A word on the noise
There was a theme on Friday. Ray Dawson on Rock Montreal, Adam Kirby on Caragio, Luke Morris on Almekarem: three rides that got plenty of stick on social media on Friday, and three rides we thought were perfectly good.
Unfortunately, X has become a place that rewards attention, and it does not much matter whether that attention is positive or negative. There are a lot of accounts now that simply want the replies and the reposts, and the quickest way to get them is to criticise. Jockeys, trainers, the handicapper, the stewards, everyone in racing is fair game, and very little of it is ever positive.
It has been sad to watch some people who used to enjoy playing our NAP Competition stop playing altogether and move into constant complaining instead. And it has spread beyond moaning. We have seen accounts try to sell racecourse badges, or claim to be giving them away, which they know they are not supposed to do. When it does not go to plan, it becomes another round of posts about it, and the attention was the point all along.
We would rather talk about the horses. A jockey who gets beaten on a horse that could not quicken has not given it a bad ride, and saying so does not get as many likes, but it is usually the truth.
Friday at Doncaster was one of those days the ratings get right. Our Top Rated won 5 of the 8 races, on a Friday when the ratings are free to everyone. Here is the card, race by race.
1:15 Doncaster, Flying Scotsman Stakes
Forbidden Fire won it at 5.50, our RTR 2, and she came into the race off just 1 run and 1 win. We thought she was a good winner. She had the speed for it, and if you watch her closely she quickens very nicely when asked.
Nabati, our Top Rated and the 2.00 favourite, was 3rd. He may have been inconvenienced by racing over on the far side, but with the experience he had over the others we felt he should have got closer.
Rock Montreal, and the ride that did not deserve the stick
There was a lot of criticism after the race for Ray Dawson's ride on Rock Montreal, who finished 2nd at 3.50. We think it was misplaced. The jockey did nothing wrong. The horse simply could not keep up at the crucial moment, which is a very different thing from being given a bad ride.
He was, like the winner, having only his second start. We think he improves a good deal for this experience, and he is the one from this race we would want for the 2000 Guineas next year, ahead of Forbidden Fire. He goes into our tracker today.
1:50 Doncaster, Leger Legends Classified Stakes
A race for retired jockeys, with a line-up this year that included Gary Bardwell, Tom Scudamore, Joe Fanning, Adrian Nicholls, Adam Kirby and Sammy Jo Bell. Great to see, and not a race to take much from form-wise.
Tolstoy won at 9.00 and was given a really good ride by Niall Madden. He travelled nicely, then looked in a bit of trouble and set for a mid-division finish, before staying on powerfully to run down Feel The Need close home.
Caragio was really well supported and finished 3rd under Adam Kirby. Plenty of people asked afterwards why he went so early. We do not think he got it wrong either: he went when he did because that is where the race put him.
The rest of the card, from the Flying Childers onwards, including the Doncaster Cup and Silver Lake's 4th win in a row, is below for Premium and Pro members.