Latest Blogs from Vincent Finegan and "My Racing Story"

Joining The Stupid Dots

Dimitri Yachvili’s famed rugby life has been notable for an obvious intelligence. The horse that carries the French international’s name has had a mostly mediocre career but is assured a footnote in racing history for the stupidity surrounding him. Without that stupidity it is doubtful the Yachvili case would have even seen the light of day, never mind become a landmark episode.

9.15AM

Having Your Cake and Eating It

As they say in exams, compare and contrast: on the eve of the Preakness Stakes the favourite, California Chrome, had a single blister in his throat described by his trainer as ‘no big deal’ but it was widely reported he coughed four times. Six weeks before the 2,000 Guineas, the then favourite, Australia, had a cough, reportedly for up to a fortnight, and there wasn’t a peep.

8.52AM

Slow-Slow-Quick-Quick-Slow

It took almost twenty five minutes from the time they passed the post in the Derrinstown Derby Trial to the announcement that the stewards had placed Ebanoran behind Fascinating Rock: how long would it have taken for that same decision to have been reached in France, or Australia, or the US, or Hong Kong? The PA announcer probably wouldn’t have had time to clear his throat.

10.41AM

More Pats Than Kicks

At this stage of his life Kieren Fallon probably knows only inches separate a pat on the back from a kick in the arse. It’s interesting to ponder how many of those queuing up to praise his winning 2,000 Guineas ride on Night Of Thunder would be pointing to the colt’s dramatic late drift as proof the former champion jockey is ‘gone’ had the verdict gone the other way. But because he won that drift becomes just more evidence of Fallon’s genius horsemanship.

11.14AM

Everything Leads Up To Jezki & The Fly

The phrase ‘Ireland’s Cheltenham’ will be used a lot this week to describe the Punchestown festival, and it’s rubbish really: Cheltenham is Ireland’s Cheltenham. It’s a peculiarity of Irish racing that it’s most important meeting of the year doesn’t actually take place here. But pointing that out doesn’t diminish Punchestown’s own status one iota.

8.58AM

A Guineas Command

Just a dozen days now until a 2,000 Guineas being billed as the best in a long time, an Australia V Kingman showdown, with Toormore slugging it out there too in a plucky third-wheel kind of way. Then there’s Kingston Hill and even the Spaniard Noozhoh Canaries as potential exotics: all of which means that perhaps the best option of all continues to be mostly ignored - War Command.

9.16AM

Oh! What A Lovely War

It’s not making many headlines but the increasingly entrenched positions taken by both the HRI and the Turf Club right now over Simon Coveney’s administrative ambitions are taking on a trench-warfare vibe, principally over money of course, but also as a consequence, the theory of independent regulation within Irish racing.

8.57AM

The 39 Steps To Precedent

You gotta hand it to the Aintree National when it comes to controversy: everything goes perfectly – and still the what’s-it hits the fan. This yarn even has good guys and bad guys, gallant brave and colourful jockeys sticking it to dull grey officialdom. The only problem comes from the precedent set if thirty nine riders are seen successfully managing to stick two-fingers up to the man.

2.35PM

Self-Inflicted National Injury

There’s irony in how years of effort to make the Grand National safer has resulted in racing’s great shop-window being potentially more lethal than ever before. Everyone knows that speed is the great danger in steeplechasing. Even the ropiest jumper will manage to clamber over an obstacle if given enough time. But Aintree’s great self-inflicted injury is that no such luxury will be available on Saturday.

5.40PM

Schmo Time Is Coming

As racing bull goes, pointing out that “no one forces anyone to bet” is right up there with “the horse doesn’t know what price it is.” Of course no one’s forced to bet. In the bleedin’-obvious stakes that’s a Group 1 piece of self-evident. And pointing it out as some sort of justification for the regulatory status-quo is a Group 1 piece of hogwash.

3.49PM