GALLOPERS VIEWS

29.10.11 Traditions, Memories & Fairytales


Might And Power defeats Doriemus in the memorable
1997 Melbourne Cup

..... The Melbourne Cup has always been a tradition in my house.  I remember growing up during my school years and making sure that I was always home,  to be around for that time of the afternoon when the “Race That Stopped a Nation” ran – I am wondering how the teachers never cottoned-on  to that as every year, on the first Tuesday of November, I would be home and sick!  Or, at worst come home at half day because of a sudden onset of  migraine that needed me to go home to my bed.

This was an event that my mum and I shared together:  Every Sunday prior to the race we would be scouring the papers, getting all the latest mail and advice from the columnists so that we could make our informed choices. Then mum would make her way down to the local TAB first thing Tuesday morning so that she could put on our bets – which for my mum was a huge event as she would walk in and throw herself on the mercy of one of the tab locals to find out how to fill in the cards.

On her return from the TAB, we were in front of the tv armed with all sorts of goodies to watch the flamboyance and glitz, we would sit patiently waiting for the parade of champions.

Think Big, Van der Hum, Gold & Black, Arwon, Hyperno, Subzero, Jeune, Saintly, Might & Power and Jezabeel – to name a few…we stood up and cheered them all home…willing each one on to victory. Not forgetting of course the year that the Goondiwindi Grey ran third carrying a massive 60kg.  These moments were certainly a highlight of my youth and they are memories that I will always have and cherish.

And the rich stories that have come to light from the journeys of these horses to actually get to the race…

In conversation with a friend the other day I was shocked to hear myself talking the great race down… and further I wondered how I had become so cynical of the actual thoroughbred industry itself.

This year the Melbourne Cup is a totally different race.  No longer is it the reachable dream of the battler owner-trainer who has a horse that "goes-good". Remember Snowy Lupton & Kiwi, Les Bridge & Kensei, George Hanlon & Arwon or even the fairy tale inaugural Melbourne Cup winner Archer. Rather now, the Cup is a race of the internationally bred high-dollar flyers who also come with their own overseas-grown jockey. Interestingly enough, the actual timing of the race itself is now geared towards overseas betting markets.

Perhaps it really goes deeper than that:  Australians no longer breed stayers because the race clubs are no longer scheduling staying races.  Which means when it comes time for the Melbourne Cup, the cupboard is bare.

The racing industry these days is now geared towards early 2YO sprint racing with the State bonus schemes also encouraging with enormous winning bonuses. 

I have never been an advocate of early 2YO racing when clearly most horses are not mentally capable or physically mature enough to handle the whole business of racing. Hand in hand with 2YO racing are the Yearling Sales that encourages  a 1YO horse to be grown artificially to the size of a 3YO.

Is horse racing now all about who has the most money to spend on a horse, a service fee or yearling?

Is it about growing them quickly so that they can win the bonus scheme money?

Or is it about rearing a foal and nurturing it through its first few years until it’s mentally and physically ready to be broken in?

Yes I will be watching the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday and I will be thinking of the fond times that I spent with my mum. Alas, there will be no fairy tale finish in 2011.

After all these years I still have the dream of breeding a stayer; a Macdougal, or a Gold and Black – I guess you never know what tomorrow may bring.

Helen McDonald
29.10.11

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