Ruby Walsh: Racing can't afford to take its eye off the ball with Covid guidelines
Annamix and Paul Townend about to take off at the second last fence to go on and win for owner Rich Ricci and trainer Willie Mullins at Gowran Park
I always knew a day would come when I would have to mention, highlight or criticise the operation I have worked for since I left school at 18 years of age, but if one is going to voice an opinion and wishes to hope that opinion carries some balance then having favourites is not an option.
I am still part of the operation at Willie Mullins’ Closutton Stables where an oversight allowed one full-time and one outside casual employee to breach Covid-19 health guidelines surrounding the restriction of movement by people when they return from a foreign country.
The fact that the two people involved remained isolated and tested negative for Covid-19 is irrelevant because they both breached Covid guidelines by attending Punchestown last Saturday. Simply, they broke the rules, and it went unnoticed until the IHRB flagged it and brought the matter swiftly to Willie’s attention.
As they have done from the very outset of the resumption of racing, the IHRB and HRI have taken a very hard line on the requirements people must meet in order to attend a race meeting and all breaches of these guidelines have been dealt with in a swift and harsh manner.
The line is as it should be: one of zero tolerance for infractions. Hence, horse racing has been able to continue in a very safe and successful manner.
Willie Mullins didn’t pass the buck here either. Both people were representing him at Punchestown and it is his name over the door in Closutton, so when the enquiry took place at Thurles on Thursday he too shouldered some of the blame as the IHRB dished out what they deemed to be the appropriate punishments.
A lesson learned for us all with responsibilities at Closutton and a timely reminder to everyone in the horse racing business not to take their eye off the ball.
Willie wasn’t the first and probably won’t be the last, as humans will be always be human, but at least when people are being caught, it shows someone is trying to keep everyone in line.
The better news to emerge from Thurles on Thursday was the victory of Presenting Percy, who failed to convince me of his well-being at Down Royal last month but most certainly convinced me, with the ease of how he dismissed Kemboy and Monalee on Thursday afternoon, that he could re-establish himself as a Gold Cup contender.
I know they were both making their seasonal reappearances, but you couldn’t have been anything but taken by the way Percy travelled through the race, and all roads surely lead to the Savills Chase at Leopardstown during this year’s subdued festive season.
Today at Haydock, Lostintranslation will bid to win back-to-back runnings of the Betfair Chase for Colin Tizzard and Puppy Power and put himself in pole position for the King George on St Stephen’s Day.
I think he will win again today but hope even more so that he backs it up he at Christmas two days before Percy runs in the Savills and a week before Al Boum Photo struts his stuff on New Year’s Day at Tramore.
The three of them ringing in the New Year as live Gold Cup contenders would make the spring short, but maybe the outlier for the Savills Chase could emerge at Navan on Sunday.
I was hugely impressed by Minella Indo’s defeat of Milan Native at Wexford on the October Bank Holiday weekend, and last season’s RSA Chase runner-up looked more to me like the horse we saw as a novice hurdler than one we watched last year as a novice chaser.
His race tomorrow looks a formality for him with only three opponents, but Farouk D’alene faces more rivals numerically in the other feature on Navan’s card, the Monksfield Novice Hurdle. Seven go to post in that but Gordon Elliott’s Down Royal maiden hurdle winner should have the speed to cope with the two-furlong drop in trip.
Willie Mullins is well represented all across the Irish cards this weekend but it doesn’t surprise me Paul Townend has opted to go to go Cork on Sunday where he has four chances of riding a winner for his boss on Ganapathi, Grand Bornand, Appreciate it and Yukon Lil versus one live chance at Navan on Blackbow in the beginners’ chase.
Shadow Rider, Willie’s other notable runner at Navan, being in the ownership of JP McManus means he is Mark Walsh’s mount.
This afternoon my eyes will probably be split between Naas and Ascot as I watch to see how Real Steel and Laurina get on when they make their debuts for Paul Nicholls.
Paul has found the ideal starting point for both. Laurina is running over hurdles at the intermediate distance and, getting all allowances from her two rivals, will be hard to beat like she was on her seasonal reappearance last year when she beat Minella Indo at Gowran Park. Going right-handed seems to suit Real Steel better, although itchy feet might give him a tough time of it.
The Poplar Square Chase at Naas today is a cracker, even if it only has four runners, but all four like to go about their business and this could be exciting to watch. My pick would be Fakir D’oudairies, as the strong pace that looks set to develop could make stamina essential and I think he stays the best of the four runners.
Elsewhere on the Naas card, Captain Kanagaroo and Gars En Noir are two nice sorts being unleashed by Willie Mullins but the stout staying Statler at 2.12 might the one worth siding with for a financial investment.
