News, views and ideas as to how horse racing can change with the times and attract a new generation by feeding them some entertaining carrots- and receiving their feedback. Send all feedback to admin@fasttrack.hk
BLAKE SHINN AND THE TOM TOM CLUB…
It was good to see Tom Melbourne trending on Twitter yesterday. The galloper is a cult figure in racing in Australia. Always giving a hundred percent, but having gone through a very long drought when coming to winning. But then karma played its role.
Blake Shinn, making his comeback after months on the sidelines following a serious injury during a barrier trial in 2018, teamed up with Tom Melbourne at Randwick yesterday-and won. Won the Listed Carrington Stakes.
He did it! Tom Melbourne @blake_shinn back in the winners list taking Listed Carrington Stakes @royalrandwick in a new race record! ‘The drought is over on #AustraliaDay’ @hkdarrenpic.twitter.com/YKnI6pJjD6 — Australian Turf Club (@atc_races) January 26, 2019
That’s a movie script to this story. There’s also a sub plot: The extremely gifted rider doing everything possible to get mentally and physically fit and earlier in the day winning on his first ride back. Welcome back #BlakeShinn…
Putting my body to the test in Koh Samui. Hard work, feel great. #preparation #gettingclose pic.twitter.com/c69fUVmUSP — Blake Shinn (@blake_shinn) January 3, 2019
WELCOME BACK BLAKE 👍 – Blake Shinn bolts in on Dawn Passage in Race 1 @royalrandwick@atc_races. pic.twitter.com/hRgwgZSQBw — Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 26, 2019
…….
NOTHING IS EVER BLACK OR WHYTE…
Hear those sounds? That’s the conga line forming to get into the good books of Douglas Whyte, Champion Hong Kong Jockey for thirteen successive years.
It’s been said before so why not be redundant and say that it’s a record that will never be broken nor equalled- with Whyte retiring from race riding on February 10 before starting work immediately on understanding even more than the legendary South African already knows about horse racing. It’s prep work before becoming a trainer next season.
All those years riding for Ivan Allan- and let’s never ever forget the role the late master trainer played in the success of Whyte.
There was then Tony Cruz and that long, successful partnership with John Size, have served him well.
Other than learning about what it takes to be a horse trainer, it’s no doubt also taught him about the human condition and that oddity known as hypocrisy, something that surfaces quite regularly in the dog-eat-dog world of horse racing.
It wasn’t long ago when Douglas Whyte was being rubbished by some as being “Yesterday’s Man” who should retire when winners were thin on the ground and his reign as champion Hong Kong jockey was over. And then, as he’s always done, Douglas Whyte rewrote the script. It was Marty McFly time. He went back to the future.
The jockey formed new support systems, especially with trainer John Moore, and came out firing on all cylinders. “Yesterday’s Man” reinvented himself.
This had that very cliquey murder of crows looking into the most petty of things to embarrass the jockey. Remember those games? We do. And the ringleader.
Remember those anti Whyte stories and interviews emanating outta Australia a few years ago? About his apparent arrogance? What a humourless piece of lard he was? We do.
This is what makes all the nauseous sucking up sounds heard these days by those who wanted to bring down Douglas Whyte tough to swallow- rival jockeys, trainers, certain individuals in the racing media, and those owners who talk from both sides of the mouth.
Knowing something about the man, he has that ability to use those who are now trying to use him without them knowing they’re being used, especially those who know that their current support systems are rapidly going to be the past.
At 47, Douglas Whyte could be their future. At least for the few years left in their riding careers.
Those sucking up sounds are going to get louder as this Hong Kong racing season continues. The games are going to become more transparent and some will need no help in shooting themselves in the foot.
Nothing can be kept under wraps these days. There’s always a Keyser Soze amongst the usual suspects.
Comments