When it's not a numbers game

I always thought it's the horse. If you have the horse, anyone can do it. But that's rubbish.

Anyone can only do it up to a point, and then like a great athlete or artist or singer, or jockey or trainer, there ist that extra bit that others just can't reach.

As with Millard, I think the pointer is even when their best one happens to be a filly (think back how many great fillies both De Kock and Millard turned into champions) and still go out and find that extra bit that separates great horses from very good ones. So I've changed my original belief. Great horses have to find great trainers else they may end up just very good.

If yesterday proved anything it's that it has nothing to do with ratings and whatnot, yesterday was a virtuoso performance from De Kock because as good as the horse and the jock and the team are, everyone has access to theses things. But only one bloke consistently puts the plan together, and keeps calling it exactly right. He gave all the credit to Igugu but look at how close many decisions there must have been and I bet the owners left it completely up to him.

You have to wonder if Igugu had found anyone other than De Kock, would this Met have played out the way it did? I've stopped wondering.

Had it gone completely pear shaped there would be no such post. MDK was truthful and accurate in his post race interview ....things did not go to plan but it was the horse that prevailed. MDK has all the right attributes including oppertunism and is also willing to take risks. Fortune follows the brave.

What I ponder on is how they would have finished if Igugu was on top of her game.

I am 100% with Jack...........in fact there are a couple of "overrated" brassy horses around who I believe ,if moved to a stable like MdK would soon have the "brass" covered in "gold plate"
Fortune follows the Skilled............there are only two types ....winners and losers
Jack wrote"great horses have to find great trainers else they may end up just very good" never truer words IMO.

There are the champions and then there are The Champions. Like Jack says there are the very good horses/trainers/jockeys, and then there are the Immortals that will always be remembered and discussed long after they have gone. I think Mike de Kock is certainly on his way down that road. That man can spin straw into gold ... look what he did with Archipenko, a very damaged horse ... what might he do when he starts with gold?

Muhti, you're right, if it hadn't worked out we would all be feeling rather depressed this morning and inclined to criticise, but still ... of course it can go pear-shaped ... without the risk, where's the glory? Lester Piggot didn't always win, and he made his mistakes, he must have had his horror-days, but no-one will deny he was one of the Immortals of racing.

So what makes the difference? I think for me it has something to do with overcoming adversity, with succeeding against the odds. That's what we saw yesterday, and it sure makes the heart jump and blood rush to the head!

There's no need then for advertisments and hype and artificial twak ... I know we will still be talking about the Met day of 2012 in our reminiscences thirty years from now. "Do you remember the Met of 2012, when Igugu ... ?"

Maybe too, that's why people like us go racing.

potala palace must go to mdk?

Some time ago someone had a go at MDK and said Paul Lafferty and James Goodman's show was about MDK.Well,the truth MDKs honesty with his horses has always been at the forefront of what makes him a great trainer.Whether its a maiden or grade one,take time to listen to his stable and u might just never lose

Flash Harry Wrote:

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> potala palace must go to mdk?

The horse has achieved his best form in soft going. That is nothing unusual for the Singspiel progeny as far as I can gather. He may not be as good as he was made out to be, but in the right circumstances he can still do well staying right where he is. The fate of the big Jhb 3 yo races this year may well be decided by what comes up or doesn't come up from Cape Town, because the Cape 3yos by and large look to be superior and it remains to be seen how things stand with Silver Flyer.

Potala Palace is not likely to face anything like Jackson in Gauteng, although one never knows what could be lurking. In the Cape Derby he was probably below his best on ground that didn't do him any favours, but he's not as good as Jackson and I doubt anybody could make him so.

If you looking to reinforce a horses reputation,raiding CT from Gauteng is a hard way to do it.
(Don't be fooled by how easy MdK and Igugu makes it look)
I personally thought Potala Palaces' run in the derby,in the circumstances, was encouraging!


HOWEVER,a horse touted to have more ability than National Currency,should not have to be ducking the top horses to succeed!!!

I find it quite sickening when people start comparing horses against Igugu,what a shame,as this horse has done everything thrown at her,as proven again in the J&B,let the Jacksons etc first achieve her greatness.Im sure the bookies hate her,and would like too see her move on.Read Charls brilliant article and lets all respect the owners, jockey, trainer and all concerned.Im sure everybody concerned dont want too read into other horses times,and all the other bullshit.My final say is Bravo Bravo too all concerned and lets remember her greatness.