Good morning all,
It was announced yesterday that from January trainers will have to declare when a horse has had a wind-op before the race (rather then the rather annoying after) and in predictable fashion, Social Media found itself split on the issue, although the split was more 80-20 in favour rather than 50-50.
Nevertheless, some saw this as an intrusion on trainers, some as another punters edge disappearing and some thought it wasn't something that was of any relevance anyway. My thoughts on the main piece, plus a few at big prices I'll be chucking a few quid at today.
Horse improves, seemingly out of nowhere, wins easily and then in the post-race trainer interview out come those magic words – “Well, we gave him a wind-op…”. And we all sit and say “Well, if only we'd have known…”
Well, from January we will know. Yesterday the BHA announced that all wind-ops (of all types) are to be declared from January. How this will manifest itself in the Racing Post and on the racecards is as yet up in the air – will we get to know what kind of a wind-op the horse has had, for example? – but the bottom line is that the information will be out in the public arena.
A good thing, right? More transparency for the punter? Not according to a few, who from the punter's point of view saw it as losing an edge that will now be available to everyone, but I have to say that I consider it a good thing.
First it needs to be said – I fully realise this is not the magic bullet that is the key to riches for punters. For every one wind op that works, there will be a dozen that don't, in exactly the same was that putting blinkers or cheekpieces on don't always have the desired effect either. But we'll be able to see which trainers use them sparingly, which do them as a matter of course, and be able to build up patterns, in the same way as we do with headgear and tongue ties.
We're all grown ups, and are able to cope with information that may or may not be important. It's up to us whether it's of some effect – but the fact it's out there at all is surely a good thing.
A couple claimed that it was the owner's prerogative to have the wind op done and benefit from it by way of a gamble. After all, it's their horse, they pay the bills, so why not? I get this, but remember – horse racing relies on many factions having to work together to make it work, and punters are one of those. The more information out there the more they are likely to bet – and if you don't believe that, you only have to look at football, where there's stats everywhere you look, and see how betting on that is increasing – and that can only be a good thing for racing in the long run.
We'll never know everything anyway – I know of one owner who sent his horse to the sales recently as the trainer told him it was at the top end of his handicap mark, and had gone a bit sour. It was bought by another trainer, who then proceeded to win three on the trot with him and find another stone of improvement.
Intrigued, the old owner rang him up. “Yes, I found a couple of teeth going bad, so had them removed, treated his gums, changed the bit and he was a different horse” he was told. Something as simple as that, and a horse finds a stone for it. We'll never know everything as punters, but the more we know (whether we use that info or not) the better.
Today, and there's a few I like at huge prices. They are, in no particular order – Auenwirbel (3.30 Chepstow) who ran a little better last time and the yard like to land the odd massive gamble (so watch the market), General Bux (12.35 Warwick), nice looking horse, first run for new yard that had a couple of winners yesterday, and the selection comes at Chepstow, where both the outsiders make some appeal in the 3.00. Sahara Haze really wasn't beaten far over C&D last time and this is no more difficult, so the 33-1 available is a bit mystifying, and Tambura, whilst a bit in-and-out and as likely to throw it in as win, is on a fair mark, won't mind the ground and has a decent record in November (17131). The break might have done her good and she's not out of it if it has.
Today's selection – Sahara Haze 3.00 Chepstow
Good luck with all your bets today,
David