Race Tactics

[mowgli77]

Just thought i'd try get a discussion thread going about race tactics. Are there certain types of horses you prefer backing such as front runners, hold up horses etc and do you prefer certain tactics on certain tracks or surfaces? I don't often like front runners but some jockeys are very shrewd on very soft ground when they take a huge lead and find the other horses can't catch them as they have no way of quickening through the mud and have let it get away too easily. This happened at Uttoxeter when we were at the PL meet, one horse went about 15 lengths clear and although it was coming back to the field it was too far ahead for them to catch it. Similar thing happened on Lough Derg recently too. On the flat I like horses dropped in behind the leaders that can come from about 2f out and go past those that have set the pace. I also have a lot of respect for how Jamie Spencer rides those hold up horses, the way he rides he's either going to be a hero or a villain and a few fractions of a second may mean win or lose. I felt a horse needed to ask Harchibald questions last time out and question its attitude and McCoy gave Straw Bear a great ride and put Harchibald under pressure and got in front when it looked beat. I do like it when a hold up horse goes round all the field to win a race, maybe Exotic Dancer will be ridden with restraint again but can it get anywhere near Kauto and what tactics do you use to beat a machine like that?

[mowgli77]

Re: Race Tactics Interesting to see Lough Derg due to run tomorrow on heavy ground. Surely they won't give it a soft lead this time? With horses like Harchibald do you think it is the whole pack mentality and needing to see horses in front of it? Always travels like a dream when it knows it has other horses around it, when it gets out front and is asked to battle it gives up and sulks. Will be interesting to see horses running over what seems like a shorter distance in the mud knowing they get further on better ground, I'm thinking of Tidal Bay in particular.