THE FIRST RULEDid you happen to watch the big steeplechase at Morphettville?Nuvolari, the oldest runner in the small field at eleven years of age (truly), and with NO wins either on the track or at the distance, picked up the leader in the shadows of the post.The exhausted favourite fell at the second last jump.Now here's my point:The riders were senior, experienced jumps jockeys. This was no novice hurdlle, it was the Sportingbet Grand National, a $50K affair, not bad money for this type of eve
THE FIRST RULE
Did you happen to watch the big steeplechase at Morphettville?
Nuvolari, the oldest runner in the small field at eleven years of age (truly), and with NO wins either on the track or at the distance, picked up the leader in the shadows of the post.
The exhausted favourite fell at the second last jump.
Now here's my point:
The riders were senior, experienced jumps jockeys. This was no novice hurdlle, it was the Sportingbet Grand National, a $50K affair, not bad money for this type of event.
There were six runners and one was already retiring from the skirmish.
Four of them (I kid you not) attacked the living hell out of each other at the 1200 mark. For about 500 metres they slogged it out. It cost one of them his feet as they entered the straight. The favourite.
ONE horse sat back and started to come on as they swung.
He picked up the one that had been leading most of the way but had its metaphorical throat cut by the other three in that "cutthroat" stuff three quarters of a mile out.
Just ONE rider who displayed any semblance of reason at all.
Only one.
Makes you wonder about things, doesn't it?