Horse Racing: 2009

Whether it be technology or model train-building, niche interests have always carried jargon with them, which enthuses the hobbyists and frankly scares the outsiders. Horse-racing is one of the few mainstream spectacles which continues to baffle and intrigue those not engrossed in its entertaining world. My grandmother would religiously watch The Morning Line, and so by proxy I couldn’t help but pick up various bits of racing psycho babble. Since then I’ve always viewed the betting shop as a dystopian limbo, a sort of holding pen for anyone who’s had too much to drink and too little cash.

That said, horse racing and betting are big business. Over $100 million a year is waged on bets in over 53 countries. You’d think with animal rights movements gaining momentum that horse racing would have cantered to a halt by now. Indeed, it does have it’s critics, amongst several high profile animal rights groups, but horse racing refuses to die, because it has a small and loyal following who will always turn out to the races, lay bets, and then discuss it at work afterwards.

What follows here is a review of 2009 in horse racing:

2009 started, and indeed ended all about Kauto Star. Denman had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat whether he would make Cheltenham. His absence was noted at all the big post Christmas and new years meetings (where Kauto Star put in an impressive win in the King George, and winning once again yesterday), and was well beaten in February over hurdles. At Cheltenham Kauto Star put faith to the hype, and Denman finished a long way second to his next door neighbour. Ruby Walsh, second only to AP McCoy described him as the greatest horse he had ever ridden. Denman’s next big appearance was at Aintree on Grand National week, where he fell after travelling well. There was heartbreak, and there were many fears that this was the end.

However on November the 28^th at Newbury he took the Hennessy Gold Cup in fine style, beating another stable mate; What a Friend, in doing so became the only horse since Arkle to win two. For many this showed the promise of great things to come, and another year of battles between Paul Nicholls’ two best.On February the 9^th, Restless D’Artaix jumped flawlessly round Plumpton, taking AP McCoy to the massive landmark of 3000 winners, made even more remarkable by the fact that just over a year previous the Ulsterman had broken his back following a horrific fall from Arnold Lane.

Although arguably Roby Walsh is many times more stylish a jockey, there is good reason why AP is dubbed the finest jump jockey to date. Since riding his first winner over hurdles; Legal Steps in 1992, aged 17 he has been unbeatable, taking the title every year since the 1994/5 season. He royally thumped the record for numbers of winners in a season in 2001/2002, which had been held for 55 years previously, by a flat racing jockey (without wishing to bore people with mathematics, it’s a lot easier to rack up winners on the flat than it is over jumps). Realistically all he has left to do is 300 winners in a season and the Grand National, which has eluded him so many times.

Whatever happens he will go down as one of the greats, and should his records ever be broken I would imagine it would be by someone not yet born.

In a year of heroics and unlikely champions (such as Mon Mome – the 100/1 chance taking the National) there were a few very sad losses. The ones I feel I have to note are Pressgang, Commercial Flyer and Russian Trigger. However the saddest loss of all was that of Exotic Dancer, a truly lovely horse who I have followed for many years. It was a horse on the way to the top, only outclassed by Kauto Star. The only departure that has been sadder so far in the 21^st Century has been that of Gloria Victis, as we would never see how good Gloria Victis was; there was a huge amount of speculation as to how it would become one of the greats. Exotic Dancer showed he had class and his death overshadowed the remainder of the season.

Emma Louise-Kerwin

Introduction by Joseph Stashko-Adamaszek

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 27th, 2009 at 1:23 pm and is filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.