I am Ze Count...Can anybody remember watching The Count (Dracula) in the children's television show Sesame Street? His trademark was "I am Ze Count".I was reminded of this clever little program and its significance, when I read about the "agreement" between the Australian Racing Board and the Jockeys' Association, an agreement which we must assume will be implemented by all stewards as from Saturday week.Of course, these stewards will need to be able to count to seven inside
I am Ze Count...
Can anybody remember watching The Count (Dracula) in the children's television show Sesame Street? His trademark was "I am Ze Count".
I was reminded of this clever little program and its significance, when I read about the "agreement" between the Australian Racing Board and the Jockeys' Association, an agreement which we must assume will be implemented by all stewards as from Saturday week.
Of course, these stewards will need to be able to count to seven inside six seconds.
But first they'll have to check that nobody hits a horse on more than every "other" stride from the 200 to the 100.
That's the easy bit.
These six seconds will be the final six seconds of the race, and in all likelihood the most important. Indeed, mostly, the crucial six seconds.
In that allowed time span, they will also check that the correct part of the whip is used with the correct motion; and they'll do that for every horse in the race.
Oh yes and, by the way, they will also be watching ever so closely everything else that they have ever watched over the final half furlong of a race. Not at all a difficult assignment, is it?
Six seconds, maximum.
So now there may be seven slaps within the final six seconds, but with a discernible gap between each stoke over the prior hundred metres (or six seconds).
As for the jockeys, no problem there: all they have to do is count to seven or less in their heads, ensure that the 600 kg underneath them runs in a straight line, and doesn't interfere with any other runner or rider.
As I said, easy all round...