Expensive mistakes
Robin Oakley
here are few more visible trainers in the winning enclosure than Newmarket's towering blond-maned Ed Dunlop. But recently Dunlop must have been wondering where to put himself to remain inconspicuous on the racecourse. His horses have been heading off to the races apparently fully fit, then running unaccountably badly, showing all the punch of a feather duster. He has had the Animal Health Trust in to investigate and even though the two-yearolds haven't been as badly affected as the older horses, a few Dunlop nails were being chewed last Friday.
The supercharged 150 horsepower stable had been 33 days and 60 runners without a winner, and with the promising two-yearold filly Nasij coming out in the Woodcote Stud Maiden Fillies Stakes owner Hamdan al Maktoum and entourage were there to see her perform. The filly looked the pick of the field in the paddock and, despite a strong racecourse whisper for William Haggas's filly Foolhardy, Nasij was backed down to favourite. Punters were still keeping faith, and they were right. Running a truly positive race in the hands of Richard Hills, Najif asserted early and came away from the field in the final furlong. 'A major relief,' her trainer agreed.
Twenty-four hours later I knew the feeling. I had been racing at Ascot on the Friday to be free for a West Country wedding on the Saturday. Having arrived at our overnight venue in Honiton and changed, Mrs Oakley inquired, 'Can I have the hatbox?' at which point your correspondent, who had been charged with loading the car, realised that he was about as deep in the mire as a man can get. Said hatbox was still on the bedroom floor in London. Mrs Oakley was heading hatless towards a fashionable wedding and I was heading straight through the floor of the dog house towards the divorce court or worse: One Wedding and A Funeral. Then suddenly, amid Mrs Oakley's teeth-gritted musings about my competence as organiser, bag-handler and companion, an angel appeared. The owner of our superbly elegant B 8,z B stepped forward with the offer of her own delicious cerise wedding hat. Mrs Oakley set off for the nuptials suitably attired, after all, and speaking to me at least out of the corner of her mouth. I may have used up all my racing luck for the rest of the season, but I will settle for that.
Back at Ascot, another eyecatching performance was that of jockey Seb Sanders aboard Amanda Perrett's three-year-old Commanding in the Brunswick Claiming Stakes, an unusual 'claimer' in that it carried a prize of £16,030 and the price for the winner was £75,000. It was a messy old race and Seb did superbly well to extricate himself from the pack and grab the race on the line with an animal who, he admitted, 'took a bit of motivating'. It was the sort of performance you see only from a jockey riding at the peak of his confidence and Sanders is at that point right now. In the previous fortnight he had partnered 19 winners, including a four-timer. There were four more over the next two days. Modestly, he attributes much of his success to 'the best agent in the country, Keith Bradley', but while Bradley may have booked him more rides than just about any jockey in that period, 88 in all, the agent doesn't ride the horses.
Sanders enjoys a rare mark of racecourse esteem. He has long been the anointed successor to George Duffield as Sir Mark Prescott's stable jockey, even if he does have to wait, as seems increasingly likely, until George collects his bus pass. Prescott, a severe judge, has enthused on the record about Seb's ability to ride waiting races, and his intelligence. The likeable, uncomplicated Sanders, a man with a sense of humour as well as a lovely pair of hands, began with Brian McMahon and was champion apprentice in his days with Reg Akehurst. He has never been a glamour boy but he does have significant international experience after two winters in Dubai and two in Japan. Currently, he is on the crest of a wave, riding plenty of winners for Sir Mark, Amanda Perrett, James Given and Rae Guest, What Seb deserves now is the chance to ride a few Group winners and establish himself on the top rungs of the ladder.
Meanwhile, controversy continues to rage about Tony Culhane, who was banned for 21 days after he dropped his hands on True Courage after leading 12 lengths into the final furlong and got beaten on the line. It was careless, unprofessional and, for Pontefract punters who had backed True Courage at 8-13, it was very expensive. But from the hue and cry after, poor Cu'bane, who had scored a four-timer the week before including three head finishes, you would think he had committed murder.
Some, including my old chum John McCririck, demand that the three-week suspension imposed by the stewards should be lengthened to a six-month stand-down. For once I don't agree with Big Mac. The race video clearly shows a jockey trying to give his horse as easy a race as possible once he was convinced he had it won and being caught out by an unexpectedly fast finisher. Draconian penalties should be reserved for deliberate wrongdoing which might be repeated. The three-week suspension will probably cost Culhane some £10,000 to £15,000 in earnings and a lot more in terms of dented reputation. And no jockey who has ever made a mistake like that does it twice. Ask Seb Sanders and Johnny Murtagh, who have both done it. For jockeys at their level the public humiliation is the real punishment. Willie Carson, who did it once at Lingfiekl, says it still hurts ten years later.
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