'Done It The Hard Way'

Still going. He must know it is complete rubbish. If we take it at face value why are people continually bigging up Bowen and Skelton as they must be doing it the easy way?

And yet some on here mock Angus McNae when he's analysing times and giving finishing percentages so people know exactly how a race has been run in terms of pace set-up.

George, the only value to the sectional etc is to judge the pace of the race.

Anyone claiming it's insight to tell us that a horse upsides 2 out and winning 10 has finished faster.

Needs a rethink !

Cider, is 'Fitzy' correct that the races referred to above were won 'the hard way'?

It might be hard to tell with the naked eye, but with the sectionals and finishing percentages, Fitzy would have a better idea!

Yes I agree. 90% of what race IQ tells us is what we can see for ourselves. What we can't see for ourselves for definite is how fast the field were running through the race.

ie, it deserves mocking! but I don't necessarily mock the presenters. if they have been tasked to provide race IQ analysis on a race where nothing noteworthy happened, they still need to fill the time. so it's a production/planning issue.

Cider, I can't mock it, when you have some pundits churning out cliched crap that belongs in the 1980s, yet RTV are trying to bring their viewers analysis that's fit for the 21st century.

Can I ask someone knowledgeable why the jocks at Ascot wore black armbands today pls?

Johnny Wetherby died loyal

He played a big role in making Ascot the world’s best racecourse

Sry to hear it.  Thank you.

Your welcome

Fitzy's 'done it the hard way' has no connection to anything other than the horse has made all.

It's generally far better to be on the front end than out the back. You only have to look at the Irish races. Hardly any favourites are stuck out the back and ridden for luck. And some have the nerve to criticise their racing? There are no Skelton's and Murphy's over there. It wouldn't be quite so bad if jocks actually changed tactics and sat closer if the pace was slow, but they don't.

Context is everything, front running is by default neither the easy way or the hard way. It's something that a lazy pundit might assume, but most of them aren't worth taking account of.

It does make you wonder the mindset of some of them DD, Skelton in particular when he gloats having done a Spencer and pulled it off. Then you get his rides from the front end or actually making all, how do you know which ones are actually fancied though? Too many times horses are held up say 10l off the pace until the last knockings and get beat a length or less, even a couple of lengths when you can see had they been closer they would probably have won.

I don't go in for jockey bashing on here but there are times when you can see why some might feel aggrieved albeit corruption is the first accusation usually thrown about. I have said for decades I would rather see my horse either leading or hard on the pace up front as imo if a horse is capable of winning from a mile back it is more than capable without the exaggerated holding up.

Context again. They don't want to win too far and get nailed by the handicapper (for example). If you're well handicapped, you can hold up and win or held up in a slow race and get beat, but you're still well handicapped. Alexei is a good example as it happens, as they were moaning about winning the Greatwood too easily. There are other contexts, the horse is out for a school first time out or whatever, but handicapping is the most common one.

You are falling into a 1960s era trap there Cider, no handicapper even looks at distances like they used to so half a length or 5 makes no difference. Your use of "context" applies to their interpretation.

The first thing Powell said when he was interviewed was that he thought he won too easily. I'm sure he didn't mean it though.

It's just logical, he got put up nearly a stone. He thinks he could have still won comfortably, and not gone up 13lb. Probably correct.

Not exactly Einstein tbf and if the same mindset still pervades the sport they are only fooling themselves imo.

Correct. Not 1960's. Still now.

If you are allowed to dictate the fractions it's an advantage but,if pressed for the lead throughout it isn't.
Simple as that

When I lived in Canada a track-buddy of mine one day said 'Roger, you know what your problem is?

You're British!  You back horses that come from off the pace too often and ignore front runners

too often. ' So I looked into this in more detail including the three energy systems that horses,

like us humans, have. A runner that sets a pace that suits it's make up is far more likely to win

than one that is at the mercy of the pace maker(s).

I don't play the jumps very often but it always amazes me to see runners crossing the start line

10 lengths behind the leader(s). Why do that? There are many races where, if you timed such runners

they would have actually run the race in a faster time than the winner! (Start to finish that is).

In long races, as is the case with jumps, once the early positions have been established it stays

more or less the same throughout until the last couple of furlongs. This means that, barring strong

headwinds, the front runners have used no more energy especially in the 2  energy systems required

for sprinting than the rest of the field.
                                                                                                                       Of course, not all horses are equal in ability and some will overcome any disadvantages
People often refer to the Johnstons' horses being tough in a finish, having often front run.

My theory is that if you run a say 7f horse in a 6f race, knowing that the pace won't be too quick

for the '7f' runner it can be on the front or up with the pace and won't tire at the finish any more

than others.

Differ's right doing the hard way is sitting at the back and hoping for good luck!

Doing it the hard way for me is definitely getting off out front, forcing it and seeing off all-comers.
Fitzy’s insight always welcome as in that last one where he told us about Ascot - “the Famous Five needs to be getting a move on Scu because if they turn down the hill and he misses one he’ll never get into the race”.
What more can we ask from jock turned pundit than the insight of experience?

Shame for all connections.  They will be distraught for sure.  Commiserations.

More RaceIQ gravy here, Final Demand jumped well on chase debut :)