The Fairview starting team had a rough time with some troublesome sorts on Friday.
A professional observer told us that the Gqeberha handlers hadn’t done too much wrong.
But callers to our offices suggested that horseracing should be making an effort to improve the overall visual show – and the start is a pressure cooker focal point for seasoned and novice viewers.
The Sporting Post was contacted by a handful of observers, who weren’t completely impressed by a variety of issues watching the eight-race turf programme on Friday.
We know that it is easy for armchair critics to point fingers – but the industry needs to listen, and maybe there are some valid minor observations.
The start of the Listed East Cape Nursery was unsurprisingly delayed.
The official reports says 12 minutes. It felt longer.
Bridgerton was clearly above himself and eventually got away from Muzi Yeni, apparently kicked a handler and bolted, proving quite a slippery customer.
The only filly in the field, Summer Odyssey kicked her gate and was withdrawn. So eight runners became six. Nobody wins.
The visual show didn’t make for good viewing.
The handlers looked stressed and all over the place. And when last did a jockey, whose horse had just been withdrawn, help get one of the runners into the gates?
Surely that didn’t create the impression we are looking to project for an international audience? It is not mentioned in the Stipes report either, so we assume it’s okay that jockeys of horses that are withdrawn can help out at the start.
And is it really necessary to have a microphone in the stalls? The real time screaming and shouting from the jockeys and handlers does little to enhance the show and creates a sense of chaos. We acknowledge that handlers and jockeys have dangerous jobs, and are entitled to be on edge.
Apparently there is no formal training for handlers in South Africa. Comparisons to what we see on UK racing broadcasts is also probably unfair.
While we have learnt reliably that vastly experienced senior starter Dean Kempthorne wasn’t on duty on Friday, it was clear that the starting team on duty looked under pressure.
We notice that they forgot to take Uncle George’s Monty Roberts blanket to the start for the final race. That caused a delay. But it’s not mentioned in the Stipes report either.
And maybe the television production needs some co-ordination.
It is clear that the producer doesn’t want cameras directed on a horse who is being pig-headed at the gates – but then we are forced to look at a different unrelated picture angle to what is being spoken about by the commentator. It’s protecting voluntary adult viewers from themselves.
- Image by Pauline Herman Photography – for illustration only
