Champion trails in winners’ stakes

As one door closes, another one opens and with the flat season in the UK closing last Saturday, the term in the Emirates takes over at just the right time and riders from Europe continue their winter duties in the sunshine.

Ted Durcan is not in action until next week, which gives Tadhg O’Shea a good opportunity to notch a couple of winners before the seven-time UAE champion resumes residence at his usual spot in the weighing room.

Last season, the fight for the top jockey was a race in itself and with so many talented riders all in the same place at once, this season could once again be run to the wire; a complete contrast to the “battle” between the leading trainers and jockeys in the UK. While I take absolutely nothing away from Ryan Moore who was a true champion on merit and was a deserved winner, even if he didn’t look that excited during the presentation ceremony, it’s worth remembering the 25-year-old didn’t even ride his first Group One winner until urging Notnowcato home to score in the 2006 Juddmonte International. This season he rode 186 winners, 63 ahead of Richard Hughes.

But to allow the trainers’ title to be won on prize money and not amount of winners trained seems utterly ridiculous and quite unfair. Yes, Aiden O’Brien is a master conditioner, but his 20 winners, some 160 winners LESS than Richard Hannon mean something is surely not right.

The deficit between them is astronomical, and in my own humble opinion, Hannon has been most certainly sold short. I am well aware that turning out Grade One winners week in week out is no mean feat, and is indeed a magnificent achievement in its own right; each horse is looked after and cared for with meticulous handling, but come race day, the horse has no idea if it is competing in a Grade One Classic at Epsom or a handicap at Yarmouth.

A trainer has to put as much effort into getting a 70-rated performer to run up to its best, and more often than not, has a harder job working with horses that are less sound, hence are more difficult to train. My point is, winning a championship should not be based on prize money, it should be on winners trained, that is what a handler is paid to do. In this instance that does not seem to matter.

Lads tackle new skills

While my football skills are not quite as good as they should be – in fact they are non-existent – some of the lads from racing stables in Dubai take on 31 other teams in a charity football tournament at Jebel Ali Shooting Club tomorrow at 11am. Members from Green and Dubai Stables will be tackling the competition and have been busy practising over the past few weeks. While a few have succumbed to injuries along the way, the racing contingent look in good shape.

Not wishing to give them a major handicap, I have decided to sit the action out but was offered a very important job, something to do with oranges I think!