Both have experience, and Vamoose and Queen’s Estate are held by Future Security on Newcastle form. But, gun to my head, I’d fancy Touch Gold, since Henry Cecil is three out of five with two-year-olds here since his stable re-emerged as a force.
However, I note that Tom Queally is at Leicester for Late Telegraph (3.00), who might improve enough at this late stage to capture the scalp of French Derby fourth Colombian. Hanagan 4, Fallon 3.
3.40 Redcar: Fallon is on the favourite in the seller (3.10): True To Form, a one-time sequence horse for Prescott. Whether George Baker can keep him on his toes in the same way remains to be seen. Fallon 7.
In this stayers’ handicap (3.40), Fallon’s mount, Damascus Symphony, is already on a roll but steps up in trip on different terrain after soft-ground success which leaves him badly off with Srimenanti, who doesn’t say a lot for the form.
Srimenanti, plus front-runner Body Language (Hanagan), and prominent types like Silver Tigress and Singzak could set it up for hold-up horses Lady Barastar (could do with some rain), Ad Value, Hal Of A Lover, Tigerino and Ocean Bluff. Pizzetti? Seems a quirky sort and runs in snatches.
Body Language may be hard to catch but I take lightweight Tigerino, a big price (11.0) for one that has taken time to mature and, as a 2m winner, will benefit from the strong pace. Hanagan 5, Fallon 4.
Hanagan completes his five rides – same number as Fallon – with a rare leg up for Ed Dunlop on Red Lover (4.10), who raced with winners last season but hasn’t been seen since. The money’s down for him: too much money; I wouldn’t want to risk a bet at a short price. Fallon 7.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 2.2pts win and place CHAMPAGNE KATIE (1.40 Redcar)
BET 3.4pts win on each LATE TELEGRAPH and COLOMBIAN (3.00 Leicester)
BET 2pts win and place TIGERINO (3.40 Redcar)
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