Cut it out? The great race replay debate
One of debates I used to sit through in my time at racing.com was what to do with race replays that include a race fall, even if everyone involved emerged healthy.
Often punters complained that key passages of a race were lost in often crucial moments if a fall occurred, making it difficult for those doing their form.
There was consensus that if the fall included injury or worse to either the rider or horse, then the replay should definitely be edited. Impossible to argue against that.
But it slowly became commonplace that any fall was edited out of replays. There were a few people, especially at Racing Victoria, that were worried about the optics in the anti-racing fraternity of race falls being made available, regardless if there was an injury. I somewhat understand the logic.
My view, for what it’s worth, is that each case should be treated separately and if all involved emerged unscathed and the footage wasn’t distressing or simply passed the pub test, then the replay should be left alone.
In NSW, replays are kept in tact unless the footage shows anything graphic or distressing, injury or death. The issue has been debated at length within Racing NSW.
An example of this in Victoria was at Stawell on January 4. Liam Riordan was onboard Miss Lum in race 1, when he shifted out and into the way of Jack Hill’s Macaverty. Hill fell but thankfully was OK and rode later in the day [RV’s medico made him sit out one race as a precaution]. His mount, which was caught by the clerk of the course and Riordan, was later hit with a massive 30 meeting suspension.
The fall happened at a key moment as they entered the straight – with the eventual replay cut as a result. The last 200m is now banished from history, depriving punters of key information. The post race replay does still include vision of Hill walking back across the track.
So it begs the question – if the rider and were horse healthy, why not leave it in the replay? Crashes are kept in Formula 1, big hits are kept in AFL and NRL coverage, even when injuries occur – so as long as racing’s replays are neither gory nor inappropriate nor upsetting, should the call be to play on?
The accidental 500k bid
There was a bit of action early on Tuesday at the Magic Millions sale. As the bids flowed for lot 44 on Tuesday, a Home Affairs/Alriyah colt from Coolmore, bidding stopped at $475,000. But before the gavel came down to declare the colt sold, a bid spotter thought he saw someone raise their hand, offering a cool $500,000. But it was a case of buyer’s remorse – it was an accidental bid. But it was all in a day’s work for the seasoned experts on hand, who simply called the colt back, went back to the last registered bid of $475,000, and the horse was sold. No doubt to the relief of the poor punter out the back who was nearly half a million out of pocket.
Bazball heads to the sales
It’s been a tough summer for Brendan McCullum. As coach of the England Cricket team, he has been tormented by the poor performance of his players in the Ashes – then hammered by former English greats, plus the media, for his role in the debacle. A keen racing man, McCullum was on the Gold Coast this week for the Magic Millions, as he often has been over the years. He is involved in syndicating horses through Vermair Racing, including owning a gelding aptly named Stokes, named after his captain. But given the smashing he got in the media this summer, Baz wasn’t keen to speak to journalists on the Gold Coast. But, to his credit, he was polite and friendly.
Good people save the day
Lindsay Park tragically lost seven horses during the week due to the wild fires that hit part of north-east Victoria, plus key racing infrastructure and even Ben Hayes’ home were destroyed. Leneva Park lost fences and key pieces of their farm, as did a number of other nearby properties. But if it wasn’t for the remarkable and selfless acts of many racing people, the losses could have been catastrophic. Teams of racing folk gave their time in dangerous conditions, their property, feed, housed horses and took in staff dislodged. It’s nothing should of remarkable how racing takes care of their own. Racing Victoria too deserve credit for being proactive in communicating to those in need and those wanting to help, plus fronting up on Saturday to update the latest news and conditions. Racing can be cut throat, but no industry takes care of their own better.
A review so bad, stewards punished him
Apprentice Chris Pang is still learning the great game, and that appears to be in the stewards room too. Pang was ridding Nicoffhome in the last at the iconic Hanging Rock on New Years Day. He finished up losing to young gun trainer Reece Goodwin’s Mash And Gravy, but not before Pang launched a protest, that alleged interference at the 200m. Stewards not only dismissed the protest, they were actually “of the view that the primary cause for interference were the racing manners of Nicoffhome”. To top it off, “a subsequent inquiry Chris Pang was severely reprimanded under the provisions of AR219(5) for lodging a protest that in the opinion of Stewards was frivolous”.
Money matters
The smart money is on the wise men who are already starting to position where the cash in Victoria should be spent in the 2026/27 season. Budgets will be soon be drafted, and the experienced operators down south say times look tough and budgets will be even tighter. There seems to be consensus where the cash should be stripped from [hint, it won’t be prize money]. Whether Racing Victoria agree is another thing.
